Bites displace firefighters

Published 8:15 pm Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Suffolk Fire and Rescue's Station 1 is located on Market Street.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue’s Station 1 is located on Market Street.

Firefighters from Station 1 were displaced from their usual home away from home for a few days this week.

The temporary relocation of personnel from the Market Street station took place after an employee reported small insect bites possibly sustained in the bunk room at the station.

Fearing bedbugs, city officials “immediately arranged for an evaluation of the facility,” city Chief of Staff Debbie George said in an email.

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“After careful inspection by experts, no active bedbug activity was found within the station,” she said.

However, “we did find that the mattresses in the station were not in the best condition,” she added. “For the safety and the well being of our employees, we have arranged for the purchase of new mattresses, box springs and linens for the entire station.”

Capital Programs and Buildings also scheduled a preventive extermination service for Wednesday, and staff were set to return to the station Thursday.

“Fire and medical operations were not impacted, as equipment and personnel were staged within the normal response area,” George wrote.