PLYMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) - The North Plymouth Fire Station has been permanently closed after asbestos was found in the plaster of the building.
An analysis of the wall at the top of the stairs at the fire station led to the discovery of the asbestos, according to Plymouth Town Manager Melissa Grabau Arrighi.
“These results showed two percent asbestos in the plaster. Management shared this information with the union and we are in full agreement that the safety of our firefighters is paramount,” Arrighi said at a news conference.
Arrighi ordered that the station be closed permanently, adding that the town will not consider any repair options.
The fire station first opened in 1910. Horses were used at the time to get to the scene of fires.
Plymouth Fire Chief Ed Bradley says water has seeped from brick into the plaster over the years.
“This particular wall is an enclosure of a chimney that goes up through the building, up through the roof,” Bradley said. “It broke down the plaster and put the asbestos in the air. It went airborne and that’s when it’s a problem.”
Arrighi says she consulted with the public health director and reached out to human resources and Bradley for a list of anyone who worked in that building over the last 10 years so they can be notified and medically tested.
Some firefighters will work their nightshifts out of Kingston while construction crews work to build a new station. It’s expected to be completed in June.
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