Firefighters Evacuated From Fire House Due to Asbestos Exposure

Firefighters routinely expose themselves to danger in the effort to save lives and property, including the knowledge that they may be exposed to asbestos when their work takes them into older structures. It’s an expected part of the job. What they don’t expect, however, is to be exposed to those kinds of risks in their very own house, but that’s just what happened recently in upstate New York.

The firefighters at Fire House 3 in Lackawanna were evacuated in late December when testing confirmed the presence of dangerous amounts of asbestos fibre in the air. The tests were ordered by the firefighters union after large quantities of dust were noticed in the building. They’ll remain out of the building while asbestos abatement work goes on.

The older structure was undergoing renovations to the piping system and boiler, and a spokesperson for the union said that the initial reaction was simply to issue a memorandum that advised the firefighters to avoid the second floor of the building. However, it proved impossible to completely avoid the upper level and the dust disturbed by the renovations circulated throughout the building.

Union Concerned
While the abatement work is obviously the right step to take, the firefighters and their union are concerned that it took a few weeks from the testing in early December to issue the order to evacuate, as well as that the initial order to avoid the second floor was entirely inadequate as a preventive measure. The danger from asbestos comes from inhaling the fibres, and no level of exposure is considered safe.

If your home was built before 1970, it too may house building materials that contain asbestos. Before any renovation projects, call in the experts from GreenStream Environmental Services for an asbestos inspection. At GreenStream Environmental Services, we offer professional vermiculite and asbestos remediation services to help you contain and then rid yourself of this problem.

In the Toronto area contact GreenStreamEnvironmental.ca at (416) 818-9414.

Featured in Mike Holmes’ magazine, HGTV’s Income Properties, W Network’s Love It Or List It and chosen by Homestars.com as “Best Toronto Asbestos Removal Company” based on customer ratings and reviews, GreenStream Environmental Services are fully-certified, trusted and insured professionals in the removal and disposal of commercial, industrial, institutional and residential asbestos, vermiculite and mould (hazardous and non-hazardous). Providing emergency service 24/7/365 for all of Toronto and the GTA (North York, Mississauga, Markham, Brampton, Scarborough, Ajax, Oshawa, and beyond) GreenStream has over 40 combined years of experience serving clients such as the City of Toronto, the Toronto District School Board and many more. For a free estimate in Toronto, the GTA and Southern Ontario, call today at 416-818-9414.  You’ll be glad you did.