(Above) Wellsville Fire Department’s engine 13 sits surrounded by smoke from the burning rail cars as Wellsville responds to the train derailment in East Palestine. (Submitted photo)

WELLSVILLE — If Wellsville is an example, local fire stations responding to the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine are now facing expensive gear replacement cost due to the exposure to carcinogens while the train cars burned.

Wellsville Fire station is looking at an estimated $100,000 worth of gear to replace if not more, according to Fire Chief Barry Podwell.

He has seven sets of turn-out gear (protective garment worn by firefighters) to replace at an estimated cost of $5,000 a set. This includes, helmet, coat, pants, boots, gloves and Nomex hood.

Turn-out gear is primarily for thermal protection and does not protect a firefighter from carcinogens or dangerous chemicals in the air which can be absorbed through the skin.

According to Podwell, those departments purchasing this gear from multiple manufacturers are being advised to call the manufacturers for recommendations.

Two of the of three manufacturers Wellsville deals with instructed the department to dispose of the exposed sets of turn-out gear. The third provider will clean the gear but with no guarantee cleaning will get all the containment off the gear. Meaning firefighters continuing to wear contaminated gear risk exposure to cancer-causing carcinogens.

Firefighters do not have spare sets of turn-out gear and are now wearing old sets of gear originally replaced due to reaching life expectancy — meaning reduced protection.

According to Podwell it could be months before Wellsville gets new gear due to supply issues and multiple departments expected to file claims.

Besides the gears, Wellsville must replace hose sections on all three fire trucks utilized at the derailment scene in East Palestine.

The recommendation for the hoses was to wash, dry, bag it all and set them off to the side until a decision is made. Hose purchased in 50-foot sections runs between $184 to over $500 per section depending on the size of the hose. There is approximately 2,000 to 2,500 feet of hose or 35 sections per truck.

A second type of those used by the department –usually purchased in 100-feet sections, –costs approximately $1,000. Wellsville is looking at replacing 10 sections. The 10 -100-foot sections for the ladder truck would cost over $1,200 a section to replace.

Spare hose the department had is now on the trucks. Hose used at the derailment scene sits bagged up, leaving Wellsville with no spare hosing. Typically, when a truck returns from a fire the hose sections used would be replaced with spare hose sections while being cleaned and dried.

Now, according to Podwell, if a truck goes out to a fire, once it returns the station, the hose sections used will be removed, cleaned and dried and hopefully the department won’t get another fire call until the hoses are dry and back on the truck.

The department is also looking at possibly having to replace the radios used by the firefighters during the derailment at a cost of $850 and $900 each depending on which radios were used. The manufacturer of the radios advised them for now to wash the radios and let them dry. It is uncertain if radios were need replaced yet or not.

It is expected that covering the cost of it all will come out of the department’s general fund portion with the hope to be reimbursed. Also, a claim will be filed through the department’s insurance company, likely resulting in a premium increase. The department does not have the funds to pay to replace everything and risk not getting reimbursed, according to Podwell. He said the station is being instructed to file an insurance claim so the cost will be covered and then the insurance provider will go after Norfolk Southern to for reimbursement.

In addition to equipment replacement, the fire department has the expense of regular salary in addition to overtime hours for the firefighters on the scene and those who manned the station.

There is also the pay for the firefighters from Wellsville who manned the New Waterford Station while they were at the derailment and time spent by firefighters cleaning the trucks, hoses and gear from the trucks. It is possible the station will get reimbursed for the salary for the firefighters who were in East Palestine. Podwell noted that he probably looking at $7,000 to $8,000 in salary payout.

Other incurred expenses include the cost of fuel to get trucks to East Palestine and New Waterford and run the trucks while on scene. Air filters in the three trucks will also need replaced.

Additionally, the fire department still has gear from a truck at the derailment scene. The gear was left when according to Podwell, Norfolk Southern instructed everyone to drop everything and pull back from the scene to the evacuation area. Podwell noted that Wellsville is not the only station facing this problem and that many other local fire departments who responded to the derailment will probably also be facing the issue of replacing equipment and gear.

Kgarabrandt@mojonews.com