Firefighters from several fire departments were exposed to asbestos, despite Everett, Washington fire official’s knowledge of the danger
Last month, we reported that firefighters from the Everett Fire Department were exposed to asbestos during training exercises. See related story. Documents now show that a construction company warned at least one official with the Everett Fire Department a week before the trainings that asbestos and lead paint needed to be removed from the homes before they could safely be used for training. But firefighters from both the Everett Fire Department and from other fire departments from Snohomish County, Washington were sent into the houses anyway. The training exercises involved cutting through walls, which could release asbestos fibers from asbestos-containing insulation and other asbestos-containing materials that remained in the house. Inhaling airborne asbestos fibers can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer and other serious illnesses. A consultant with the Washington Department of Labor and Industries investigated and found that the Everett firefighters were likely exposed to asbestos during the training exercises and that those exposures were serious enough to warrant regular medical monitoring. The consultant also concluded that all Everett firefighters are likely to have been exposed to asbestos at some point because the department did not require testing for hazardous materials like asbestos. Everett city officials have notified two fire departments about the potential asbestos exposure during the training exercises, but firefighters from other fire departments have asked why they have only heard about the problem in the news, not from any official sources. Everett city officials say that they don’t believe that any firefighters from other departments were exposed to asbestos during the trainings they participated in. But many of those other departments are now polling their members and waiting for information on the location of the asbestos to determine whether any of them may have been exposed. Everett city officials are investigating why the training went forward before the asbestos was removed and how health monitoring can be provided for the firefighters.
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