Growth in the Hanes Mall area of Winston-Salem led to the construction of Fire Station No. 2, a $1.3 million station twice as large as the one it replaced in 2004 on Griffith Road.
Twice in the past two years, operations at the fire station at 405 Somerset Drive have been disrupted by mold -- and city officials are taking extra steps to determine the cause of the problem so that it won't return again.
In 2010, mold first crept in. On Aug. 23, it came back. This time, firefighters -- a total of 27 -- had to be transferred to other stations temporarily, fire officials said Friday. Average response times are still within four to five minutes, the average time to which the fire department aspires, Fire Chief Antony Farmer said.
"We are watching the data closely so that adjustments can be made if and when the call activity changes," he said.
At best, firefighters will be back in the station by the end of September. But it will likely take longer because city officials are conducting a thorough investigation, Farmer said. Work includes tearing apart wallboard to inspect ventilation and drainage systems.
Farmer said he thinks there may be flaws in the way the building was put together, citing that openings, which increase ventilation, must be added to the building.
City officials did not immediately know the cost of the mold remediation project in 2010.
James Mitchell, the director of property and facilities management, said the bottom cost of the current mold remediation is $20,000, but he cautioned that the final cost will be higher.
"We're finding more and more things that need to be addressed. It's so fluid that it's not a good number," Mitchell said. "There's not one smoking gun there to say, 'This is what caused it.' "
Among the problems, he said, are a clogged drain line, ventilation issues and outside wall openings that allow outside air to mix with inside air, which can lead to condensation and mold.
Russell Byrd, a capital projects engineer, also said he is not prepared to name the cause of the mold because the inspection process is still under way.
"We're trying to find out why it's happening before we can place blame. We don't know if it's construction, maintenance, some kind of damage or just failed equipment. It's like a cancer that keeps coming back," Byrd said.
Fire Station No. 2, built by Davie Construction, has 10,959 square feet, 12 bedrooms and seven bathrooms.
In 1999, the fire department wanted to expand the fire station on Griffith Road so it could fit an aerial truck and its pumper truck at the station. The property wasn't big enough for expansion, so the city bought the 2.84-acre property on Somerset Drive for $309,276 in 2002.
Carl Carney, the president of Davie Construction, said he was not prepared to answer questions about the mold because he was not aware of it until asked by a reporter. But he questioned whether mold, which surfaced six years after the building opened, could be caused by the contractor's work.
"I wonder why nobody has said anything to me about it," Carney said.
About a block away from the fire station, several neighbors said they did not know it had been closed, but they didn't seem concerned.
"I don't think they put any signs up," said resident Yulia Roubstova. But, she said, "it's nice to know there is a fire station there."
Copyright 2012 - Winston-Salem Journal, N.C.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
