Concerns about the fire department’s handling of a weekend blaze that left 32 Union City families homeless continued to smolder at the end of last week, as the city’s police department investigated and the victims continued to look for new housing.
Although the police department has closed the investigation on the cause of the Mother’s Day fire on 29th Street, the many complaints made about the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue squad’s response time and handling of the fire have sparked the Union City Police Department to hold an investigation into the accusations made by a police sergeant earlier last week.
According to a local daily newspaper, in an internal report, Sgt. Louis Serghis criticized the squad for taking too long to respond to the fire and behaving in a disorganized manner while on the scene.
Union City Mayor and Public Safety Director Brian Stack said last week that he has ordered Police Chief Norman Bareis to interview all of the police officers on the scene of the fire.
But while many residents on the scene have criticized the firefighters for taking too long to respond, 911 records report that firefighters arrived at the fire scene within four minutes of receiving the first 911 call. Fire officials said that in the excitement of the fire, the response time may have seemed slower to residents than it was.
However, residents were also upset that the three firemen who were assigned to man the firehouse across the street from the blaze were out running an errand when it was reported.
Fire officials said they are cooperating with the police investigation.
“I think the police department is listening to the people on the scene and their complaints to make this report,” said NHRFR Director Michael DeOrio. “We are not trying to hide anything.”
Started Sunday morning
The fire was called in around 11:30 a.m. last Sunday morning. Flames had already taken over two of the four connecting buildings on the 500 block of 29th Street when Lt. Carmine Flora arrived at the scene.
Flora, a member of the NHRFR Engine Company No. 2 on 16th Street in Union City, relied on his 20 years of experience when he decided to enter the building at 538 29th Street.
“The residents that reported the fire said that the fire was at 536 29th Street,” said NHRFR Chief Edward Flood. “The fire actually started in 538 29th Street. The fire had control of two buildings already when [it] was reported.”
“There was a lot more fire going on than what the people could see outside,” said Flora, who added that the structure of the buildings led him to his decision to enter the second building.
“This fire actually took place in one building masked as four separate buildings,” said Flood, explaining that these three-story apartment buildings had common cock-lofts and ceilings that allowed the fire to spread rapidly across all four buildings. “This is a very difficult fire to get ahead of.”
Before the fire was reported as being under control at approximately 6:30 p.m., the fire had taken four apartment buildings; 534, 536, 538 and 540 29th Street.
The fire was reportedly started by an electrical failure in a light fixture in a second floor bathroom.
Response time
According to 911 tapes heard at the North Hudson Regional Communications Center on 49th Street in West New York last week, the first 911 call was received at 11:32 a.m. The first firefighter to arrive on the scene, Battalion Chief One, responded at 11:35:40 a.m., according to 911 reports of radio communications.
“These times cannot be altered,” said DeOrio.
Even with the 911 calls as evidence, many residents still believe that firefighters took anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes to respond on the scene.
“I was able to get dressed, get my children ready and knock on my neighbors’ doors and the firemen still weren’t even there,” said Jackie Portal who was cleaning her second-floor apartment at 534 29th Street when she was told to evacuate. “I even had to run back inside to get my purse.”
Representatives from North Hudson Regional Fire said that the perception of time of the people watching the fire may have been altered due to the excitement and stress of the fire.
“One minute could have felt like 10,” said DeOrio.
However, many of the complaints made stemmed from the fact that there were no firemen in the firehouse right across the street from the burning buildings.
Many residents, looking for a quicker response to their 911 calls, began ringing the doorbell at Engine Company No. 4 when they first detected the fire. However, the three firemen stationed at this firehouse were grocery shopping when the fire started.
DeOrio said that it is routine that a firehouse be left unmanned at certain times during the day. Firefighters often go out on other calls for service, perform drills and visit other firehouses to critique other fires.
“We can’t have firemen working 24-hour shifts just sitting in the firehouse,” said DeOrio. He said that the firefighters stationed at Fire Company No. 4 were at the local ShopRite buying groceries for dinner that night. “These men were in service and in the general area.”
Engine Company No. 4 was one of the first four engine companies dispatched to the scene and arrived one minute after the first engine at 11:37 a.m. The other companies were reported as arriving at 11:36 a.m.
Engine Companies No. 1 from North Bergen, No. 2 from Union City, No. 3 in Weehawken and No. 4 were the first companies to respond to the fire.
According to Flood, there would have been no difference in response time if the men were at the firehouse at the time of the call.
“That is why we stress calling 911,” said Flora.
Water pressure
Other residents on the scene said that the firemen did not have enough water or working fire hydrants close to the scene.
“We heard the firemen saying that there was no water,” said Portal about one of the fire hydrants closest to the fire. “I couldn’t believe it. No water.”
Flood and other officials deny that any of the hydrants were broken or that there was any problem with water pressure. Flood also said that each truck is equipped with a hydrant wrench to open the hydrants.
“I saw eight to 10 hose lines operating at the scene,” said DeOrio.
However, NHRFR Director Jeff Welz said that even if one hydrant was not working, there would have still been enough hydrants to properly fight the fire.
“Every hydrant in North Hudson is 300 feet away,” said Welz, explaining that if one hydrant doesn’t have water, there is another one close enough to drain water from.
The hydrants are maintained by United Water Company and inspected at least twice a year by both United Water and the fire department.
Finding housing
The 80 members of these families waited in the court room of the Union City City Hall building on Palisade Avenue on Tuesday to find out what accommodations would be made for them while they were trying to get their feet back on the ground.
Representatives from the Red Cross were meeting with each family to get them situated in area hotels while they looked for apartments.
According to Mayor Stack, one family is now staying in the Hudson Regency Hotel and the remaining families are being put up at the Hill Top Motel , both on Tonnelle Avenue, until the city is able to find appropriate housing for them. Some families made arrangements to stay with relatives or friends.
Red Cross will pick up the tab for these accommodations for the first few days while North Hudson Community Action Corporation will take over for the next 30 days.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Stack said that at least five apartments had already been found and calls have been made to city landlords and the Housing Authority looking to find more.
“I need to find out what each family’s individual needs are,” said Stack, who was holding meetings with the families on Thursday and Friday of last week. “I already met with them collectively, but that is nothing like meeting them individually.”
President and CEO of NHCAC Michael Leggiero said that his corporation will also be working with the families to find suitable apartments.
The buildings at 536 and 538 29th Street were razed on Monday, while the other two buildings will be renovated and the residents will be able to move back in after renovations.
“The buildings are structurally sound,” said Union City Construction Code Official Luis Cabellero, explaining that most of the damage was caused by the water and when firefighters forced entry into apartments trying to determine where the fire was in the buildings.
Cabellero said that these buildings should be ready in no more than one week’s time if the landlords move quickly on the renovations.