FARMINGTON – Tuesday night, the select board approved an upgraded air handling system for the fire station.
Currently the Farmington Fire Department uses a diesel exhaust capturing system. This system is over twenty years old and in need of significant repairs or replacement.
To capture diesel exhaust from the fire trucks, large hoses are attached to the exhaust pipes on the fire trucks. The system is set up for three trucks, which covers the large apparatus but not the smaller squad truck, which also has a diesel engine.
While the capturing hoses will automatically disconnect from the exhaust when a truck starts moving out of the station, they have to be manually attached when the apparatus is moved back into the station. This is technically challenging as it requires either a longer exposure to diesel fumes while the truck is being parked, or an approach to a moving truck.
Fire Chief Tim Hardy researched other options and made a recommendation to the select board to move forward with an AIRVAC 911 filtration system. This system is a ceiling-mounted air handling and filtration system that can automatically turn on when the station bay doors are opened and when a vehicle starts moving. This system was installed in new construction fire stations in both Carrabassett Valley and New Sharon within the last few years.
One of the benefits of this system over the diesel exhaust system is that it allows all of the air in the station to be filtered. In addition to removing diesel fumes and particulate, the AIRVAC 911 system will remove airborne contaminants ‘off gassing’ from the trucks, the hoses, firefighter turnout gear, and other gear and equipment. After a call with exposure to these harmful substances, the AIRVAC 911 system can be manually turned on to run for a longer period of time to help with the overall decontamination process.
When the current exhaust capture system was installed, Deputy Chief Clyde Ross shared, there was a noticeable improvement in the air quality in the station and in the municipal building. The proposal was to split the cost for the new system between the fire department budget and the municipal building budget as this new system will further improve the air in the municipal building, protecting office staff and visitors.
For Stephan Bunker, this is personal. Bunker serves on both the select board and the Farmington Fire Department. While he typically abstains from votes regarding the fire department due to his involvement, he delivered a statement to the board Tuesday night.
“Come this April Fool’s Day, I will celebrate three years cancer-free,” Bunker said, “Without a return of the brain cancer that struck me in the spring of 2020.”
During his convalescence Bunker studied the prevalence of cancer, particularly in the fire service. He said that cancer is now the number one killer of firefighters, exceeding cardiac arrests and emergency vehicle accidents, and line of duty deaths such as Farmington’s own Captain Michael Bell in September of 2019.
“Cancer in the fire service is sometimes referred to as ‘the silent killer’,” Bunker said. “I have chosen not to be silent.”
In 2012, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified diesel exhaust as a Group 1 carcinogen, Bunker reported. The biggest risk is not the carbon monoxide in the exhaust, but the prolonged exposure to diesel particles that are inhaled and absorbed into the bloodstream.
Bunker disclosed that he is in the midst of a worker’s compensation case with the Town of Farmington, as state statute provides cancer presumption as a work-related injury due to the increased risks in the fire service. However, he is more concerned with prevention and eliminating the need for such claims. He works with the Farmington Fire Rescue department and with other departments across the state for cancer prevention education and best practices training.
In the line of best practices, while the town – including the fire department – has been recognized at the state level for maintaining safety practices, Bunker said this upgrade to the air filtration system is ‘long overdue.’
Bunker is working with his fellow selectman and State Representative Scott Landry to draft legislation that would provide funding for decontamination systems such as air filtering systems or heavy duty extractor washing machines to clean bunker gear for departments in need. In the meantime, he strongly encouraged the select board and the budget committee to support the proposed upgrades.
The board voted unanimously to approve spending $21,000 from the Fire Equipment reserve account and $10,040 from the Municipal Building reserve account for the installation of the AIRVAC 911 system in the fire bay. The system is expected to be installed at some point in April.
This meeting was recorded by Mt. Blue TV and may be viewed online at MtBlueTV.org
