PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The fire station on West Housatonic Street has been temporarily closed after radon levels were found to be more than twice the normal amount.

 

Personnel at the station were relocated to the department's headquarters, located at 74 Columbus Ave., on Sunday out of an abundance of caution, said Catherine VanBramer, director of administrative services/public information officer. 

 

The West Housatonic Street station, built in 1951, has an officer and two firefighters on each shift. The station's apparatus has also moved to reserve bay at the Columbus Avenue headquarters. 

 

All of the city's fire stations and City Hall were tested. Once test results indicated concentrations above the recommended action level, the city promptly closed the station and began assessment and mitigation efforts. 

 

Initial tests found radon levels three to four times higher than normal, and further testing is planned in the coming days, she said. 

 

The department's headquarters is about 1.2 miles away from the West Housatonic Street station. 

 

"There are instances where PFD personnel are on a call in one part of the city and must respond to another call in a different part of the city.  The team continues to be ready to respond to any calls that are within their service area," VanBramer said.