Councilman questions city's ability to keep homes safe
Staffing at buildings, fire departments criticized
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Flames shoot from house of Mount Vernon fatal fire: Flames are visible at 11 S. Bond St. in Mount Vernon where there are reports that four people were killed in the middle-of -the-night fire. (Video by GM Video Productions)
Edward Stevenson, Chief of Operations for the Mount Vernon Fire Department, talks about the early morning fire that killed four members of a family Oct. 29, 2013 during a press conference at Mount Vernon City Hall. At right is Mayor Ernest Davis. ( Seth Harrison / The Journal News ) / Seth Harrison/The Journal News
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MOUNT VERNON — The fire that killed four people Tuesday morning had barely been extinguished when Councilman Rich Thomas began asking whether the city’s Fire and Buildings departments had the resources they need to keep Mount Vernon safe.
“The absence of a routine inspection program allows for things to go unnoticed and can lead to catastrophic loss like we’ve seen today,” Thomas said. “The building department is not in a position to have a regular inspection program.”
He said the Fire Department is in need of resources, too. When the blaze on South Bond Street was reported, just two firefighters were on duty at the nearest firehouse. They responded bravely, he said, but without the crew and support they should have.
“We should not nickel and dime public safety,” Thomas said.
Mayor Ernest Davis dismissed Thomas’ criticisms, saying the Buildings Department has four inspectors who walk through structures on an as-needed basis. He said the department has never had a routine inspection program.
Asked if the Fire Department is adequately staffed, he said, “Absolutely.”
Later, he said, “Of course the city’s safe.”
The 1,200-square-foot house at 11 S. Bond St. was home to 13 related people, including the four who died, officials said.
Legally, it was a one-family home, but Davis said building plans indicated the house may have been fitted with a basement apartment. It was not clear whether that change was made legally. Mark Warren, commissioner of the city’s Department of Buildings, could not be reached Tuesday.
Thomas, whose brother is a Mount Vernon firefighter, said the city needed many more fire workers. Ernest Richardson, president of United Firefighters Association Local 107, the city’s fire union, agreed.
At a City Hall news conference the two men held just after the conclusion of Davis’ news conference, Richardson said the two firefighters who responded to the scene initially entered the building in an attempt to save the people inside.
Had the two been injured or killed, Richardson said, their families may not have received benefits because their actions were against federal work regulations. According to the “two in/two out” standard, if two firefighters enter a burning building, they must be in contact with a pair of firefighters outside the building.
“Those two men, had they gotten hurt, would’ve been in violation of federal law,” Richardson said.
