SCRANTON -- A fire station on Scranton's East Mountain is closed because of a possible mold problem. And in the meantime, the city has come up with an idea to make sure the neighborhood is covered.
Air quality specialists were at the Engine 10 station for several hours collecting samples to determine whether or not there actually is mold inside the station. Until the results come back, the station is closed.
It all started when several members of the fire department started getting headaches.
"Obviously the first precaution we have to do once we're made aware of possible health hazard, is get our guys out of there," Scranton Fire Chief Pat
Air specialists spent the day collecting samples throughout the fire station to help determine whether or not it was mold that was causing all the headaches.
"How we are going to proceed is a matter of what's going on up there. Right now we moved Engine 10 down to headquarters," Desarno said.
In the meantime, while Engine 10 is out of service, the fire chief says two other engines will do patrols on East Mountain every couple of hours until they get the results back next Wednesday.
People in the area say it's critical that the station gets back up and running.
"We feel very safe that we know the firehouse is right here because they respond to emergencies very quickly," said Rich Gorgol of Scranton.
"We had a house across the way that was on fire a couple of years ago. That home almost burned down because they couldn't get here in time," said Paul Wolfe of Scranton.
The station closed briefly because of budget cuts in 2011, but reopened after a fire in March 2012 destroyed a home on Froude Avenue. Those in the area say it's key to have a station nearby for a quick response.
"You get a fire going on and you have to depend on other stations trying to get here in town, and guess what, your house could have significant damage before they get here,” said Wolfe.
The air quality test results should come back next week. At that point, if there's no mold, the station will reopen. If there is mold, then the fire chief says something will need to be done.
