JEFFERSONTOWN, Ky. — Jeffersontown Fire Station 3 has been closed for weeks, after an environmental services company was brought in to inspect for mold, and identified the fungus in multiple rooms, including the bedrooms where firefighters slept between calls.
The fire station is located on Biggin Hill Lane, serving neighborhoods near Hurstbourne Parkway and Taylorsville Road.
According to an internal memo, Micro Analytics was contracted to test surfaces and air quality throughout the fire house in July. During that inspection, the expert reported mold in two bedrooms, the hallway, kitchen and lounge. The inspection report recommended mold abatement to include demolition in the infected areas and construction barriers while that work was underway.
A source familiar with the situation said the “construction barriers” installed were not enough, including plastic tarp and painter’s tape. They shared the following pictures from inside the fire house.
Once the abatement process started, firefighters began feeling ill. They reported experiencing headaches, runny noses and sneezing, according to the memo. In response to the symptoms, command staff removed employees from Fire Station 3, and put them at Fire Station 1 and Fire Station 2 instead.
A source close to the case said this impacts families who live in the Fire Station 3 territory, who will now experience longer response times.
WHAS11 made multiple attempts to contact Jeffersontown Fire Chief Sean Dreisbach, but he declined to take or return our calls and emails.
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