Firefighters not picking up after themselves, cost-cutting measures limiting deep cleaning of the stations and less than satisfactory routine maintenance are some of the factors that led to mold growing in two Boynton Beach fire stations, according to documents obtained by The Palm Beach Post.
So far, eight firefighters from stations 1 and 3 have filed workers compensation claims. Three claims were found to be unrelated to the mold, and the remaining five are still going through the process. Pieces of one employee's sleep apnea machine were found to be contaminated, city human resources and risk administrator Tim McPherson said.
The numbers show:
Total cost was $258,576 to professionally clean the stations at Congress Avenue and Miner Road, and at City Hall.
It was $20,575 for 46 employees to get chest X-rays and for 28 of them to follow up with a Port St. Lucie pulmonologist.
"I hope we never have to go down this road again," Commissioner Mack McCray said Wednesday during a staff briefing of the costs that were approved by the commission.