Nine dead in Mass. assisted living fire; firefighters union blames understaffing

Nine people have died and several dozen others are injured after a fire broke out at a senior assisted living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, Sunday night, July 13. Officials with a Massachusetts firefighters’ union said understaffing at the fire department made it challenging for them to respond effectively.

“Last night, had they been staffed properly up to national standards, there would have been eight more firefighters effecting rescues here last night,” Edward Kelly, the general president of the International Association of Firefighters, said while addressing reporters. “There’s no doubt that would have made a difference in the amount [of] people that we lost to this terrible fire last night. Lives would have been saved if the Fall River Fire Department was adequately staffed.”

Fire tore through Gabriel House

Flames ripped through the Gabriel House, an assisted-living facility about 50 miles south of Boston, killing nine people and trapping residents inside. About 70 people lived at the residence, according to local media.

When rescue crews got to the scene, they could see heavy smoke and flames pouring out of the building. During the rescue mission, authorities said some people were leaning out of their windows, screaming for help.

Officials said there was one firefighter for about every two residents, noting the response to the fire suffered from a lack of manpower.

Staffing issues and response conditions

Crews were kicking in doors, trying to get every person to safety, Kelly said, adding that only two out of 10 fire teams in the department had the recommended number of four firefighters per truck. The other eight teams are understaffed, with only three firefighters each, falling below the national safety standard.

“Thank God for the heroic efforts of the Fall River firefighters who saved dozens of lives last night and some of whom came in off duty,” Kelly said. “They didn’t have adequate equipment, didn’t have breathing apparatus, didn’t have personal protective equipment, yet put their lives at risk, kicked doors in, rescued people. But unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough.”

Kelly says long-term staff cuts and fire station closures have weakened emergency response for decades. He’s calling on Mayor Paul Coogan to add more manpower and resources to the Fall River Fire Department.

Mayor responds to union criticism

In an interview with Boston 25 News, Coogan responded to Kelly’s allegations, saying now is not the time for politics.

“I don’t think that’s the time for politics right now. I think Fall River is better than that,” Coogan said. “We got our numbers to staff everything from department heads, from the chiefs. We don’t make the recommendations, they do, and I don’t remember ever cutting anybody, so we’ll see how that goes.”

Victims identified, cause under investigation

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III identified the victims Monday: 64-year-old Rui Albernaz, 61-year-old Ronald Codega, 69-year-old Margaret Duddy, 78-year-old Robert King, 71-year-old Kim Mackin, 78-year-old Richard Rochon, and 86-year-old Eleanor Willett, Boston 25 News reports. Officials are withholding two names until they can notify next of kin.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but the district attorney says it does not appear suspicious at this time.