Nine people were killed and 30 others hospitalized after a fire ripped through an assisted living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts Sunday night. IAFF leaders say the outcome could have been different – if only there had been more fire fighters on the first trucks to arrive.
“Last night was not only a tragedy for Fall River, but it was also a travesty for the people in that building,” said General President Edward Kelly.
The fire at Gabriel House left many of its 70 residents trapped inside. Some were seen hanging from windows, screaming for help, according to news reports. Five fire fighters were also taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Fall River, MA Local 1314 President Michael O’Reagan was among the many members who responded from home while off duty.
“What I saw when I came here last night was something short of miraculous. I can’t say enough good things about what my fire fighters did and how they reacted and the lives that they saved,” said O’Reagan. “We did the best we could with what we had, and what we had was not enough, and for so many years in the city of Fall River, public safety has been a line item, and lives are a budgetary concern. Last night was an example of this.”
We did the best we could with what we had, and what we had was not enough, and for so many years in the city of Fall River, public safety has been a line item, and lives are a budgetary concern. Last night was an example of this.
Fall River, MA Local 1314 President Michael O’Reagan
Michael’s brother, Local 1314 Capt. Frank O’Reagan, also responded off-duty and praised the tireless efforts of fire fighters at the scene. He said many of the people in the building were disabled and needed help getting out. “When I got here, fire fighters on scene had already done an unbelievable amount of work making rescues out of windows and down stairways. They were really beat up.”
Only two of Fall River’s 10 fire companies are staffed at the national standard of four fire fighters per truck. The remaining eight operate with just three, a shortage that Kelly says costs lives.
“Had they been staffed properly, there would’ve been eight more fire fighters making rescues and lives would have been saved,” said Kelly. “There were only 32 fire fighters on scene at first. With full staffing, there would have been 40, and personally, I believe five more people could’ve lived.”
Had they been staffed properly, there would’ve been eight more fire fighters making rescues and lives would have been saved.
general president edward kelly
He pointed to neighboring New Bedford as an example, where all nine fire companies run with four fire fighters per truck.
“New Bedford has fewer companies, but more fire fighters at a fire like this,” Kelly said. “Fall River fire fighters, some off-duty without gear, saved dozens of lives, but it wasn’t enough. This city deserves better.”
A National Institute of Standards and Technology study shows three-person companies are 25% less efficient than those with four when performing the same tasks.
“That’s a reduction in time and a reduction in rescuing people, and that’s what we saw last night,” said Kelly. “Time matters, and as people are exposed to smoke, they lose consciousness, carbon monoxide takes over their bodies, and unfortunately, they die.”
“That’s why we need adequate staffing on the apparatus responding to these fires because every second counts,” he added.
Michael O’Reagan attributed the city’s staffing issues to decades of cuts and questioned the cost of human life.
“It’s been a slow, gradual process of cutting back on staffing to balance the budget,” he said. “We find it completely unacceptable. I would ask the mayor: To what cost?”
Now, union leaders are calling on Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan to prioritize safer staffing standards to prevent future loss of life.
“The mayor could decide tonight to staff this city properly,” said Kelly. “He can order the chief to put four fire fighters on every apparatus in this city, and it would be done.”
According to news reports, this is the deadliest fire in Massachusetts since 1984.
