Feces, Feathers Found in Lungs of Fla. Firefighters

Boynton Beach firefighters who work out of Station 3 have been asked to get chest X-rays after two of them were found to have feces and feathers in their blood and lungs, The Palm Beach Post has learned from city officials.

The station at Congress Avenue and Miner Road has been closed for more than a month, and employees have been working out of Station 5, which is southeast of there at High Ridge Road.

No employees have missed work or been out sick as a result of this, Fire Rescue Chief Ray Carter said.

When the building was closed about a month ago, the city told The Post it was because of the discovery of three dead mice in an air duct.

On Monday, the Post was told the city has received two workers compensation claims from two firefighters who had chest X-rays and blood work done that showed an elevated amount of feces and feathers, said Tim McPherson, the city's human resources and risk manager.

The dead mice were found in the air duct in the bathroom, and rodent feces were also found in the bathroom. An air-quality test showed mold there as well, McPherson said.

Meanwhile, the city has offered employees who have slept at the station since Oct. 1 to get tested at Boynton's expense. They've been offered to get chest X-rays locally and then take the results to a Port St. Lucie doctor for pulmonary function testing and review of the X-rays. McPherson said about 35 employees could end up getting tested, which would cost the city about $15,000.

Vice Mayor Joe Casello, who represents the district which houses the station, was told the investigation began after the two firefighters complained of respiratory issues, went to independent doctors, and came back with the feathers and feces results.

The building, which was built in 1991 according to the property appraiser, has since been cleaned, following the recommendation of air-quality testing companies and restoration experts hired by the union and the city, City Spokeswoman Eleanor Krusell said. The drywall and ceiling tile has been replaced and the ducts have been cleaned. Those repairs cost about $7,000, McPherson said.

Results of final air-quality and swab testing are expected by Thanksgiving or the Monday after. The employees will return sometime after that.

Casello said he is pleased with how the city has handled the situation and is getting the employees tested.

"The city's doing everything they can to get this back up and running," he said. "In the end, the problem will be resolved."

But, he has two main concerns.

Emergency response times have increased by about 34 seconds, he said.

Regarding that, Krusell said: "Station No. 3 zone has not suffered significant increases and delivered the service in the most efficient and timely manner possible."

The other concern, Casello said, is if other city buildings have a similar problem.

He said what happened in Station 3 turned out to be "pretty serious."

Casello said he's not saying every building is contaminated, but questioned whether the buildings should be monitored.

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