State Knocks City of Everett For Subjecting Firefighters to Hazardous Conditions

Spurred by a letter from Attorney James Hykel, the Commonwealth's Department of Labor Standards identified multiple unsafe, risky and hazardous conditions in a station of the City of Everett Fire Department.

Fire fighters dedicate themselves to preventing fire hazards and to suppressing fires caused by unsafe building conditions. Given their vocation, it shocks the conscience that fire fighters frequently are forced to labor in conditions that fail to meet basic regulatory and statutory standards. Everett Fire Fighters Local 143, IAFF determined that its members had worked in such conditions for too long. Local 143, through Attorney Hykel, requested an investigation by the the Department of Labor Standards (DLS), an agency located within the Commonwealth's Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

The DLS investigation identified multiple problems at the Everett Fire Station: exposed wiring, electrical boxes, hazardous debris, asbestos, and connectors; lack of electrical insulation; lack of signage to warn of dangers; hazardous walking conditions; inadequate railings and safeguards; and many other problems. The Agency provided a deadline for the problems to be corrected.

DLS has been an important resource to public safety locals seeking legitimacy for complaints about physical working conditions.