Dec. 05--TAMPA -- Bed bugs have invaded Fire Station 15.
They've tried evacuating the living quarters on South Himes Avenue and heating them to 140 or 150 degrees.
They have sprayed oil on the mattresses and box springs and have decided to buy all new bedding.
They've even offered firefighters free inspections at their homes to make sure the bed bugs haven't hitched a ride elsewhere.
"We are trying to do the best we can under the conditions," said Nick LoCicero, the assistant fire chief for administration and rescue with the city.
"It's hard to pinpoint the exact origin," he added. "With the work that we do, we deal with a transient population."
Today, pest control firm Massey Services was on hand treating the beds where firefighters sleep.
"It's an ongoing issue," said Chuck Zeller, who works for Massey. "It's never a onetime situation.
"It's not like you can put a bubble around the place and they can never come in," Zeller added. "Bed bugs are hitchhikers."
The pest control worker sprayed an oil on the beds and box springs where firefighters sleep. They also sprayed materials on baseboards and other surfaces to try to combat the problem.
The city hasn't discovered outbreaks at any other station, LoCicero said. Firefighters have been offered free evaluations at their homes to make sure the bugs have not traveled him with them, he added.
"Several of them took us up on that and I don't believe anything was found," the assistant chief said.
Bed bugs previously have been an issue in fire stations in the Northeast and in Canada, according to LoCicero.
The pests are blood suckers that can bite all across one's body, leaving a welt that itches.
