‘We are in a desperate state’: Radon-exposed fire station to be tested in Troutdale
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Contractors are beginning mitigation work after a cancer-causing gas closed Gresham Fire Station 75 in Troutdale.
Radon is highly toxic and the second-leading cause of lung cancer according to the Center for Disease Control, and this radon test was requested after two firefighters died from cancer last year – including one in November.
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Gresham city leaders say the station will be retested. Although it’s not clear if conditions at the fire station caused or contributed to these deaths, firefighters will only be able to return once the building is cleared.
“We are in a desperate state,” Gresham City Councilor Dina DiNucci said. “We are in a state where their facilities are failing and we didn’t even expect radon. “
However, firefighters have been advocating to get various tests done at the station for years.
“We have known. There’s been concerns at the fire stations,” DiNucci said. “We are now determined to work on finding out all of the concerns, do the testing that’s required.”
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And Station 75 isn’t the only station getting checked out.
“The city has just recently stepped up with the firefighters really speaking up, and I applaud them for doing so to address all of the many issues that they’re facing,” DiNucci said. “And because of that, we just recently started this testing.”
In the meantime, DiNucci said the emergency closure has prompted more city officials to speak out on how to better protect its emergency response teams.
“They’re risking their lives every day. For us, we could at least give them safe facilities and we are determined to do so,” she said.
To do that, the city requires funding, which DiNucci said was the reason the testing hadn’t been done before.
“There has not been much money nor really any real funds that have gone into upkeep and ensuring that things like fumes, things like radon etc. can be addressed,” she said. “It is just now to the point of an emergency and – like I said – we never want to see it get to the point of an emergency again where firefighters’ lives are at risk.”
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In May, the community has a chance to vote on a five-year operating levy for fire, police, homeless, and crisis response.
“History is funding has been a huge issue. We’re going out for a safety levy. We have tried before, without a lot happening and we are just seeing that our public safety is not funded,” DiNucci said.
While testing is a great first step, Union President Lt. Kevin Larson said some buildings built as far back as the ‘60s are a lost cause.
“The last fire station was built in 1980. We have a current one that’s falling apart between 91, 92nd and Halsey,” he said. “I know there’s talks right now about rebuilding that one, getting that process moving forward, and that was brick. So it could go down if there’s an earthquake.”
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