Big bed order to fight bed bugs

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A bed bug infestation at one Albuquerque Fire Department station had the city working fast to replace bedding there but AFD retirees and wives said more needed to be done so they asked a mattress company to donate 170 beds.

Firefighter wife Leinna Zamir said she can't even imagine those nasty bugs making their way into her home. She said once firefighter wives heard of the bed bugs at station five last month they immediately thought this problem could get worse.

“I was pretty grossed out seriously, it was one of those things when you think oh-no bugs,” Zamir said.

Deputy Fire Chief Mark Garcia said the problem surfaced on the bed of a firefighter at the northeast fire station on Dallas near Central Avenue.

“They apparently woke up one morning and had some bites somewhere on their body,” Garcia said.

Garcia said the city fumigated the infested bedding and replaced all 11 bed sets at that station in five days. The city said it is sure the problem was taken care of.

“Their information for us was that upon further inspection there were no other mattresses that were infested but the one,” Garcia said.

However, Zamir and many other wives are worried there is still a chance the bugs could creep their way back into other stations.

Zamir said firefighters can move from station to station and when they leave they take their gear, clothing and blankets.

“They can float up to three or four times,” Zamir said. “Its something that happens and you know just going from station to another it's easy to carry something like that.”

Zamir said The Firefighter Wives Auxiliary Association and AFD Retirees have asked a national high-end mattress company, which wants to remain anonymous for now, for help.

Zamir said the mystery company said yes to an order of 170 beds. The mattresses would have to be donated to the Retirees non-profit group. That group would then turn the beds over to the Albuquerque Area Firefighters Union.

Zamir said when it’s all said and done all city fire stations should have bug free mattresses.

“You know they don't get a lot of sleep and the sleep they do get it needs to be good and with this company we know that's going to happen,” Zamir said.

The cost of the mattresses is estimated at $69,000. Zamir said Albuquerque firefighters are already thankful.

Any extra mattresses will be handed over to Bernalillo County Firefighters.

That company said it wants to make the announcement when the deal is done and the first mattresses are delivered.