AFD asbestos contamination scare affected 24 firefighters

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WAS AWAKE AND ALERT.((MUSIC))
SYDNEY:TONIGHT, OUR
INVESTIGATORS HAVE UNCOVERED
MORE DETAILS SURROUNDING
ANOTHERá ASBESTOS SCARE --
THIS TIME, WITHIN THE AUSTIN
FIRE DEPARTMENT. IT HAPPENED
EARLIER THIS YEAR, AT A
FIREHOUSENEAR THE MUELLER
DEVELOPMENT.EMPLOYEES BROUGHT
CONCERNS TO MANAGEMENT AFTER A
CEILING TILE FELL... BUT THE
FOLLOWUP HAS SOME QUESTIONING
THE CITY'S SAFETY PROCEDURES.
KXAN INVESTIGATOR KYLIE
MCGIVERN SAT DOWN WITH A-F-D,
TO DISCUSS THE DEPARTMENT'S
RESPONSE. PICTURES TAKEN
INSIDE STATION 14 -- ONLY TELL
PART OF THE STORY.CRAIG
WALKER, DIVISION CHIEF: "WE
HAVE A CRUMBLING
INFRASTRUCTURE." WORKER INJURY
FORMS FROM DOZENS OF
FIREFIGHTERS -- DETAIL
CONCERNS ABOUT DELAY AND
NEGLECT FROM THE CHAIN OF
COMMAND. THEY SAY "THIS IS AT
LEAST THE SECOND TIME A TILE
HAS FALLEN FROM THIS
LOCATION," ADDING, THEY WISH
THEY WERE PROPERLY ADVISED -
SO PRECAUTIONS COULD BE TAKEN.
WHEN THE TILE
FELL, AN AFD CHIEF FILLED OUT
A FORM SAYING THERE COULDá BE
A POTENTIAL ASBESTOS
EXPOSURE...KYLIE MCGIVERN,
KXAN REPORTER: "THAT CHIEF DID
NOT KNOW WHETHER THERE WAS
ASBESTOS OR NOT."CRAIG WALKER,
DIVISION CHIEF: "CORRECT." NO
ONE KNEW. COVERED THE HOLE AND
CONTINUED TO WORK THROUGH THE
WEEKEND. RECORDS THE CITY
DEPARTMENT THAT HANDLES
ASBESTOS -- SHOW... KYLIE
MCGIVERN, KXAN REPORTER: "IT
WAS 3 DAYS BEFORE BUILDING
SERVICES WAS NOTIFIED...IS
THAT OKAY?" CRAIG WALKER,
DIVISION CHIEF: "WELL IT'S -
WE TAKE THE SAFETY OF OUR
FIREFIGHTERS VERY SERIOUSLY.
IT'S NOT OKAY. TO NOT KNOW AS
QUICKLY AS WE CAN." CRAIG
WALKER, DIVISION CHIEF: "OVER
THE WEEKEND, NOT BEING ABLE TO
GET AHOLD OF BUILDING
SERVICES, I COULD SEE THEM NOT
HAVING 24/7 GETTING SOMEBODY
IN THERE." BUT THEY DO. THE
DEPARTMENT HAS ON CALL
PERSONNEL.THOUGH THEY
EVENTUALLY DETERMINED NO
ASBESTOS WAS DISTURBED -- THE
AREA STILL SHUT DOWN FOR FIVE
DAYS "TO PREVENT A POTENTIAL
FUTURE EXPOSURE."KYLIE
MCGIVERN, KXAN REPORTER: "IT
SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOU ALL GOT
LUCKY. THE FACT THAT NOBODY
WAS EXPOSED. BECAUSE NO ONE
REALLY KNEW AT THE TIME."
CRAIG WALKER, DIVISION CHIEF:
"THE BIGGEST THING THAT I WANT
TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS IS THAT
WE NEED TO START EARLIER IN
GETTING THE RIGHT INFORMATION
TO OUR CREWS, MAKING THEM
UNDERSTAND TRULY WHAT'S GOING
ON." CRAIG WALKER, DIVISION
CHIEF: "BECAUSE OUR WHOLE GOAL
IS THE SAFETY OF THE WORKFORCE
AND WE ARE VERY COMMITTED TO
THAT." UNION PRESIDENT BOB
NICKS SAYS THE FIREFIGHTERS
INVOLVED ARE NO LONGER
CONCERNED AFTER A MEETING TO
CLARIFY WHAT HAPPENED -- BUT
WE ASKED WHAT CHANGES HE'D
LIKE TO SEE MOVING FORWARD, TO
ASSURE WORKER SAFETY. BOB
NICKS, AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS
ASSOCIATION: "IT'D BE REALLY
GOOD IF WE HAD A PUBLISHED
MANUAL ON THAT ON EVERY
STATIONS SO FIREFIGHTERS KNEW
WHERE THE RISKS ARE." BOB
NICKS, AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS
ASSOCIATION: "...SO IF
SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THAT
WALL, THEY KNOW IF THERE'S AN
AND THE POTENTIAL FOR AN
EXPOSURE IS CERTAINLY THERE,
AS ASBESTOS IS PRESENT IN MOST
OF THE CITY'S AGING BUILDINGS.
BECAUSE IF THIS, BEFORE AN
EMPLOYEE EVEN NAILS SOMETHING
INTO A WALL, BUILDING SERVICES
MUST BE NOTIFIED. KYLIE
MCGIVERN. KXAN INVESTIGATES.
SYDNEY:IN RESPONSE TO OUR
ONGOING ASBESTOS INVESTIGATION
INSIDE MULTIPLE CITY
DEPARTMENTS, THE CITY LAUNCHED
ITS OWN INTERNAL REVIEW LAST
FALL.IT REVEALED A LACK OF
PERSONNEL AND TRAINING,
FAILURE TO REVIEW PROCEDURES,
AND UNAUTHORIZED RENOVATIONS,
PUTTING HEALTH AND SAFETY AT
RISK. THE CITY HAS SINCE
OVERHAULED ITS POLICIES. TO
CATCH UP, CHECK OUT OUR

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AFD asbestos contamination scare affected 24 firefighters

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