The Times-Tribune
SCRANTON, Pa. — East Mountain’s fire station reopened Tuesday afternoon after air tests showed no problems with mold, Scranton fire officials said.
Air tests of six spots, including the kitchen, laundry room, bunk area, boiler room and two spots outside, came back well below normal limits for mold exposure, Fire Chief Patrick DeSarno said.
“There were no levels of mold that are harmful to humans,” Deputy Fire Chief Al Lucas said.
The city closed the firehouse as a precaution Thursday morning until air testing could be done after two firefighters complained about headaches.
Guzek Associates, which conducted the tests, suggested the department clean the station. The building is aging, the chief said, and has a leaking roof that needs to be repaired.
“We do have mold, just like any household has some kind of mold,” he said. “We (the fire department and city) will need to assess the best way to repair the roof.”
During the closure, East Mountain’s Engine 10 was operating out of the downtown Fire Department headquarters, and other engine departments conducted roving fire-watch patrols of East Mountain. The station staffs 12 firefighters with three or four on duty per shift.
One of the assistant chiefs suggested using the hydrant in front of the station for seasonal hose testing, Chief DeSarno said, so trucks were at the station off and on last week and over the weekend, increasing their presence in the neighborhood.
“We really made the best of a bad situation,” he said.
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