Results tagged “deutschebankfire”

Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta further explained his decision to resign at the end of the year. He told the Daily News, "47 years in city government is enough," while saying to the NY Times, "The reason I am leaving now is I have decided, after 47 years, that if I am ever going to get to those other things, like teaching and writing, and some traveling. I better get to it now."

The city's Department of Investigation says that the Fire Department and Department of Buildings failed to inspect the former Deutsche Bank building in the months leading up to the August 2007 seven-alarm fire that claimed two firefighters' lives. For instance, a DOB inspector told his supervisor that there was a breach in a water standpipe, but the supervisor allegedly told him to leave it out of his report. The Daily News points out, "If the test had been carried out, inspectors would have discovered a more serious issue with the standpipe - preventing the tragedy that claimed firefighters Joseph Graffagnino Jr. and Robert Beddia." The DOI report also reiterated claims that the FDNY didn't inspect the building as it should have, "Everyone had tunnel vision." Graffagnino's father lamented to the News, "Why didn't they do anything about it? They couldn't do anything right." You can read the whole report here (PDF).

When manslaughter charges against three construction supervisors (pictured) in the 2007 fatal Deutsche Bank building fire, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said of the tragedy, "Everyone who could have screwed up did screw up. It's just amazing the amount of mistakes that were made here."

Last year, a seven-alarm fire, started by a construction worker's smoking, broke out at the former Deutsche Bank building. Two firefighters died in the blaze, and now three construction supervisors overseeing in the building's dismantling are expected to face manslaughter charges from the Manhattan DA's office today.

The Daily News reports that the "empty cigarette packs and beer cans were found on several floors" of the former Deutsche Bank building last week. Last year, the building, which is being slowly dismantled, was the site of a seven-alarm fire that claimed the lives of two firefighters; the fire was started by a worker's cigarette (smoking in prohibited) and exposed a number of violations. The matter is apparently being investigated, but, upon learning about this, the father of one fallen firefighters said, "It makes me feel like I want to puke. They just don't care."

The Fire Department released its report into the fatal seven-alarm fire at the former Deutsche Bank building yesterday, and there doesn't seem to be one focus for the blame. Instead, there are many: Per the Daily News, it "blames the FDNY for not conducting mandatory inspections; the Buildings Department for not issuing a formal permit for demolition and the building's contractor for shoddy work that turned the condemned skyscraper into a death trap."

Yesterday, the city remembered firefighters Joseph Graffagnino and Robert Beddia, who died in last year's Deutsche Bank fire, and dedicated plaques in their memories at their firehouse in Soho. Though the investigation is continuing, the Post reports that prosecutors want "officials with the demolition contractor, John Galt Corp., and inspectors the company hired" to face homicide charges. When asked about the city possibly being charged as well, Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday, “I can tell you that in my heart of hearts, I don’t believe anybody deliberately did anything to make that building less safe. Were they derelict in their duty? Only time will tell.” Graffagino's widow said, "I'd like to see someone pay for what happened. A lot of people are to blame."

Last year, the former Deutsche Bank building was in the process of being dismantled when a fire broke out on August 18. It escalated into a seven-alarm blaze, and two firefighters died after when their oxygen tanks were depleted. It turned out a construction worker's smoking caused the fire, but there were a host of other problems, from the dismantled standpipe (which brings water up in case of fires), blocked exits, and a lack of inspections to make sure the dismantling was being handled carefully.

After being fired for speaking to a reporter, a lawyer who had represented a slain firefighter's family in their lawsuit against the city is now suing the widow and her children. Way to keep those bad stereotypes about lawyers going!

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed $464,600 in fines over two contractors' safety lapses at the Deutsche Bank building. Contractor Bovis Lend Lease, which had been retained by the state government, and its former subcontractor John Galt Corporation had been dismantling the building when a seven-alarm fire, caused by a worker's smoking, broke out last August.

The sister of the 23-year FDNY veteran who died during the Deutsche Bank building last August is suing city agencies and contractors, citing their "wanton, willful, and reckless conduct" in his death.