Air quality and the ability to decontaminate are two main issues the current Creston Fire hall is facing.
According to Fire Cheif Mike Moore the building isn’t properly ventilated in the truck bays, exposing firefighters and their equipment to exhaust from the trucks.
These toxins are in addition to the carcinogens that they are exposed to on calls.
Moore says there is no space to properly decontaminate.
There is only one shower space in the hall for decontamination.
Moore says he has filled out two cancer claims for former workers that were afflicted by what WorkSafe BC calls presumptive cancer cases.
Presumptive cancer cases are types of cancer that are directly related to toxins that a firefighter or first responder would encounter on the job.
Moore says WorkSafe BC requires firefighters to have separate spaces for decontamination and the new proposed firehall will have a separate clean space.
Advanced voting for the firehall referendum takes place this Wednesday and November 29th.
Regular voting is December 9th.
