More than two years ago, a contractor discovered asbestos at the Gary Fire Department’s Station 5 while doing upgrades to the building. Since then, the firefighters from the station in the Glen Park neighborhood have been operating under less than ideal conditions, and there are still no definite plans for a permanent home.
Immediately following the asbestos discovery, the Station 5 inhabitants moved to the Merrillville station for a rental cost of $3,000 per month. After less than a year, they deemed that arrangement unsustainable and moved operations to the Calumet Township facility, a multipurpose center that was used for gatherings and parties. Loud noise has been a problem for the firefighters, who once nearly missed a call due to booming DJ music. The facility’s setup, not designed to expedite an emergency response, has also proven a hindrance.
“The response time is much slower here,” admits firefighter Tom Bober. “At least Merrillville was a firehouse. We had to make compromises, but it was still a firehouse.”
The Station 5 firefighters have continued to do their job to the best of their ability, but the environmental circumstances have begun to wear on them. “We’re not trying to put the administration on the spot or the chief on the spot,” said firefighter James Powell, acknowledging that the decisions have been made with the firefighters’ best interest in mind. “We just want what’s right for us. We need to be in a fire station.”
The cost of the extensive repairs needed to make Station 5 habitable again were too much for Gary to take on, and the firefighters simply could not continue using the station once the presence of asbestos was known; the toxin is responsible for numerous respiratory illnesses, including mesothelioma. “There are plans to open a new station,” said Gary Fire Chief Teresa Everett. “The location has not been finalized.”
The local police and fire departments staged a protest in September due to the lack of pay increases and necessary equipment. Since then, some Station 5 firefighters have begun selling T-shirts to raise funds for the equipment. “Just make us feel like firemen,” Bober said. “Give us the pride we deserve.”
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