Lack of cleanliness, upkeep at Boynton fire stations led to mold issue

March 19--BOYNTON BEACH -- Firefighters not picking up after themselves, cost-cutting measures limiting deep cleaning of the stations and less than satisfactory routine maintenance are some of the factors that led to mold growing in two Boynton Beach fire stations, according to documents obtained by The Palm Beach Post.

So far, eight firefighters from stations 1 and 3 have filed workers compensation claims. Three claims were found to be unrelated to the mold, and the remaining five are still going through the process. Pieces of one employee's sleep apnea machine were found to be contaminated, city human resources and risk administrator Tim McPherson said.

The numbers show how bad it was:

-- Total cost was $258,576 to professionally clean the stations at Congress Avenue and Miner Road, and at City Hall.

-- It was $20,575 for 46 employees to get chest X-rays and for 28 of them to follow up with a Port St. Lucie pulmonologist.

"I hope we never have to go down this road again," Commissioner Mack McCray said Wednesday during a staff briefing of the costs that were approved by the commission.

Vice Mayor Joe Casello -- who represents the district that houses station 3 -- said the upkeep of the city's buildings should be at the top of the city's priority list.

"We're talking almost a quarter of a million dollars after it's all said and done. And more importantly, it's all about the health and welfare of our workers inside of our buildings," Casello said.

He said while he's pleased with the progress in the firehouses, he is concerned about the state of City Hall. He said the building has had issues with leaks and because it is connected to station 1, wonders if there is mold.

Boynton's investigation into mold at the firehouses started Oct. 19 at station 3 when employees reported a strong odor coming from the women's bathroom and then found several dead rodents in the exhaust fan above the restrooms. Crews were immediately moved to a different station, and three days later the air quality was tested. Results showed above-normal levels of various types of mold/fungus/other allergens, according to the documents.

Employees at station 1 started complaining about air-quality issues in early December. Mold was also found there.

In fire station 1, there were elevated amounts of aspergillus/penicillium mold spores -- a common mold species -- in the captain's office/lounge and report room. In station 3, there was an elevated amount of aspergillus/penicillium and chaetomium in the conference room. That is a contaminant of water-damaged buildings, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The majority of the cleaning and repairs at the stations are finished, except new windows and the final drywall will be installed at station 3 Monday, according to documents. Both stations reopened by Jan. 18.

Employees say they do have a plan in place to prevent this from happening again. Risk management workers identified 13 issues that fall into three main areas that need to be improved on:

-- Station cleanliness/maintenance: The deep cleaning should be brought back; personal lockers, refrigerators, freezers and personal areas need to be kept clean and not left with expired food, wrappers or cluttered clothing; Facilities supervisors need to walk through the fire stations at least quarterly to look for problems.

-- HVAC system maintenance: The HVAC rooms at both stations were cluttered, dirty and littered with garbage. That can't happen again. The units need to be cleaned at least monthly. The flaps at fire station 1 didn't seal properly which allowed air, engine exhaust and other airborne particles to enter the bunk rooms.

-- Temperature/humidity in stations: Humidity levels were too high at both stations. Only facilities management should be allowed to adjust settings. Dehumidifiers installed in the bunk room and captains' headquarters were to be removed and the walls repaired.

"We're taking a more active approach," Interim Fire Chief Greg Hoggatt told the commission and public this week.

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