In mid February, a Seattle-area firehouse in North Bend, WA was evacuated and immediately shut down because air-quality testing revealed dangerously high levels of asbestos. The staff, which includes 15 firefighters and 10 paramedics, was relocated to auxiliary locations where they will operate out of until a remedy to the contamination is determined.
This incident follows closely on the heels of another in which a Washington D.C. investigation found three firehouses with dangerous asbestos levels in the D.C. metropolitan area in late October, 2007.
Asbestos was used liberally in firehouse construction leading up to the late 1970’s, when it was banned in most capacities. Today it is coming back to haunt these firehouses, as older fixtures begin to decay and the asbestos fibers within them become a true health concern for firefighters and paramedics.
Firehouses require a great deal of insulation, for which asbestos materials were prominently used. Asbestos was included in any number of compounds including concrete, floor or ceiling tiles, and coverings for piping or electrical fixtures. When intact and stable, these materials are generally not a concern. However, as the years go on, these materials begin to break down to the point where asbestos could become a real concern.
Recent studies have indicated that nearly 80% of buildings built prior to 1978 contain at least some asbestos-containing materials, indicating the widespread nature of the problem. Many of these buildings are historic firehouses and other publicly funded municipal buildings. Costs of renovation and asbestos-removal have been prohibitive in remedying these issues.
Firefighters, paramedics, and all others in the vicinity of these materials could potentially be at risk of asbestos exposure. Asbestos has been conclusively linked to respiratory malfunction and the cancer, mesothelioma.
The Mesotheliom and Asbestos Awareness Center has long been recognized as the web’s leading resource for accurate and up to date information concerning mesothelioma treatment, as well as top physicians and clinical trials in the field of asbestos-related disease.
For further information please contact the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center.
