NEWPORT, Maine — For about the past six months, some Newport police officers have been complaining of headaches, sinus problems and allergy-type issues.
The town is starting to attack the problem through replacing dry walls, ceiling tiles and adding a vent to alleviate what is suspected to be mold and mildew problems at the police station.
“At one point the police department was washing their cruisers inside the garage,” said Newport Town Manager James Ricker. “We’re having the Sheetrock replaced. We cured the washing in the bays [issue by not allowing them to do that until the walls are replaced].”
For some, the problem is worse than just headaches.
“One [officer] can’t spend more than an hour inside the building at a time. He has to go outside for a while,” Ricker said during last Wednesday’s selectmen meeting.
Exhaust fumes from firetrucks being started in the garage may have also contributed to the air quality problems, said Ricker.
“We closed off a door that really served no purpose between the fire department and the police station,” said Ricker. “We’re also looking to replace all of the ceiling tiles that are 30 years old. We just want to do a really good cleaning.”
The town will also install an exhaust fan in the garage to help cure the problem of engine exhaust and mildew from moisture buildup.
Ricker said the town has hired a contractor to replace the drywall in the police station and garage. The new walls will be lined with waterproof plastic, he said.
Ricker said at last week’s meeting that he has contacted air quality firms. The selectmen were hesitant to spend money on a specialist if they could fix the problem themselves.
“If you have a flat tire on your car, you’re not going to call an engineer to tell you you need to change it,” said Ricker. “If we still have an identified problem [after the work we will have done], we’ll call in a professional.”
Ricker said an air-filtration system will also be brought in to help circulate the air in the building.
“We’re going to take every step we can to take care of it,” said Ricker.
Newport Police Chief Leonard Macdaid said he was encouraged by the town’s response.
“At this point, they’re taking the proper action,” said Macdaid.
Consider installing a carbon monoxide sensor and see if that is a contributing factor. When we lived in a different house with an attached garage the one in the kitchen would hit about 100 ppb if a car was backed into the garage. Mind you this was with two closed doors between the kitchen and the garage.
Spend more time on patrol and less time hanging around the office…..
and when they do, not pull over the wrong people accusing them of something they didn’t do and then spend two court dates finally getting it dismissed…..they should spend time taking eye exams and more training before patrolling first.
LOL yea! or they are trying to justify getting a state of the art police station…
There are police depts. that limit how many miles that an officer can drive in there shift because of the price of gas ect.
Chronic exposure to exhaust from diesel boilers or vehicles can cause a whole spectrum of health effects. Headaches, stomach complaints, dizziness, rashes, flushing, difficulty concentrating…the list is very long. It should be a no-brainer that fire trucks should not be started and idling in an enclosed garage that allows fumes to escape into the work place. Not all people exposed to these toxins will have the same level of sensitivity, though, but for those who are more sensitive their lives can be turned upside down with burgeoning illness. After a period of chronic exposure a person can become ultra sensitive to even a small amount of the antagonist. Whether it’s molds or fumes. And in the case of chronic exposure to fuel exhaust, a person can become sensitive to other petroleum products including paint, chemicals used in cleaning products, and perfume, to name a few. They are all cousins sharing the Petroleum family emblem, and they all off gas into surrounding air. Good luck getting the work environment cleaned up and free of exhaust fumes and mold. Speedy recovery for those suffering from effects of exposure!
Where does it say they let the trucks “idle” in the garage? Sounds like they start them and go, but if there isn’t proper ventilation the fumes “linger” for a little while. What do you want them to do, put the trucks in neutral and roll them outside before they start them?
It seems like identifying the cause of the problem before ripping out all of the walls would have been a better idea. This article makes it sound as if they didn’t test for mold, mildew, or carbon monoxide. Hopefully that’s the article and not the reality.
I might not call an engineer to replace a flat tire, but I wouldn’t replace my engine without calling in a specialist who could verify the problem was with the engine and not something else.
Long-term exposure to mold is potentially a very serious medical issue. Newport should do everything possible to successfully address this problem.
We are “exposed” to mold daily. How many Mainers hang out in the woods at their camp for a full summer with all that nasty mold and fungi around? Stop spreading fear and misinformation. For some folks mold can become a medical issue dependent on their immune systems and susceptibilities, the majority of us don’t have problems until some “consultant” drops by just to help us.
B.S
Not to take a ‘shot’ at Ricker or the Chief but do yourselves a favor and think about you can do to solve the problem before you have to go outside. The wash rack issue is a simple one. Strip the existing sheetrock out, clean the wash rack floor down to bare concrete and brick-or-block the rack area up to about 5 ft. Then put at least 2 coats of some kind of waterproof epoxy or drylock on the bay’s floor and masonry walls to make it all waterproof. Mold can’t grow in an area like this if it can’t get a grip. And for the rest of the area, ‘rock ‘ it with cementboard, not sheetrock. Cementboard, like they are supposed to use in bathroom’s, is, when properly installed, waterproof. Again, mold can’t grow when it can’t get started. Vaporbarrier the rack area, make sure the area has a good airflow so the ‘musty’s’ can’t get started, make it watertight and provide a way for the runoff to go outside and your guy’s, and gal’s, will never have to go thru that mess again.
As far as the station itself, those nasty overhead panels should be replaced at least every 3 years. What you’re gonna find when they come down is both gonna scare the beejuzs outta you and make you realize just what you’ve been breathing for the last who knows how many year’s. The airfilter system is good idea. Just remember to clean the filter’s. And not to be nasty but this is one project I’d get on ‘ricky tick’ since all it takes is 1 call to OSHA and the clock, which you now DO NOT CONTROL, starts ticking. Been thru this before as a Fed and when OSHA show’s, and they send someone that’s an ‘eager beaver’, the whole thing gets ouuta control almost instantly. Start now and at least get a plan on paper before you know who shows up. Better to have a plan and not use than to need and not have any protection !
OSHA does not cover public entities; Maine DOL does.
And does anyone want to bet how anxious the DOL is gonna be when they see a God-dropped opportunity in front of them to demnostrate just how ‘efficient and necessary’ they are to the public ? Folk’s, this one isin’t even close !
OK-washing cars in garage with sheet rock walls-and running fire trucks with the doors closed. I guess my question is what’s in the evidence locker? These guys are not shining stars-obviously.