GAINESVILLE, Mo. — An Ozark County Ambulance Station is set to be demolished after nine different types of mold were discovered in various parts of the building.
Officials said the building is cheaper to demolish than to repair, considering the damage by the mold is substantial.
Medics told KSPR that they contacted a hazmat specialist after repeatedly getting sick at work for years.
“We work 48-hour shifts and, when I wake up, I have a nosebleed … every shift. I don’t get nosebleeds at home,” medic Susan Howard said.
District Administrator Eddie Delp said the mold was first discovered behind the station’s washer and dryer machines, but a majority of the mold was found in sleeping rooms.
“A high content of spores, mold spores, were around the air conditioning unit and you could see all the drainage and moss. The inspector found the moisture content of the panel walls out there was 18 percent in some places. He said it should be three percent,” Delp said.
Officials believe the design of the building also contributed to the mold growth.
“We’re estimating it was built in the ‘40s. It’s old and wasn’t taken care of or designed well,” Delp said. “It was bad from the beginning.”
A 14-by-70 foot temporary portable building will house medics during overnight shifts while the new building is being constructed.
“We just do what we need to do,” Howard said.
The new building will be similar in layout to the old one, but will include better drainage, landscaping and an HVAC system.