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Water supply in Deutsche building 'not operational'

Monday, August 20, 2007

(New York- WABC, August 20, 2007) (WABC) -- City officials said Monday night that the water supply system that emergency responders tried to tap while fighting a blaze that killed two firefighters in a ground zero skyscraper was "not operational."

The abandoned building has been plagued with citations and received another violation for failure to maintain the system after fire investigators found a section of the water network, known as the standpipe, unattached and lying on the floor in the basement.

The city also said that fire investigators had determined the blaze began in an area on the 17th floor, where workers would stop before entering and exiting a chamber for decontamination. Fire marshals spoke to eyewitnesses who said workers would smoke and put out cigarettes in the area, which was near the construction elevator they used to access the floor.

The city said there was also some electrical equipment there, including hot water heaters for decontamination showers.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement that investigators still did not know how the fire started: "At this point we do not know the cause of the fire, but full and comprehensive investigations are under way," he said. "We are using every possible resource to find out how this fire started and what went wrong."

Bloomberg said separate investigations were ongoing to determine how the fire started and what circumstances led to the deaths of the two firefighters. Officials also were trying to sort out the confusion about who was responsible for the standpipe and other issues - private contractors are working on the state-owned building, while multiple local, state and federal agencies have a hand in the decontamination and deconstruction. The effort was described by the city as "unusually complex."

In working buildings, the fire department is responsible for checking the water flow in standpipes every five years, according to fire department spokesman Jim Long. Building owners typically maintain them in between.

The city could not say on Monday when the water network had last been tested, but the fire department said the building had been issued at least one other violation related to standpipe problems.

The Department of Buildings said it was still sorting out its inspection records but noted that its agency was only involved in the floors that were being dismantled. The fire started much lower and was limited to floors 13 through 18.

The LMDC said it was still collecting information about what may have gone wrong. "Two firefighters lost their lives - we're all trying to figure out what happened at this time," LMDC chairman Avi Schick said. "Nobody knows."

Audio Tapes:

"We have heavy fire up here and no line," one firefighter is heard on a transmission tape.

Radio transmissions obtained by The Daily News document how firefighters struggled to get hoses up to the 14th floor, because the standpipe which supplies the building with water was not working. Fire crews equipped with limited oxygen lost valuable time.

Firefighter: Batallion 41 to command, urgent.
Command: Yeah, go ahead, Jack.
Firefighter: We need help on the 14th, we're running out of air up here.

Making matters worse, thick, toxic smoke fed by plastic sheeting that had been put up for the demolition of the asbestos filled the building. In addition, plywood blocked many stairways. Normal reference points were lost in a maze.

"I want a roll call," a commander is heard on the tapes. "Do we have a roll call finished up there? I don't give a [expletive] about the building, I give a [expletive] about the guys. Do we have a roll call? Do we know who's missing?"

Retired FDNY Chief Daniel Nigro spoke with Eyewitness News.

"Now you've taken that building and made it into a trap," he said. "And that's what they walked into."

Firefighters Robert Beddia and Joseph Graffagnino died of smoke inhalation. Nigro says the odds were stacked against them.

"All things came together to work against the survival of these two men," he said.

In the months prior to the fire, the site had racked up numerous safety violations for stockpiling flammable and combustible materials, including heavy fines imposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

But a key question in all of this is who was responsible for making sure the main water supply was working? Who had inspection oversight?

"Right now, this investigation is ongoing as to whether the standpipe was operation at the time," Lower Manhattan Development Corporation Chairman Avi Schick said. "We don't know the answers to that. As soon as we know them, we'll share with the public. We're working with the FDNY. That's a critical question we're trying that we're trying to answer right now."

Despite that comment, it is clear that the standpipe was not working properly. What is also clear is that both the Buildings Department and the FDNY shared inspection responsibility. The question is, why weren't the problems detected earlier?

More on two fallen firefighters:

Friends and family are remembering the two firefighters killed over the weekend.

Fifty-three year-old firefighter Robert Beddia, of Staten Island, and 33-year-old Joseph Graffagnino died in the blaze.

Eyewitness News reporter Kemberly Richardson has more from their firehouse in SoHo, where there is great sadness over the loss of two well-liked firefighters.

Many men at the firehouse left Monday evening carrying their dress uniforms. They are getting ready for the wakes and funerals, to be held over the next couple of days. Relatives of the fallen heroes are doing the same. It is still a concept many are finding difficult to grasp.

"I'm overwhelmed with sadness and pain, and such a great loss," friend Clare Riley said.

It's as if they're wishing, praying for a miracle, hoping Robert Beddia will walk out of his Staten Island home and flash a familiar smile.

But deep down, Tom and Clare Riley know that won't happen. Instead, they deeply grieve for their dear friend.

"He was just a great guy who loved the firehouse, love his men, all his nieces and nephews," said Tom Riley, holding back tears. "He was the best uncle."

The 53-year-old lived alone in his house. He could often be found working on his Alpha Romeo or going over plans to renovate his house. The firehouse was Beddia's second home, the same for Joseph Graffagnino, who also died Saturday and today would've celebrated his 34th birthday.

Beddia was the senior firefighter at Engine 24/Ladder 5 and was part of the glue that held the house together after losing 11 men on September 11th.

"He went to each family, took care of the families," Clare Riley said. "He ended up doing all the driving."

The Rileys lived across the street from Beddia and his former wife, and say he taught their then 7-year-old son how to play chess.

There are a string of endless stories to help ease the pain, like how his niece Stephanie recalls her uncle taking everyone sleigh riding each winter. Hot chocolate was always the high point.

An exceptional person, that's how they remember their friend Bobby.

"He was family," Tom Riley said. "We vacationed together. He took care of my son, loved my son like he was his own. My daughter. It's just a shame."

Neighbors say Graffagnino, an 8-year veteran, lived in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, with his wife and two small kids. They bought the house to be close to parents who live just around the corner.

"He was like the heart and soul, just a tremendous spirit and sense of humor," FDNY Captain Patrick McNally said.

Joanne DeVito saw Graffagnino on Friday. She now gets chills realizing it was the last time she would cross his path.

"He was loving, lovely man," she said. "Every time you saw him, he was always talking to the neighbors and had a big smile on his face."

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