West Sacramento Firefighters Upset Over Firehouse Toxic Mold
WEST SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The city's newest fire station has toxic mold and the local union is threatening a lawsuit if it's not cleaned up.
"This is one of the rooms where they found some of it," said Chief John Heilmann while showing two rooms that have been quarantined.
The mold is growing around firefighters' bedrooms.
"Didn't know about the mold issue and how severe it was until they opened up the dorm room upstairs," he said.
The roof has leaked in the past but they never knew just what was growing.
It all started last year when mold was discovered in an office. That was quickly eradicated, but the toxins surfaced once again back in March and spores have been multiplying ever since.
"It's not a new issue, it's been presented before, and now we are taking it to the next step," said Robert Padilla with the Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522.
The West Sacramento Firefighters Association feels the city has been negligent.
Over a decade ago Station 41 had to be shut down over the same issue.
"For us, it's about reinvesting in infrastructure. There's a lot of investing going on, new projects, new things going on, but the vital's essential services, police, parks, roadways, that's infrastructure but we feel strongly is not appropriately being addressed," Padilla said.
The union is now hiring a local attorney.
"They are already subjecting themselves to carcinogens, toxins, hazards on a daily basis serving the community that they love," said Kathleen Mastagni Storm, an attorney with Mastagni Holstedt. "We got a mold report back and on a scale of 0 to 4, a lot of the mold present were at a 4-plus."
The chief said the city is unable to eradicate the problem this time.
It has allocated $250,000 to clean up the mess.
"Our first priority is the safety of our people, we take whatever measures we can to ensure that they go home safely, not only from structure fires but from their own facilities," Heilmann said.
The firehouse was built in 2007. It's unknown just how long the mold has been growing.
The chief hopes the union and the city can work together to keep firefighters safe and able to continue protecting their city.
The city has ordered tests to see if firefighters will have to be relocated.
