Police station closed due to mold, leaks

Police stations often suffer
from poor IAQ, affecting the
officers' health and well-being.

DARTMOUTH — Cracked glass, water-damaged files, corroded pipes and black mold were some of visible issues police building committee members saw during a recent tour of the closed police station.

“It blows my mind,” said Ken Vincent, chairman of the 12-member committee expected to come up with dollar figures on renovating the facility or building a new station. “It’s important for the committee to see this so we can ask the right questions when we go out to bid.”

The Russells Mills Road station has been closed for more than eight months after an officer became sick with Legionnaires' disease and the bacterium legionella was found in the hot water system.

Custodian David Saulnier said several old pipes that were blocked off during previous expansions allowed the bacteria to fester.

From corroded pipes in the boiler room to soggy boxes in the records room, Saulnier led a group of 14 through the building, identifying issues.

“Over the last three years, I kept getting new leaks in the new HVAC system that did not have some valves,” he said, pulling down drop ceiling tiles to expose dots of mold.

Pointing to a thick grey-green ooze on the floor of the locker room, Saulnier said he had no idea what it could be.

Select Board representative Stanley Mickelson, who recently replaced Lara Stone on the committee, had mixed reactions to the tour. “Discombobulating,” he said. “There’s so much to go through.”

As temperatures drop, the department continues to operate out of six trailers and portable toilets in the parking lot, a situation Traffic Officer Joseph Vieira said is “not ideal.” Representing the police union on the committee, he said the tour was “a great first step” but “long overdue.”

In the recent rains, water dripped through the dispatchers' trailer windows, said Donna Wunschel, also on the committee.

“It’s an indoor job. I don’t even have rain gear,” she said. “We are trying to deal with it the best we can.”

The town has purchased a modular station with plumbing and heat to replace the trailers. Town Administrator David Cressman said he expects it will be in place early January.

“Let’s hope for no snow until then,” Vieira said.

Source: South Coast Today


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Mold health effects spur complaints by ex-sheriff's worker

Regular exposure to mold and mold spores has been linked to
adverse health effects such as respiratory disease and headaches.

Working in a sheriff's office should be safe, but one former worker has filed a complaint, saying she was unjustly fired after experiencing health effects from mold poisoning.

The former clerk in the Lee County Sheriff's Office was fired for using more sick days than she had accrued.

The former clerk, who had worked in the office for seven years, said she suffered from COPD, (a chronic lung disease), anxiety, panic attacks, headaches and back pain after being exposed to mold. She filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) accusing the sheriff’s office of disability discrimination and retaliation, saying they fired her instead of dealing with the problem.

She plans to sue the sheriff's office over her medical problems.

The office has since been closed for mold remediation, after the air was tested by trained staff, and renovations are supposed to begin.

Mold - a serious exposure risk

Regular exposure to mold spores has been linked to respiratory disorders such as asthma and COPD as well as neurological symptoms such as anxiety, depression, aggression, short-term memory issues and blurred vision.

Those affected have reported headaches, rapid heart beat, chronic fatigue, pain and other health effects.

Seek medial treatment if you experience any of these symptoms. Mold health effects are often misdiagnosed.

Source: The News-Press

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Police exposed to fumes from 'drug lab'

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Source: ABC News Australia

Four police officers have been treated for chemical exposure after they raided a suspected drug lab at a house in Sydney's inner west.

Police say they have had the home on Pile Street Dulwich Hill under surveillance for some time, and last night found a large amount of chemicals at the house.

Acting Inspector Alex De Brouwer says four officers complained of feeling ill after entering the scene.
"They showed signs of a chemical reaction, so we thought we'd err on the side of safety and we called in the drug squad chemical operations unit," he said.

"They then attended a short time later, conducted some tests and there was nothing conclusive found."
Paramedics attended to the officers.

The chemicals found in the house are still being tested and police are looking for the occupants.

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