Ambulance station closed due to mold

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Ambulance station closed due to mold

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Marshall County Tribune - burg,PA*

By Clint Confehr, Senior Staff Writer

http://www.marshalltribune.com/story/1467790.html

The ambulance station on sville Highway was closed last month

by the Marshall County Emergency Medical Services director because

employees' health was threatened by mold growing in the building.

" It'll burn your eyes, " Director Whorley told the Marshall

County Commission's EMS Committee on Thursday evening. " We've got

water in the trunk lines of the central unit, water in the vents,

and there's mold. "

The water that led to mold is from the air conditioning system which

condenses humid air into water. That water is to be properly

drained, but a malfunction allowed mold to grow.

Paramedics, emergency medical technicians and their ambulance were

moved to EMS headquarters on South Ellington Parkway, Whorley said.

The two-year-old headquarters were built to accommodate the level of

staffing there now.

Some furnishings moved from the west station had to be aired out and

treated for mold, the director said.

Response time to the west side of burg may have increased by

two minutes without the ambulance housed at a portable building

obtained in June last year from the Air Evac Inc., Whorley said.

The portable building replaced a 12-year-old mobile home. Land for

the station is provided by National HealthCare Corp., the

Murfreesboro-based company that operates NHC HealthCare of burg

on the east side of the now-closed ambulance station. NHC officials

have explained the close proximity of an ambulance station was seen

as an advantage for the health care business.

Repair costs for the closed ambulance station range from $3,500 to

$6,000, but that's NHC's responsibility, Whorley said.

County Commissioner Dean Delk, a member of the committee that was

meeting in the ambulance service's headquarters, asked if Whorley

had spoken with NHC officials about dealing with the mold. Whorley

said he had and that NHC officials replied they'd rather not face

the expense.

Repairs would probably include replacement of damp and/or rotted

flooring and when committee Chairwoman Reynelle said she

wanted to inspect the building, Whorley replied, " We've raised all

the windows to deal with it, but you couldn't stay there because of

the stench. "

Delk recommended the EMS Committee refer the issue to the County

Commission's Building Committee for a review of the agreement

between the county and NHC. The agreement was reached in 1995 when

Jimmy was director of the EMS.

" NHC is not being difficult, " Whorley reported. After being advised

of the situation, a company official replied to the EMS director

with a simple question, " 'What do you want to do?'

" Get rid of it, " is preferable, the director said, so it appears

that may be the result of this development.

West station employees were transferred on Sept. 26, Whorley said.

" I think you did the right thing to move them, " said ,

seconding Delk's motion to support Whorley's recommendation and

refer the contract issue to the Buildings committee. The vote was

unanimous, including support from Commissioner Jimmy Wolaver, a

member of the Building Committee.

Also voicing support for Whorley's decision were Commissioners

Wilford " Spider " Wentzel and Spivey.

" I don't blame him for pulling them (the employees) out, " Wentzel

said.

Spivey told Whorley, " You didn't have any choice. "

Also Thursday, the EMS Committee elected officers.

Chairwoman was re-elected. Commissioner Seth Warf, who's moved

to another committee, was vice chairman. He's been succeed by

Spivey.

Wolaver succeeds Commissioner Poarch as committee secretary as

Poarch has other assignments.