FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – New test results that were released Thursday show why some Flagler County Sheriff's Office employees have been feeling ill since November 2017.
"What they actually found was moisture and mold, according to the report," said Mark Strobridge, chief of the department's organizational services division.
Flagler County hired Terracon Consulting, an environmental firm, to do intrusive testing inside the Operations Center, rather than spend more money on another round of testing the air quality.
"It's not necessarily the best sort of testing. Ripping open the walls, and pulling up carpet and tile. That's what really brought everything to light," Strobridge said.
The report found moisture intrusion and mold under carpets and floors throughout the building. The report states that a lack of adequate drainage contributed to the water intrusion. These concerns are coupled with the building's old wood, insulation and a bat infestation.
"The opinion that they gave is that there is some kind of link between the employee's upper respiratory issues, as well as the rashes they were receiving," Strobridge said.
Strobridge said 37 employees have filed workers' compensation claims and more than a dozen filed civil negligence lawsuits.
"What we care about is getting our employees healthy and keeping them at work," he said.
The engineering company recommended additional testing on the building and potential remediation based on those results.
Flagler County spokeswoman Julie Murphy said there hasn't been a decision yet as to how the county will proceed.
"That will be a decision between the sheriff and the county commission," Murphy said. "They'll have to decide ultimately what is the best decision all the way around. But, at least now we have some real solid answers and some direction to go which we did not have before."