Radio repairers battle dust hazard from WTC

From an elevator room atop One Liberty Plaza, Radio Repair Mechanics Tom Mecir and Robert Movadfar tried to raise the Fire Dept. command post 56 stories below. During the chaos after Sept. 11, the men had to fix a broken transmitter in a building they were told was decontaminated.

But as the two unlocked an electrical closet, they unleashed clouds of asbestos-laden dust from the collapsed Twin Towers. It is now known that the dust contained carcinogens.

"I couldn't believe the amount of dust that penetrated the equipment," said Mr. Movadfar. "It went all in our faces, choking us."

Then they returned to their Long Island City repair shop, only to find contaminated communication equipment everywhere. In the days and months that followed, damaged fire vehicles, radios and walkie-talkies flooded in from Ground Zero.

Immediately after the Sept. 11 attack, FDNY directed the Radio Repair Mechanics to get the communications equipment back in service as quickly as possible. "Lives were at stake. We operated in a state of emergency," said RRM Richard Bazant. "But we were afraid for our health."

As the dust settled around the repair shop, workers showed symptoms of respiratory problems, including asthma and what some doctors call the "trade center cough." But management dragged its heels about decontaminating damaged devices and providing protective gear.

When the FDNY failed to arrange for an environmental study, the RRMs chipped in to pay for testing, said Mr. Mecir. Local 1087 reimbursed the members.

Tests showed the shop's dust contained 34 percent fiberglass and 2.1 percent asbestos - double the permissible exposure level. Mr. Mecir said the Fire Dept. shrugged off the results.

In stepped Prevailing Rate Employees Local 1087, Blue Collar Division Council Rep Chandler Henderson and the DC 37 Safety and Health Dept. The Safety Dept.'s Lisa Baum recommended that a professional hazardous material specialist clean the site - a request management refused.

Although the FDNY agreed to bag and remove the contaminated devices and decontaminate all incoming equipment, the shop still received gear caked with dust.

Fire trucks were hosed down, but one RRM said, "Vehicles were buried in the stuff. Tons of dust remained in the wiring, ducts and compartments. When we remove radios, we have to go where others would never think to look." The dust shakes loose in repairers' faces as they remove damaged equipment.
"The Fire Department is in denial," said Mr. Bazant.

In labor-management meetings, the union pushed for FDNY to include Local 1087 members in its medical monitoring program and is still pressing for a proper cleanup. Local President Victor Emmanuelson said, "By denying that my members were handling contaminated equipment, the Fire Department is not being responsible. The union will do whatever it takes to protect members' health."

On March 20, FDNY agreed to issue respirators and protective gloves for the RRMs and to decontaminate all equipment before sending it for repairs. With help from DC 37, the RRMs are breathing a little easier.

—Diane S. Williams