Everett, Wash.
Published: Sunday, February 3, 2008

Asbestos hazard wasn't disclosed to firefighters

Everett official knew, but firefighters went into houses anyway

By Diana Hefley, Herald Writer

 EVERETT -- Everett firefighters may not have been alone when exposed to asbestos while training inside some old houses in north Everett last year.

And at least one Everett fire official knew of the hazards in the houses, but the firefighters from his department were sent in anyway, new documents show.

Several other Snohomish County fire departments directed some of their newest firefighters to practice inside the houses in May, at Everett's invitation. Those departments were unaware that hazardous materials hadn't been removed from the buildings. They now are trying to determine if their firefighters were exposed to asbestos.

Although city officials say they have since alerted two fire departments about concerns, some firefighters are raising questions about why they haven't been notified that there was potential exposure.

Nothing appears to have been said even after an investigation by a consultant with the state Department of Labor and Industries revealed that Everett firefighters likely were exposed to asbestos when they trained in the houses in July.

The consultant found that the exposure problem was serious enough that Everett firefighters should be regularly checked by a doctor to monitor their health.

"Our first indication was when it broke in the news. We heard nothing of it, and still to this day, we haven't received any official communication," said Troy Smith, union president for firefighters in Snohomish County Fire District 7. "That to me is inexcusable."

Seven firefighters from District 7 joined other new recruits from around the county in May for a two-day training in Everett, Smith said. They performed search-and-rescue drills, some of which involved firefighters cutting into walls, he said. At times, some trainees weren't wearing protective masks.

"Guys were being dragged on the floor and there was dust all over the place," Smith said. "While our guys didn't tear apart the house like Everett, there were asbestos products inside and there was no decontamination process."

Some of the training involved breaching walls built with new materials, but some trainees reported that they also cut into walls in the houses, Smith said.

Everett fire officials don't have any record that walls in the house were breached during the drills in May, said city spokeswoman Kate Reardon.

"We believe no other firefighters from any other districts were exposed to asbestos during that training," she said.

The city contacted representatives of Fire Districts 1 and 7 to share what was learned about the training problem, Reardon added.

Dangerous to inhale

Asbestos is made up of microscopic bundles of mineral fibers and in the past was commonly used in building materials. Once disturbed, the fibers can become airborne and inhaled into a person's lungs. Asbestos exposure has been linked to serious health problems, such as lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen.

Smith has contacted attorneys on behalf of District 7 firefighters to discuss what they should do to determine if they were exposed and if they need to seek medical treatment.

The Marysville Fire District is polling every firefighter to determine if anyone attended the training, union president Jeff Cole said. Lynnwood fire officials are looking at their records to see who attended the training, Assistant Fire Chief Greg Macke said.

They also are waiting to hear from the Everett Fire Department for more information about what locations contained asbestos to determine if their firefighters were in those houses, he said.

"We've had no communication from Everett fire. We're hopeful we'll hear from them soon," Macke said on Thursday. "We've never dealt with something like this. Of course we're concerned, like everyone else."

Smith wonders why firefighters were even allowed inside the houses before the city removed the asbestos.

It is a question Everett firefighters have raised, too.

Records show that on July 18, less than a week before Everett firefighters trained in the houses, a construction company told a captain with the Everett Fire Department that asbestos and lead paint needed to be removed before the houses could be used for training.

A survey found asbestos in the houses along N. Broadway and Tower Street. The houses were slated for destruction to make room for the city's new bus transfer station.

The abatement wasn't planned until after July 30 and the captain was told the training would have to be after that date, according to the minutes from a meeting that included representatives from the construction and engineering companies, Everett Transit, Everett Community College and the fire captain.

Everett firefighters were chopping holes in the houses less than a week after the meeting.

"The minutes of those meetings just came out. It was a big surprise to us. We're very concerned about it. We're still trying to investigate all the facts," said Robert Downey, president of the Everett firefighters' union. "We've been in those houses since May. We assumed everything was done and it was safe."

Everett investigating

Last month, Everett officials said no one from the fire department was aware of the asbestos. It's now believed that there was some miscommunication between the captain who attended the meeting and fire administrators about when the training could start, Reardon said.

The city is still trying to figure out why the firefighters were allowed to train in the houses before the asbestos was removed, she said.

"We're taking action so it doesn't happen again," she said.

The fire department will have a checklist to make sure hazards are removed before firefighters engage in any training. The department also is updating all of its policies regarding decontamination, training and the use of breathing apparatus, Reardon said.

A consultant with the state Department of Labor and Industries in December found that the Everett Fire Department didn't exercise due diligence to let firefighters know they would be training in houses that contained asbestos. The consultant concluded that all Everett firefighters at sometime during their careers likely have been exposed to the dangerous fibers because the department lacked a policy to check for hazardous materials.

The union has been contacting retired firefighters about the findings, Downey said. So far they haven't heard of anyone suffering from problems from asbestos exposure, he said. A city record check back to 1996 shows the city has had no Department of Labor and Industries claims from retired firefighters regarding asbestos-related illnesses, Reardon said.

The damage can take years to surface, according to the National Cancer Institute.

The city is looking at ways to monitor firefighters' health.

The union has contacted a pulmonologist to do an assessment, Downey said.

"We just want to get answers so we can make sure this doesn't happen again," he said.



Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.
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