Columbus Fire and Rescue discovers mold at Fire Station 5
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus Fire and Rescue is used to fighting fires, but lately the department has been battling another hazard: mold.
Recently, mold and mildew were discovered at Fire Station Five on Lehmberg Road.
Hughes, the command staff, and firefighters have been working in Fire Station Four, pulling affected sheetrock and cabinets, trying to find the source of the mold and mildew.
They have also had the city inspector, plumbers, and roofers working to uncover leaks that could have led to the moisture problems, so far they have turned up nothing.
The fire crews that man Station Five have been temporarily assigned to Station Four on Airline Road.
They are still protecting the public, but the chief says his department also has to protect its personnel.
“From Day One, once we were alerted that there was possible mold or mildew here in the station, we immediately got the crews out of the station. We can’t perform our mission to serve the public if our firefighters aren’t safe. We have to take care of them. We do that by taking care of each other. So, we’ve had our firefighters who have volunteered to come here and help remediate the situation, help try and find the leak,” said Columbus Fire and Rescue Chief Duane Hughes.
Hughes says the city is bringing in SERVPRO to examine the station and its HVAC system. Once it’s declared clear, contractors will repair the sheetrock and paint.
He hopes to have the station reopened by the end of the week.
