Aug 30, 2007 7:40 am US/Eastern
Deutsche Fire: Demoted Official Reports For Duty
Bovis Officials Take Hot Seat At Hearing
by Ti-Hua Chang
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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The vacant Deutsche Bank building near Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan.
Gregg Geller
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The Deutsche Bank skyscraper burns on Aug. 18, 2007.
Nicholas Roberts/AFP/Getty Images
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New York Fire Department vehicles pack the streets near the Deutsche Bank skyscraper as it burned in Lower Manhattan on Aug. 18, 2007.
Nicholas Roberts/AFP/Getty Images
On Thursday morning, a fire captain, who was re-assigned after the Deutsche Bank building tragedy, reports for work at his new post: desk duty at FDNY headquarters on Flatbush Avenue.
Meanwhile, the father of one of the firefighters killed in the fire confronted the contractor responsible for tearing the building down.
In the packed community meeting last night, Jospeh Graffagnino Sr. -- the father of one firefighter killed at the Deutsche Bank building fire -- got regrets but no answers.
"We deeply regret the loss of life and subsequent injuries that have occurred at 120 Liberty Street," said Mark Melson, executive vice president of Bovis Lend-Lease. "You must understand, however, we're gonna be unable to discuss the circumstances and details of what happened on August 18."
"How did they let it get as bad as it did without anybody questioning them? With all these agencies and LMDC and nobody seems to be questioning them," Graffagnino said.
LMDC is the hybrid state agency that's tearing down the damaged skyscraper.
"That's not up to us. It' s up to the client that we're working for," Melson said, speaking of the LMDC.
Others at the meeting pointed fingers at the fire department. Did the FDNY not regularly inspect the Deutche Bank building to save money?
"Frugal would be a good term for the department's reaction," said Jack McDonnel, president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association.
McDonnell would not say it outright, but CBS 2 News has been told that money played a role in the decision by the fire department to curtail inspections of the building.
"This department was perfectly aware of the complexities and the problems that this building presented," said McDonnell.
The mayor would not answer any further questions about the deadly fire Wednesday.
The mayor has reassigned to desk duty three fire department officials for not ensuring that the former Deutsche Bank building was properly inspected.
A standpipe that should have provided water to fight fires was dry on the day of the deadly blaze.
The FDNY continues to investigate exactly why building inspections were halted.
Stay with wcbstv.com and CBS 2 HD for the latest on this continuing story.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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