Special panel to investigative firefighters’ complaints

SEATTLE—Mayor Greg Nickels and Fire Chief Gary Morris this week announced the creation of a special independent panel of medical and scientific experts to look at the health complaints from firefighters who have worked at Fire Station 31

Nickels said the independent panel of experts will determine if those who work at the fire station are experiencing an unexpected level of health issues—and why.

“Nothing should be more important that the health and safety of those men and women who risk their lives to serve and protect us,” Nickels said.

“We will go wherever the medical evidence takes us and we won’t stop until both the experts and my office are satisfied that concerns about the building have been addressed and dealt with,” he added.

Questions have been raised about employee health issues at Station 31 and whether these health concerns might be related to the building. Since 2001, an industrial health and safety expert has inspected and tested the building and an epidemiologist from Seattle-King County Public Health Department has reviewed eight cases of cancer among current or former firefighters who have worked at Station 31. Both reviews found that the eight cancer cases were very unlikely to be related to the building.

Firefighters, however, believe there may be more cases than the eight investigated.

Nickels and Morris outlined a five-point plan of action to address employee concerns:

• A confidential telephone line (206-684-0440) and email address ( station31.healthline@seattle.gov) is now available for anyone who believes they have had health problems, and who has worked at Station 31, to confidentially report their concerns.
• A page on the Fire Department’s Web site www.cityofseattle.net/fire/home.htm has been created to keep employees and the public updated on the investigation.
• Health screening tests will be available, at no cost to employees, for current and former employees of Fire Station 31. Details about accessing this service will be given to employees and made available on the special Station 31 health page on the Fire Department’s Web site.
• In consultation with the firefighters union and Station 31employees, a Fire Station Health Team will be convened immediately. The team will include health experts and environmental health professionals who will conduct an epidemiological review of employee health problems and additional environmental tests of Station 31.
• An independent, peer review panel made up of recognized public health and environmental health experts will be convened to provide an objective, third party review of the findings of the team doing the investigation. Members will be named within the next two weeks.

Office of the City Mayor release, October 6

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