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Aug 27, 2007 1:06 pm US/Eastern
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Commissioner Relieves 3 FDNY Officers Of Commands
Scoppetta's Move Latest Fallout After Deutsche Bank Fire
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
New York City fire commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta relieved three FDNY officers of their commands Monday, the latest fallout from the Aug. 18 fire at the former Deutsche Bank building near ground zero that left two firefighters dead.
A statement from Scoppetta's office said Deputy Chief Richard Fuerch, Battalion Chief John McDonald and Captain Peter Bosco were relieved of their commands pending the outcome of an internal investigation into decisions made on how to fight the fire.
Fuerch commands the FDNY division in which the Deutsche Bank building is located. McDonald was the battalion chief on the scene of the fire Aug. 18. Bosco commands Engine Co. 10, the closest firehouse to the building.
Scoppetta also ordered new inspections of "allbuildings under construction/demolition. The purpose of these inspections is to insure that all rules and regulationsregarding fire protection and public safety are being adhered to," according to the statement. It also said he ordered a review of "pre-fire plans" city-wide.
Robert Beddia, 53, and Joseph Graffagnino, 33, were among the dozens of firefighters who climbed into the vacant, partially dismantled building to fight the fire that burned through several floors of toxic materials.
City officials said last week that the Fire Department did not have a plan to fight fire at the building that was heavily damaged on Sept. 11, 2001.
The department had also not inspected the building's standpipe, which sends water from fire hoses up into the building, in over a year. Fire Department regulations mandate that the local firehouse inspect the standpipe, which was broken at the time of the fire, once every 15 days.
Meantime, two years before a deadly blaze at the Deutsche Bank tower at ground zero killed two FDNY members, a fire battalion chief wrote a memo that urged officials to be cautious before sending firefighters into the contaminated skyscraper.
The March 2005 memo, written by Battalion Chief William Siegel, recommended that if a fire broke out at the former Deutsche Bank tower, just one officer and two firefighters should go into the building to investigate and evaluate the situation. Instead, more than 100 FDNY members rushed in to battle the flames on Aug. 18.
"A ladder company officer and two members should leave the basement area and use the stairwell or elevator to travel to a floor below the location," the memo said.
"The ladder company officer should conduct a search and evaluate what fire department units will be required," Siegel wrote.
A Fire Department spokesman confirmed Monday that the memo, excerpts of which were reported in Monday's New York Post, was authentic. The department wouldn't comment on whether senior officials read the memo or accepted its recommendations.
But the department and Mayor Michael Bloomberg were expected to speak at an afternoon news conference about the investigation into the fatal blaze.
Siegel's memo recommended "weekly surveillance" of the building.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)