Mold Causes Florida Fire Station to Shut Down

John P. Lapotaire, CIEC

Story by wftv.comOVIEDO, Fla.

Mold is making Oviedo’s main fire station so dangerous it had to be shut down. Contracted crews were at Fire Station Number 1 Tuesday trying to get a rid of the costly mold problem.

The fire chief told WFTV that mold was detected about four weeks ago inside the insulation that surrounds the duct work in the ceiling. The building is 20 years old and he says the duct work had a regular cleaning just last year.

The city is spending $15,000 for mold remediation and shut the fire station down on October 17, leaving nearby residents wondering about safety.

“I’m just wondering where the nearest closest fire station is if I have a fire,” resident Fred Burrow said.

The fire crew and their equipment are about one mile away at Fire Station Number 2 in downtown. Despite the relocation of the fire crews, the fire chief says service shouldn’t be affected for anyone in Oviedo. The mayor said that downtown fire crews can sometimes respond faster to calls in station number one’s district.

Sharon Buxbaum, who owns a daycare next to the fire station, is more concerned about the health of the firefighters and not their location.

“Because of who they are and their professionalism, I know we will get the same service,” she said.

The chief hopes the station will be up and running in two weeks.

The fire chief also said that no firefighters or staff, who worked inside the station, have reported any health problems related to the mold.

• John P. Lapotaire, CIEC• Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant• Microshield Environmental Services, LLC• www.Microshield-ES.com