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Criminal Charges Possible in Deadly New York Blaze ............ MURRAY WEISS and LEONARD GREENE Courtesy of The New York Post Authorities yesterday said they are eyeing charges of criminally negligent homicide against the contractors responsible for a faulty water standpipe that contributed to the deaths of two firefighters in a blaze near Ground Zero. The stunning development came as city officials revealed that the crucial standpipe in the basement of the Deutsche Bank building was disassembled and missing a piece when firefighters tried to pump water up to the blaze on Saturday. "A section of the standpipe was not attached and was lying on the floor nearby," Mayor Bloomberg said in a statement last night. "The FDNY's investigation into how the standpipe was disabled is continuing." Bloomberg also revealed a sprinkler system was still in place but not functioning, adding the FDNY is investigating that, too. During the disastrous inferno, firefighters could be heard screaming, "Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!" as pandemonium reigned when they learned they were without a water source 14 floors above street level and rapidly running out of air. The lack of pressure because of the faulty basement pipe meant that water reached only the first floor at the burning site, which had been under demolition after being damaged and contaminated on 9/11. One of the companies responsible for helping to demolish the building insisted that its standpipe system had been regularly tested and inspected, according to a city official. It was unclear whether that was the main contractor, Bovis Lend Lease Corp., or John Galt Corp., the asbestos-removal subcontractor whose workers were toiling there at the time. So far, authorities have only that contractor's word for it. The contractors were asked for the records on what testing was done, when it was performed and the results, but have yet to provide them, sources said. City officials have threatened to issue a subpoena to obtain them, a source said. "We know the water didn't work," one law-enforcement source said. "So you have to figure out whether they [the contractors] were negligent. If they are, they could possibly face under the law a form of criminally negligent homicide." Private companies aren't the only ones under scrutiny - sources said the FDNY is supposed to inspect standpipes at such sites every five years. It was unclear when the last official inspection occurred. Bloomberg said the fire started on the 17th floor on the building's south side along Albany Street, next to an exterior elevator. It ignited where asbestos-removal workers went after passing through a decontamination area - a place where they "would smoke and extinguish cigarettes," Bloomberg said, quoting witnesses. "There was also some electrical equipment at that location, including hot-water heaters for the decon[tamination] showers," the mayor said. The probe into the blaze's cause has focused on the seven or eight workers who were boxing asbestos on the floor at the time. All of the workers were Eastern European immigrants and heavy chain smokers, sources said. Smoking violates work-site rules. Tragic firefighters Joseph Graffagnino and Robert Beddia perished after getting lost on the 14th floor in the blinding maze of smoke, plywood and construction equipment. After their oxygen tanks ran out of air, they inhaled smoke and died of cardiac arrest. The Bravest had to be taken up to the blaze in small numbers via the outside elevator, run by a construction worker who stayed to help, because there were no usable stairs in the structure until the 12th or 13th floor, sources said. "They [firefighters] spun the [standpipe] wheel [on the fire floor], and all they got was air," one official said. On the sidewalk, crews were pumping water into the standpipe. But instead of snaking through the pipes to the waiting hoses above, the wasted water spewed into the building's basement. There should have been a functioning gauge on the firetruck that measured the water pressure going into the building. It would have shown that, because of the breech, it was not enough to send water as high as the firefighters, sources told The Post. It took at least an hour after the firefighters arrived for any water to reach the blaze, sources said. At one point, an unidentified firefighter was heard pleading on his radio, "I'm lost. I'm trying to make it on the charged hose line . . . running out of air." Shortly after, a supervisor said from inside the building, "I can't account for my men." Since September 2003, the city's Department of Buildings has responded to 25 complaints of unsafe conditions at the site, and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued 20 violations. Mitch Alvo, an executive with Galt, declined to comment. Bovis Lend Lease referred all inquiries to the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. "Safety is our No. 1 priority. I think it's best I leave it at that," said LMDC spokesman Errol Cockfield. Additional reporting by Chuck Bennett, C.J. Sullivan, John Mazor and Leonardo Blair

Firehouse.com Home > News Headlines FDNY Commissioner Orders Changes in Wake of High-Rise Fire Two firefighters perished in the Aug. 18 blaze Updated: 08-27-2007 01:44:37 PM AP Photo/Seth Wenig NEW YORK-- FDNY Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta announced Monday, Aug. 27, a series of changes following the fatal fire at the former Deutshe Bank building that claimed the lives of two of the city's bravest. Firefighter Robert Beddia, 53, of Engine 24 and Firefighter Joseph Graffagnino, 34, of Ladder 5 died Aug. 18 after becoming trapped in the building. Pending the outcome of the investigation, Deputy Chief Richard Fuerch (Division 1), Battalion Chief John McDonald (Battalion 1) and Captain Peter Bosco (Engine Company 10) have been relieved of their commands and detailed to headquarters, according to a press release. Several other orders detailed in the press release include: Deputy Chiefs in the Department's nine Divisions have been directed to order surveillance by every fire unit in their respective administrative areas of all buildings under construction/demolition. The purpose of these inspections is to insure that all rules and regulations regarding fire protection and public safety are being adhered to. Divisions are also ordered to review all existing pre-fire plans in their respective administrative areas, and to have units and Battalions canvass their areas for any potential structures that might require the creation of such plans. Borough Commanders are ordered to oversee and coordinate all field fire inspection activities in their respective boroughs. The Chief of Operations will conduct a review of the Department's field inspection program with emphasis on insuring accountability at all levels and making recommendations to strengthen and improve the quality and frequency of inspections by field units.

I have a headache now. Paragraphs and correct grammar please. I am not jumping your balls, but seriously it helps your point get across. Why did the regulator not have a key attached? Someone didn't do a good job on their truck check. Why did you have half a box of gloves on your belt? What is a "duty glove" are we talking about leather gloves? Why? Was it cold outside? What did you use the pocket guide for? I like the idea of a pocket guide. If I am enroute to an OB call, I can refresh my memory real quick. I don't like the idea of "hold on while I look at this nifty book!" Maybe I am completely out of line here, but I can not think of any situation where I would need a bat belt. Cargo pants are even pushing it, I lose stuff in them. I wish people felt as strongly about continuing education as they do their "2 inch wide I want you to think I am a policeman so you will respect me more and be in awe of my authority and think that I am really saving the world even though your 17 year old daughter in biology II knows more about how epi works in the human body than I do and I still think I should be able to give it on my own duty belts."

She really has lost it.

I can agree on that. When my butt is sitting here in dispatch, I need to take the wallet out after a couple of hours. It starts to aggrivate my hips being off center. If I could get used to a money clip I am sure that would do me just fine!

I have a radio, wallet, keys, and if im working at night I throw a mini flashlight in my cargo pocket. Our O2 have a built in reg, so no need for keys. Never had the need for a pocket tool. I check my jump bag every day when I am on duty and make sure that everything I need is in there. Shears are in the jump bag, and I dont get out of the ambulance with out it. We have boxes of gloves in the truck, if I think I might have a problem I might throw a pair in a cargo pocket getting out.

Velcro wouldn't be a bad option. You can come accross them fairly cheap. Get enough that after every call you can switch them out, and at the end of the day give them a wash.

This makes me laugh.... Firehouse forums about amber lights on apparatus. People are advocating amber lights running on the back of a fire truck when ever it is motion. Just to be safe. Why don't we have amber lights on 18-wheelers. Why don't we have lights on the back of UPS trucks. I think we could turn this into a good discussion?

Polo.

If you can't tell, our hometown newspaper here is a classy sort......

I wonder if anyone will have to answer for this? [hr:5e9d7aa654] 10:49 p.m.: Heat a factor for runners at Arabian Roundup 20 kids treated for heat-related illness, six taken to local hospitals Richard Torres richard.torres@heraldbulletin.com PENDLETON — Wednesday afternoon’s sweltering heat and humidity were hard to ignore at Pendleton Heights High School. While many of the 22 schools and more than 300 cross country runners assembled for the annual Arabian Roundup grabbed some shade under canopies or surrounding trees, the four scheduled three-mile races — partnered with an overwhelming heat index recording — caused moments of concern. Due to the heat, the final junior varsity race of the day was offered as a voluntary event — after the conclusion of both boys and girls varsity and a girls JV race. With a total of 20 runners treated for heat-related illness and six sent to area hospitals throughout the evening, several local emergency medical units came through the high school parking lot to assist the on-site medical staff. “I sent five to the hospital, and all together there were around 20 that I had to attend to,” said Pendleton Heights head trainer Dennis McCord. “This is very difficult. If it wasn’t for EMT, I don’t know what I would do. I had every ambulance in this area here. I even had Markleville here.” Coaches and runners attempted to take the necessary precautions prior to event, with hydration the primary focus throughout the day. “You can’t get enough water in you when it’s this hot,” said Alexandria coach Rachel Young. “A lot of it, too, is if you haven’t run in heat like this, it’s kind of a mental thing.” Supervised summer practice is one way to beat the heat, according to Pendleton Heights boys cross country coach Alan Holden, who staged several workouts in the afternoon sun this offseason. “We’ve been practicing at 5 p.m., so we could get ready for it. We’ve been running in this type of deal. It’s been hot the last two weeks. We’ve been getting prepared for it,” said Holden. “It’s very hot,” added Alexandria’s Brianna Foster, who captured first place in the girls race. “You have to hydrate. Nutrition is very important especially in cross country. I trained a little bit during the summer in some real hot weather. But it still affects everybody. It’s painful.” For some it was more painful than for others, which brought about a busy day for medical attendees. Article with local comments

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You might want to look over your contract/handbook. Even something like Management reserves the right to electronically monitor all working areas. Or something similar would hold up for them.

Duh.

kellogs

I think she really has lost it this time.

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Bush

If I owned a business I would definately have video monitoring. My protection and my employees protection. What about when the female half of this get fired for something, she comes back and brings sexual assualt/harassment claims.

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The bathroom is there for the purpose of changing. A small partition could also be erected.