3 firemen get sick after repair work is done in their living area.

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Allergens shut down West Salem firehouse

3 firemen get sick after repair work is done in their living area.

DAN MEISLER

Statesman Journal

December 15

On the heels of three firefighters getting sick last week, the city has

closed the living quarters of the West Salem fire station until Tuesday at

the earliest.

Air testing revealed high levels of mold spores, and the three firefighters

assigned to West Salem are sleeping in a motor home next to the station

until the building is deemed safe.

Battalion Chief Bob Livingston said no significant delays in response time

will result from the changes, because the dispatch speaker that directs

firefighters where to go is directly wired into the motor home.

" It's pretty tight and cramped, " Livingston said. " It doesn't have the

things a modern fire station has. "

The West Salem station is by no means modern, however. It is actually a

converted army barracks that was moved to its current site on Glen Creek

Road in 1950.

The station would have been replaced if Salem voters had approved a public

safety bond in November 2000.

The cost of renting the trailer is $875 each week, and the testing cost

about $750, officials said. The final price of the cleaning won't be known

until the source of the mold is determined.

The firefighters complained of symptoms including vomiting, headaches,

metallic tastes in their mouths and tearing of eyes. Tests of the air showed

high concentrations of Aspergillus and Penicillium molds.

Both can cause allergic reactions and exacerbate a variety of health

conditions, according to city officials.

Elegant, director of general services, said his department ripped out

and replaced old insulation in the fire station last week. He said the work

could have stirred up or released the mold spores.

There have been long-standing maintenance problems with the building.

When the air test results were received on Thursday afternoon, the

firefighters were taken out of the station and spent the night in the West

Salem library branch.

More testing will be done on Monday, officials said.

Dan Meisler can be reached at (503) 399-6651.