Fire Stations

Cleaning fire engines and trucks produce wash water that may have high levels of oil, grease, suspended solids, and heavy metals such as copper and lead, as well as cleaning chemicals, degreasing solvents, and detergents. Run-off from washing areas or wastewater mismanagement creates the potential for pollutants to be discharged to the public storm system, which can contaminate water sources and cause natural resource damage.

Emergency medical services can create exposure to medical and infectious waste. Improper handling, transporting, or disposal of materials contaminated with biohazards, including blood or other bodily fluids that transmit disease or other hazardous wastes containing chemicals, heavy metals, dangerous pathogens, or other toxic materials, can create significant health hazards and exposures to third parties. Materials contaminated with blood and other infectious bodily fluids must be bagged appropriately in designated, leak-proof waste bags and sterilized or taken to an approved and licensed disposal facility. Personal protective equipment and the interior of ambulances/service vehicles also need to be properly decontaminated.

Chemicals such as cleaning agents, disinfectants and pesticides, and fertilizers used for landscaping may be stored and used at fire stations. Leaks or spills can contaminate soil and groundwater contamination and pollute stormwater run-off.

Older buildings, including fire stations, may contain asbestos, lead, and PCBs. Asbestos-containing materials (ACM) can be found in ceiling and floor tiles, insulation, around wiring, and fireproofing on structural steel. PCBs can be found in areas such as window caulk and light ballasts. Lead could be present in paint or pipes. Third-party bodily injury claims may result from accidental disturbance and alleged exposure during renovation, construction, or interior remodeling.

Fire stations may provide household hazardous waste collection, which can involve the collection, temporary storage, and disposal of hazardous materials that are corrosive, poisonous, flammable, combustible, caustic, volatile, explosive, an irritant, or toxic, such as cleaning fluids, pesticides, mercury thermometers, fluorescent lamps, batteries, aerosols, medications, automotive fluids, and pool chemicals. An accidental release of hazardous material at the site or an accident during the transportation of the waste to the disposal site can become an exposure. Waste that is accumulated and stored, even temporarily, such as overnight, can subject the collector to meet regulated waste storage requirements.

Mold growth can result from water and wastewater releases into building materials and subsurfaces due to leaks, overflows, and blocked drains or pipes. Mold may also develop in other water systems, such as refrigeration or HVAC systems and water features. Mold and mildew can grow on the walls, floors, and ceilings, including wooden structural components and drywall, resulting in structural damage and possible health hazards to third parties.

Bacteria such as legionella can be transported through water sources, ventilation systems, and other means, representing serious health risks. Legionella is a bacterium that causes a form of potentially fatal pneumonia. Legionella can thrive in water-containing systems like air conditioning, heating, and water-cooling systems. These pollutants can potentially lead to claims of severe bodily injury or remediation costs.

Illicit abandonment is the illegal dumping of pollutants on property. It can become the property owner’s burden for cleanup and third-party bodily injury or property damage if law enforcement cannot locate the originator of the waste.

Firefighting foams’ use, storage, transportation, and disposal could pose a liability to fire departments under certain circumstances. Firefighting foams can contain toxic chemicals, including perfluorooctanesulfonic acid and perfluorooctanoic acid. Containment breaches and run-off of the firefighting foam can discharge into sewage and municipal water systems and infiltrate into soil and groundwater, where they can migrate rapidly through aquifers and impact third parties. These chemicals are mobile and persistent and remain in the environment and the human body for years. They are linked to significant hazards to human health and aquatic and other wildlife systems.