BOSTON (WHDH) - The flames firefighters battle is only one danger of the job. Increasingly, other threats are waiting for them inside their own fire stations.
“I’m telling you the fire stations are in crisis right now,” said Lt. Jason Burns, a Fall River firefighter.
Burns has been a firefighter for two decades. During his time with the Fall River Fire Department, he’s gotten used to deteriorating conditions. Sinks and showers are broken. Windows don’t open and buckets are littered throughout the station to catch leaking water.
“You almost get a little desensitized to it,” Burns admitted.
Rodent droppings are common in one room and it’s rare for paint chips not to flake off the ceiling.
“It’s shocking,” Burns said. “It’s not okay to have these conditions.”
The hazards aren’t just aesthetically displeasing; some are also putting firefighters’ health at risk.
“The air quality is not where it needs to be so those health impacts are happening on a daily basis when you come to work,” Burns said.
Burns said Fall River’s station on Bedford Street has had challenges with asbestos and water getting into the building; both, he believes, have impacted air quality. The lack of fully functioning showers also inhibits firefighters abilities to wash off chemicals they are exposed to while fighting fires.
It’s not just Fall River. Communities across the Commonwealth are struggling to keep their aging firehouses safe. Unlike private or commercial buildings that require periodic inspections, Burns said no one is regularly inspecting fire stations.
“Probably 60%, 50% , at least not meeting code. They wouldn’t be open if they weren’t a firehouse,” Burns estimated.
In Auburn, asbestos rained down from the ceiling, forcing firefighters out for a week.
The station on West Street was a former school built in the 1950s. Now, 40 years since its conversion, the station has battled mold, asbestos and tight quarters.
“I know you would be hard pressed to go into this station and not find mold throughout the station; above the ceiling in closets and even in some of the living area,” said Captain Justin Brigham with the Auburn Fire Department.
The lack of space also means dirty gear and the engines are close to the living areas, which allows toxins to spread through the station. Modern stations are built with more protection to reduce contamination and health risks to firefighters.
“There is no separation from what takes place out here …unfortunately, all those contaminants leak right into their living quarters.” Brigham said
As conditions worsen at stations, Burns said he is worried about them getting condemned. While communities have made efforts to improve issues overtime, often these are not permanent or long-term solutions.
The Fall River lieutenant also serves as the executive director to the Last Call Foundation, an organization that advocates for firefighters’ safety and health. The foundation is funding a documentary on fire station conditions to sound the alarm.
“I just want awareness. I want people to know what the conditions that these people are living in and I think once they are aware, actions will take place,” said Tommy Jay Dwyer, the documentary filmmaker.
The documentary, Burnin’ Down The House, will feature crumbling ceilings, inadequate plumbing, pools of water and cracks in foundations at stations across Massachusetts.
“These are places where these guys live and yes, they are heroes and do very heroic things, but they are also regular guys and living in absolutely abysmal conditions and it is really heartbreaking to see it,” Dwyer said.
In addition to awareness, fire departments are also advocating for funding from the state.
“We need help from the state. Municipalities across the Commonwealth, we need help,” explained Auburn Fire Chief Stephen Coleman.
Coleman also serves as a director with the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts. The association and other advocates are pushing for state leaders to pass a bill that would create a municipal and public safety building authority. If passed, municipalities would be able to tap into state funding to improve their public safety buildings.
While Auburn residents voted to increase taxes to fund a new station, not all communities have the resources or are making these fixes a priority. That’s where the state fund could assist.
“Without assistance from the state, these issues are going to go unaddressed and they are going to continue to work in the conditions they are working in and it is not going to get better,” Coleman said.
Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan told 7 Investigates that improvements are on the way for the Bedford Street Station. He said a project to improve the interior of the station is out to bid now and should begin in the next few months.
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