New Sudbury firefighters, paramedics relocated after asbestos found in station

City officials are warning residents of New Sudbury that fire and paramedic response times will be temporarily increased after a station renovation revealed possible asbestos.

The Leon Street station is being temporarily closed and crew members relocated after the carcinogenic substance was identified in the drywall compound during construction work on a washroom, the city said in a news release Tuesday night.

"Due to a concern about proper handling procedures for this type of substance, and the accumulation of dust and debris in the living quarters, the station was closed over the weekend," the city said.

"There is no further concern related to the health and safety of employees."

While the issue is being addressed, firefighters will work out of the Minnow Lake area fire station and paramedics will "maintain a roaming status in the response area."

As a result, the city says fire response times could take an extra four minutes in the New Sudbury area, depending on the location.

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"Further testing on the site is required before the necessary cleanup and abatement can occur," the release said.

"As part of the renovation, future water/sewer main work will also cause a lack of functionality for up to 10 days and will need to be addressed before crews can return to the space. Staff are looking into options for setting up a temporary location that would provide crews a space with access to main arteries required for emergency response in the New Sudbury area."

Greater Sudbury city council received a report last month that said the city can't maintain all of its 24 fire and paramedic stations and recommends consolidation. A decision on the matter was deferred to this month.