Mold In Building Putting Some City Employees At Risk

March 4, 2006

POSTED: 7:45 pm CST March 3, 2006

UPDATED: 8:16 pm CST March 3, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Some city employees are wearing masks at work.

Employees report that the Birmingham Police Department's Forensic

Building on Sixth Avenue South has mold inside. Some employees have

developed respiratory problems and other symptoms they think could

be linked to the air quality.

NBC13 reporter Kathy Times obtained a copy of a memo that suggested

that employees wear special breathing equipment.

Nearly a dozen employees work in the building where technicians

store and preserve crime scene evidence. Sources said the building's

ceiling leaks and mold has formed on the walls, floors and ceilings

on the second and third floors. Those floors were the subject of a

memo addressed to Forensic Unit Personnel on Feb. 17.

The memo from Lt. Larry Daughtery states, " When working on the

second and third floor of the Forensic Building or when you feel you

need to, you must wear personal protective breathing equipment. "

A second memo from Daughtery stated that he has requested upper

respiratory examinations for all personnel in the Forensic Unit and

the city will start the examinations in March.

Birmingham's police chief and spokesman were both out of the office

on Friday. Attempts were made to contact the mayor's chief of staff,

Al Herbert, but Herbert did not return phone calls or e-mail inquiry.

The president of the Birmingham Fraternal Order of Police said he's

aware and very concerned that breathing apparatuses have been

distributed in an unhealthy business.

Plans had been made last April to move the Forensic Unit into the

police department's headquarters.

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