Mold displaces firefighters at Atlantic City station

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (WPVI) -- Firefighters in Atlantic City have set up shop on the beach after being forced out of their fire house because of mold.

With nowhere else to go, the lifeguard station on States Avenue is now also home to the firefighters of Station One.

Normally they would be in air conditioned comfort at their firehouse.

But the building has been overtaken by mold and the firefighters are now wandering nomads.

They camped out in the lobby of city hall over the weekend, but normal business there has forced the firefighters to move again.

Residents of the high rise neighborhood they protect aren't happy about it.

"It's a shame these guys deserve some place to be. They protect us every day. They were in the City Hall parking lot Friday night. The mayor has gotta do something to give these boys somewhere to go. Enough is enough," said Atlantic City resident Wayne Miller.

The firefighters may be enjoying the view from their new perch, but it's also a long way from their equipment.

Station One has a ladder truck and an engine that are both parked on the other side of the boardwalk about a block away.

Residents worry about response time.

"Especially the high rise buildings, the response time. The further away, the longer it takes them to get there," said Denise Jackson.

And they worry about the stamina of the firefighters sweltering at the beach.

"They don't need to be on the beach. The beach tires you out. They're out in the sun all day. Why would they be somewhere on the beach? Put them somewhere air conditioning is at," said Miller.

The firefighters are afraid to talk because of looming layoffs. Residents say the solution is simple.

"Clean up the mold out the station. Deal with the mold. The mold's probably been in there since Sandy," said Jackson.

The fate of the firefighters here has become a hot issue for everyone involved as the city prepares for big personnel cuts, and the union scrambles for grant money to save the jobs.

Action News reached out to the mayor, the fire chief and the union president and none have gotten back to us.