Mold invades Claremore Fire Station No. 3

July 02--After all of the rain that has poured on the county and state since May 5, residual effects continue to be revealed. That has been the case at one local fire station.

The Claremore Fire Department's Station No. 3 -- which was recently evacuated due to an unknown substance discovered nearby -- has been displaced again, this time due to mold.

It is uncertain how long firefighters will find themselves displaced. The mold problem could potentially cause serious health concerns if the employees were to remain stationed there, department officials said.

June 18 was the last day spent working inside of Station No. 3, because of the mold.

"On June 21 our deputy chief noticed wet ceiling tiles and began checking it out. We left the air conditioner running to avoid moisture and a day later, ceiling tiles were wet in almost every area," Fire Chief Sean Douglas said.

The wet tiles were mostly around vents in the ceiling, with the firemen's sleeping quarters affected the most.

"We cannot have guys sleeping in there and breathing this in. From what we were told, even if you cannot see it, there are mold spores in the air that they would be inhaling," Douglas said.

Since there are different types of mold and mildew, Douglas did not want to take any chances and called for an air quality test.

"We have completed the initial air quality test and it has been determined that it was not black mold. We have hired an industrial hygienist to make sure nothing was missed in the initial sampling," he said.

Douglas wants to make sure the mold is identified, cleaned up, and the station deemed safe before firefighters move back into the building. A contractor has looked at the roof and made several discoveries of what could have caused leaks that led to mold.

Douglas pointed out locations on the roof where water was seeping in around plumbing and air vents.

He said the city is financially stable enough to handle the cost of the repairs, even with a high insurance deductible, to protect the public's investment in the property.

Carpet will need to be removed, tiles replaced, ventilation cleaned or replaced and the roof needs repairing. Douglas said it looks as if "patchwork" repairs had been done in the past, compromising the integrity of the roof.

The station's personnel had to temporarily relocate on June 4 until a mysterious substance found in a nearby drainage ditch could be identified or until the area was deemed safe for their return. Now they've had to move out again, just a few weeks later.

The composition of the substance remains unknown. Discovered in a ditch on the north side of town, near E. Stuart Roosa -- in front of Station No. 3 -- the substance sent city employees exposed to it to the hospital complaining of headaches and congestion.

There was a misunderstanding about who would do the clean-up after the substance was found, leaving the city to address it. Most of the soil has been removed and the area has had fresh dirt dumped into the ditches. Douglas said the city will most likely enclose the area in the future.

The fire department is looking for a temporary building large enough to house their equipment and allow the firefighters to resume their duties.

"It is possible that Emergency Management Director Scotty Stokes has located a building for us, but it is uncertain if it is big enough. For now, they will share with (Fire Station) No. 1," Douglas said.

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