Orlando says it can't afford to replace firehouse plagued by mold / The Facts about Mold

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Orlando says it can't afford to replace firehouse plagued by mold

Posted by Moderator 847 days ago (http://www.orlandosentinel.com)
Category: Mold News | Tags: respiratory illness sick building

Orlando officials have spent years doing patchwork repairs on a "sick" fire station where stubborn mold has contributed to the early retirement of at least two firefighters, but they say they don't have the money to replace the aging building.

One firefighter, Collette Bates, was granted a $54,000-a-year disability retirement last month after a pension board concluded that poor air quality at Fire Station 9 contributed to her debilitating respiratory problems. Bates, 39, had worked in other firehouses during her seven years with the Orlando Fire Department, but she began having problems during a year-long assignment at busy Station 9 on Mercy Drive in northwest Orlando.

"It became so bad she couldn't do her job anymore," said Mike Clelland, her attorney. "All the doctors said her condition was such that she could not continue as a firefighter. That building put her out of a job."

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