A Story From the Field: Night Shifts in the Smell of Mud

Sergeant Major Weera (not his real name) handles administration at a station in one of the low-lying areas of Bang Pahan. He remembers the night the water started rising. Everyone on duty pitched in to carry files, computers and radio equipment upstairs. But the duty room, the holding rooms and the evidence store were all on the ground floor, and there was no way to move them. The water rose to shin height and stayed there for almost a week. Taking reports and helping residents could not stop, so the team ran a temporary service point from higher ground and kept working.

When the water finally drained away, the officers walked back into a building that smelled so strongly of river mud and sewage that several of them put on face masks just to stay inside. The holding rooms, which never had much airflow to begin with, became the most stifling part of the building. A clear tide line ran along the lower concrete walls. The evidence store, with its steel shelving and rows of cardboard boxes, began to give off a damp, papery smell. Some of the night-shift officers complained of itchy arms and legs after wading through mud, and more people than usual were coughing and sneezing.

The team did what most people would do. They scrubbed the floors with detergent and bleach and kept fans running day and night. A week later, the musty smell was still there, and greenish-black patches of mold had started to appear in the corners. The station commander asked the team to find a professional disinfection solution. A police station is not only a workplace for officers. It is a place where members of the public walk in to ask for help, and it is a place where people in custody must, by law, be held in appropriate conditions. Neither of those could wait for the smell to fade on its own.

The Specific Risks Facing Security Agency Buildings After a Flood

Police stations and other security buildings share many of the problems of any flooded property, but several features of how they are built and used make the risks sharper.

Germs from floodwater and sewage

Floodwater that has passed through communities and drainage systems often carries bacteria such as E. coli, along with the organisms that cause leptospirosis, known in Thailand as "rat urine disease." When the water recedes, contaminated residue is left on floors, table legs, waiting-area benches and the bars and walls of holding rooms. These are surfaces that many people touch every day, which makes thorough disinfection a priority rather than an optional extra.

Holding rooms with limited airflow

Holding rooms are designed for security, not ventilation. They often have small openings, concrete floors and walls that absorb moisture, and few windows. That makes them ideal places for musty odors and mold to build up. Both the people being held and the officers who supervise them have to breathe that air for long periods.

Evidence stores and supply rooms

Cardboard boxes, paper envelopes, labels and other materials that get damp are an ideal food source for mold. Left too long, moisture can also damage labels and packaging. How evidence is handled is governed by each agency's own procedures, so any disinfection plan must be built around those rules from the start.

The health of officers and staff

Officers working long shifts in a damp building may develop allergy symptoms, coughs, blocked noses, itchy rashes or skin infections from contact with mud. This happens at exactly the moment when every officer is needed most, as the community recovers and calls for help increase.

Public perception

People who walk in to file a report or ask for help notice immediately if the building smells musty or if mold is visible on the walls. A clean, fresh station reassures the public that services are back to normal.

Communication systems and CCTV

Moisture and mold can settle on radio cabinets, CCTV control units and computers. Any treatment plan must protect this equipment, because a station cannot afford to lose its communications during recovery.

Why Cleaning It Yourself Does Not Finish the Job

The first instinct is always to scrub, rinse and ventilate, and those steps matter. But each common approach leaves a gap.

• Bleach on its own. Bleach treats the hard surfaces you can reach. It does not reach the air inside a holding room, the ventilation openings, the ceiling, or the narrow spaces behind steel shelving. In an enclosed room, the chlorine smell also irritates the nose and eyes of the people who have to stay there.
• Fans running all day and night. Moving air helps surfaces dry, but it also blows mold spores throughout the building, including into upstairs offices that were never flooded.
• Incense or fragrance to cover the smell. This works for a short time at best and is unsuitable for rooms that are occupied around the clock.
• Repainting straight away. Concrete walls hold moisture for a long time. Painting before they are dry means the paint will peel and the mold will come back.
• No plan for restricted areas. Evidence stores and holding rooms are governed by agency rules. Without a plan that includes who supervises access, these rooms often get skipped altogether, which leaves the worst-affected spaces untreated.

Cleaning removes dirt. Disinfection kills germs on surfaces. Ozone treatment reaches the air and breaks down the molecules behind musty smells. A flooded station needs all three, carried out in a way that respects how the building operates.

The Solution: Chemgene HLD4H Fogging and Ozone Treatment From WHD

WHD provides a professional disinfection service using Chemgene HLD4H disinfectant applied through ULV (ultra-low volume) fogging equipment. The fogger produces an extremely fine mist that spreads evenly across floors, walls, bars, benches, shelving and the public counter, settling on surfaces that would be difficult or impossible to wipe by hand. The team then follows with a professional ozone treatment service. Because ozone is a gas, it fills the whole sealed space, helping to reduce airborne mold spores and break down the molecules responsible for musty, muddy and sewer-like smells that have soaked into materials. After treatment and ventilation, ozone reverts to ordinary oxygen.

How the work is carried out in an agency building

1. Survey and coordination. The team walks the building with the officer in charge, agreeing which areas can be treated freely and which require supervision by agency staff, such as the evidence store.
2. Mud removal advice. Materials that were submerged for long periods are removed and heavy mud is washed out first, so the disinfectant can work on clean surfaces.
3. Preparing the space. Anyone in custody is moved to another area according to the agency's own procedures while work is under way. Evidence stays under the control of officers and is sealed or relocated in line with agency rules. The WHD team does not touch or open evidence.
4. Protecting equipment. Computers, radio cabinets, CCTV control units and other sensitive electronics are covered or moved out.
5. ULV disinfection fogging. The duty room, holding rooms, storage rooms, bathrooms, corridors and public reception area are fogged thoroughly.
6. Ozone treatment. Each zone is sealed and the ozone generator is run for a period matched to its size, using a controlled dose and no longer than necessary.
7. Ventilation and re-check. Doors and windows are opened until the ozone has dissipated. The team checks odor and condition, then hands each zone back with practical advice.

Why a Professional Approach Suits Public-Service Buildings

A police station or security office is not a private home where the owner can simply lock the door for a weekend and air the place out. It runs around the clock, it holds sensitive materials, and it must stay accessible to the public even in the middle of a crisis. That is exactly why an organised, professional approach makes sense. A trained team arrives with the right equipment, works to a plan agreed in advance with the officer in charge, and treats the building zone by zone so that the station never has to go completely dark.

It also takes a burden off officers who are already stretched. Instead of spending days scrubbing walls between call-outs, personnel can focus on the work only they can do: answering calls, helping residents, and keeping order while the community gets back on its feet. When the treatment is finished, the station has a clear record of what was done, which rooms were treated and what aftercare is recommended. That makes it easy to answer questions from staff, from visitors and from higher command about whether the building is ready for normal use.

10 Reasons Agencies in Bang Pahan Choose WHD

1. Mist that reaches every gap. ULV disinfection fogging covers bars, the undersides of benches and the backs of shelves.
2. Suitable for occupied buildings. Chemgene HLD4H does not leave a harsh chemical smell in rooms people use around the clock.
3. Odor removed at the source. Ozone treatment breaks odors down rather than covering them.
4. Fewer spores in poorly ventilated holding rooms. The hardest rooms to air out get focused treatment.
5. Respect for agency procedures. Evidence is never touched, and restricted areas are only treated under officer supervision.
6. Communication equipment protected. Radios, CCTV and computers are covered or moved according to a plan agreed in advance.
7. Zoned work. The building is treated section by section, so public services can continue.
8. Better conditions for personnel. Officers on long shifts after the flood work in cleaner, fresher air.
9. Extra help outside. Add a mosquito spraying service around the compound, where standing water often remains after the flood.
10. Clear aftercare guidance. Practical advice on humidity control and storing records and supplies.

Before and After

In the Client's Words

"What impressed me was that the team asked first which rooms needed an officer present and which rooms were off-limits, and then followed that at every step. After the fogging and ozone treatment, the holding room that used to be the worst in the building was so much easier to breathe in. The young officers on late shifts do not have to sit at their desks wearing masks anymore."

— An administrative officer at an agency in Bang Pahan (a scenario based on real field situations)

A Step-by-Step Recovery Plan for Agency Buildings

Days 1 to 2: Confirm the electrical system is safe before anyone enters. Wear boots and gloves. Photograph the damage for official records. Remove materials that were submerged for a long time and wash out as much mud as possible.

Days 2 to 4: Book a WHD site survey. Decide which zones come first, typically the holding rooms and the public reporting counter. Plan the temporary relocation of anyone in custody and assign officers to supervise the evidence store according to agency rules.

Treatment day: Cover or move communication equipment. WHD fogs with Chemgene HLD4H, then runs the ozone treatment, then ventilates until the space is safe before handing it back.

Weeks 1 to 3: Control humidity, clean the air-conditioning, check walls weekly and repaint only once the walls are fully dry. If new mold appears, ask the team for a reassessment.

Looking After the Building After Treatment

• Keep ventilation openings clear and use extractor fans in holding rooms to maintain steady airflow.
• Raise boxes of documents and supplies at least a hand's width off the floor, and switch to lidded plastic boxes instead of cardboard where possible.
• Clean air-conditioning units and replace filters in rooms that were exposed to moisture.
• Wipe shared touch points such as the counter, pens and door handles daily with Chemgene HLD4H spray.
• Check the lower walls every week and wait until they are completely dry before repainting.
• Officers who waded through floodwater with cuts or scrapes and later develop fever or muscle pain should see a doctor promptly, as these can be symptoms of leptospirosis.
• Keep the compound clear of standing water, which breeds mosquitoes and keeps humidity high around the building.

Understanding the Health Risks in Plain Language

It helps to explain to the whole team why the station is being treated, because officers who understand the risks are far more likely to follow the aftercare steps. In simple terms, there are three groups of problems hiding in a flooded building.

The first group is germs left by the water. Bacteria from sewage and drains cling to mud and to any surface the water touched. They can cause stomach upsets and diarrhea when hands carry them to the mouth, and skin infections when they get into small cuts. Leptospirosis is a particular concern in Thailand after floods, because the bacteria that cause it live in water contaminated by the urine of rats and other animals and can enter the body through broken skin or the eyes.

The second group is mold. Mold is not just a stain on the wall. As it grows, it releases tiny spores and odor compounds into the air. For many people these cause only a stuffy nose or a scratchy throat, but for anyone with allergies or asthma they can trigger more serious symptoms, especially during long shifts in enclosed rooms.

The third group is odor. A musty smell is more than unpleasant. It is a sign that moisture and microbial growth are still present somewhere in the building, and it affects how both staff and the public feel about the space. Removing it at the source is the clearest sign that a building has truly recovered.

A Quick Checklist for Station Commanders

• Has the electrical system been checked and declared safe?
• Have soaked materials, such as cardboard, fabric chairs and floor mats, been removed?
• Is there a written plan for relocating anyone in custody during treatment?
• Has an officer been assigned to supervise the evidence store and any other restricted rooms?
• Have radios, CCTV control units and computers been listed for covering or relocation?
• Has the public been told where to report incidents while each zone is being treated?
• Is there a plan for dehumidifying, cleaning the air-conditioning and monitoring walls over the following weeks?

Working through this list before the WHD team arrives keeps treatment day short and smooth, and ensures that the rooms which need help most are not skipped.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the whole station have to close during ozone treatment?
No. The team can work zone by zone, closing only the area being treated. Public services can move temporarily to another part of the building or to a nearby location.

Will the team enter the evidence store?
Only with permission and with an officer present. The team does not touch or open evidence. Sealing or relocating evidence is handled entirely according to the agency's own procedures.

Will ozone damage radios or CCTV equipment?
The team recommends covering or moving sensitive equipment, and uses a controlled ozone dose matched to room size without running the treatment longer than necessary.

How long before rooms can be used again?
Once ventilation is complete, the ozone has dissipated and the team has re-checked the space. In most cases rooms can be used again the same day, depending on the size of the building.

Should the upper floors be treated if they did not flood?
It is worth considering. Moisture and spores rise through stairwells and air-conditioning, so upper offices often develop musty odors too.

Does WHD serve agencies in Ayutthaya?
Yes. WHD serves Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Bangkok and nearby provinces. Call 065-556-6294 to arrange a site survey.

Can WHD work outside office hours?
Scheduling can be discussed during the survey so the work fits around shift patterns and public service hours as far as possible.

Get Your Building Ready to Serve the Public Again

The WHD team is ready to restore your duty room, holding rooms and storage areas so they are clean, disinfected and free of musty odors.

See Disinfection Service – Click Here

Book Ozone Treatment – Click Here

Call 065-556-6294 · LINE @whd268 · Email worldhealthdisinfection@gmail.com

Related Services and Reading

• Ozone treatment for odors and chemical residue
• Master Ozone Generator
• Mosquito spraying service
• All WHD articles
• Health guidance after floods: WHO Floods Fact Sheet and the Thai Department of Disease Control