Fall River fire report praises response but raises staffing concerns

Local News

“This incident stands as a testament to the strength of coordination and teamwork among the city’s public safety departments,” the report said.

The Fall River Fire Department’s “decisive actions” during the Gabriel House assisted living fire that claimed 10 lives likely saved dozens more, according to a new report on the department’s operational response to the July fire.

The After Action report generally lauded the response of firefighters and Fall River EMS late on the night of July 13. First responders carried 27 residents of the assisted living facility down ladders and 26 residents down hallways and stairs, the report said.

“This incident stands as a testament to the strength of coordination and teamwork among the city’s public safety departments,” the report said. “While multiple challenges were encountered including building construction and complex evacuations, decisive actions by command and crews mitigated further loss of life.”

Previously, first responders described flames erupting from the front door and trapped residents looking out of their windows during the massive blaze. Upon arrival, the scene was “unusually quiet,” the report said, with no evacuation underway. 

At this point, a Fall River district chief, with information from dispatch, immediately called for more crews.

The report said crews initially knocked down the fire in the lobby and eastern hallway, which “was critical in creating tenable conditions for subsequent rescue operations and likely saved multiple lives.” 

The report points to multiple challenges, including the building’s layout and staffing levels. The lobby for the sole elevator was damaged, so elevator use was impossible, the report also notes. Many residents had to be rescued through their smaller bathroom windows due to AC units screwed into the bigger windows in the units.

During the response, the department also chose to not enhance the sprinkler flow, which had “adequate volume and pressure” from the municipal water supply, and instead focus on rescues. Previously, the Fall River Fire Department said some sprinkler heads were recalled at four residential properties.

“This decision highlights the (Incident Command’s) need to balance resource deployment with critical rescue tasks during high-risk incidents,” the report said. “Although the connection was made, it was never necessary to feed water into the system.”

Report: More fire department staffing direly needed

Within four minutes, 16 firefighters and the district chief arrived at the scene of the fire, and a total of 33 firefighters were on scene within 15 minutes. National standards call for 42 firefighters within the first 10 minutes, according to the report.

Nearly all of the fire departments in Massachusetts do not meet national staffing standards, according to a survey conducted by the state fire union after the Fall River fire. Out of 217 local unions who responded, more than 90 percent of departments struggle with meeting staffing standards.

The official cause of the fire, according to the report, is undetermined, with two possible ignition causes. Previously, investigators narrowed the likely cause of the fire to “electrical or mechanical failure” involving an oxygen concentrator or “improper use or disposal” of smoking materials in the room of a resident, who died in the fire. 

Recommendations listed in the report included permanently assigning an aide to all district chiefs, maintaining crew accountability, communicating consistently via radio, reaching standards of staffing, and additional ladder training. The report also calls for an update and expansion of pre-fire plans for high-risk occupancies — like those with “large numbers of residents, mobility limitations, and the need for simultaneous fire attack and rescue” — and the creation of an emergency preparedness guide for high-occupancy buildings.

The review of the property’s compliance with state fire safety code is ongoing and is being conducted by the Fall River Fire Department and its specialty units, state fire officials, and the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.

Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.