TRAINING AND SAFETY NEWSLETTER

April 2015

2116 MORRIS AVENUE, BRONX: On March 11, 1980, Bronx Box 3159 was transmitted at 0215 hours. The alarm was for a fire at 2116 Morris Avenue which was a vacant “H-type” Multiple Dwelling. The 6-story building had been the scene of numerous fires. The building was located on the southeast corner of Morris Ave. and E. 181 St. Engines 75, 42, Ladders 33, 56 and the 19th Battalion responded. Upon arrival at the box, a 10-75 was transmitted by Engine 75.

Ladder Co. 56 was the second due truck at this fire. Working in L-56 was an overtime Lieutenant, Fr. Ken Connelly who was a senior firefighter working overtime from E-46 as the Can Man, and Probationary Firefighter Joe Aquino from Engine 42, working overtime as the Irons Man. Pr. Fr. Aquino had approximately 6 months on the job.

A heavy smoke condition enveloped the large vacant building. Engine 75 stretched their hand line up the interior stairs. The fire was on a lower floor in the “A-wing”. The stairs were in a state of disrepair. Many stairs had no treads. Members had to place their feet on the risers in order to climb the stairs. Deputy Chief Vincent Dunn, Division 7, arrived at the box. After a quick assessment of conditions, he transmitted a 2nd

alarm for box 3159.

Engine 42 started their hand line up the front fire escape on the “A-wing”. The windows that served the fire escape were covered with tin in an attempt to keep out vandals. The forcible entry team from L-56 was working with E-42. They were forcing entry from the fire escape to E-42’s target floors.

Above photo is a Building similar to 2116 Morris Avenue, large vacant “H” type

Divisio7

(Historical Note: In 1980, Engine 42 and Ladder 56 were quartered together in Engine 42’s current quarters on Monroe Avenue. They were in the 56th Battalion.)

The officer of L-56 was having a difficult time negotiating the fire escape. He told Pr. Fr. Aquino to go ahead of him to force entry to the window openings on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th floors. After forcing the tin coverings off the windows on the 3rd and 4th floors, Pr. Fr. Aquino decided to enter the building so he could bang the tin off the window openings from the inside rather than trying to pull it off. Pr. Fr. Aquino climbed the interior stairway to the 5th

floor and made his way to the fire escape windows. The smoke condition on the upper floors was now heavy.

While on the 5th floor, Pr. Fr. Aquino left one apartment to go to the other apartment that was served by the same fire escape. In the thick smoke condition, he found a door that was slightly ajar. Thinking this door was the door to the other apartment, he pulled on the outward opening door. At the same time, he grabbed the door jamb as he pulled his body into the opening. As his body moved forward, he realized there was no floor in front of him. He was unable to stop himself. Pr. Fr. Aquino just entered an elevator shaft. He plummeted down the shaft from the 5 th floor and landed on the roof of the elevator car which was located in the basement. The roof of the elevator car was at the 1st floor level.

On the roof was Fr. Ray Phillips L-56. He and members of L-56 and L-33 were performing vertical ventilation. They could hear the Mayday and the yelling at the roof level coming from the elevator bulkhead. They went to the elevator room at the roof level and they could see Fr. Aquino on top of the elevator car at the 1st floor as they looked down the shaft.

Pr. Fr. Joe Aquino landed on the motor on the roof of the car and slid off. He was yelling for help. (Historical Note: In 1980, the only handi-talkie with the Forcible Entry Team belonged to the Officer.) Battalion Chief Dennis Long, Battalion 56, directed the rescue effort. The elevator hoistway door was forced open at the 1st floor and Pr. Fr. Aquino was immobilized. He was placed in a Stokes Basket Stretcher and removed to the street.

Pr. Fr. Joe Aquino was in the Intensive Care Unit for 11 days. He was hospitalized for another 3 months. He had a broken pelvis, a broken left ankle, compression to his spine, and a piece of angle iron went into his thigh.

Joe Aquino was discharged from the

Tin covered windows that were used on vacant buildings in 70-80’s

hospital in early June. One of the first days he was out of the hospital, he went to Medal Day in 1980. (See Photo) Pr. Fr. Aquino worked hard to come back to full duty status. Four months after he was released from the hospital, he went to full duty.

Joe Aquino was full duty, but he was in pain. Eventually he had to retire after only about a year and a half on the job. He was heartbroken. He loved being a Firefighter. Now, that dream was gone.

Since he retired, Joe has had several surgeries. He had a back surgery in 1989, both hips were replaced (one in 2006 and the other in 2007) and now he is scheduled for another back surgery in 2015. Joe wrote to me and said: “All these surgeries were from a night that would change my life forever. Lots of lessons learned the hard way.” Joe Aquino moved to Montana. He and his wife raised two sons. Joe returned to New York after 9/11/2001 to help in the World Trade Center (WTC) recovery effort. After Joe returned home from working at the WTC, his oldest son Rich, who just started his second year of college, was inspired to join the U.S. Marines. He became a Marine Aviator

and is soon to be promoted to Major. (See Photo of Capt. Rich Aquino and his Dad, Joe Aquino E-42 Ret.) He has 11 years in the Marines and numerous deployments. He carried FDNY 9/11 patches with him wherever he was deployed and he had an Engine 42 patch sewn to his flight bag.

He was attached to the USS New York on her first deployment. His Commanding Officer (CO) asked him about the patch on his flight bag. He told the CO that his Dad was a retired FDNY Fireman and he was proud to serve on the USS New York’s first deployment.

Joe Aquino’s firefighting career was cut short. All those who worked with Joe and knew him, had nothing but great things to say about him. He was dedicated and enthusiastic about being a Firefighter. There is no telling how far his Firefighting career could have gone. In the blink of an eye, his life was changed forever. The FDNY lost a promising Firefighter as his career was just beginning.

The obvious teaching point is knowing what an outward opening door in a residential building indicates. Generally speaking, in residential buildings, an inward opening door goes into a human occupiable space. An outward opening door is trouble. It could be a stairway, a closet, or an elevator hoistway. There is a more subtle teaching point. I responded to this fire in Engine 46. I had a little more than four months on the job. Joe Aquino had a couple months on the job more than I did. When we returned to quarters from the fire, the senior men were saying that Joe made a mistake. I thought to myself; what happened to Joe could have happened to me. I didn’t know about outward opening doors either. The subtle teaching point is never assume that other Firefighters know what you know! At the risk of being redundant, keep teaching lessons to your fellow Firefighters. Don’t wait for a tragedy! I learned a lesson that night. I benefited from Joe Aquino’s great misfortune.

Special thanks to the following people for their contributions to this essay: Fr. Joe Aquino E-42 (Ret.),D.C. Vincent Dunn (Ret.), Fr. Ray Phillips R-3 (Ret.), Fr. Chris Roberto E-48, Capt. Ed Boles L-33.

RANDOM THOUGHTS ON OPERATING AT VACANT BUILDINGS:

Firefighters are 3 to 5 times more likely to die in vacant building fires as compared to occupied residential fires.

Vacant buildings become less structurally stable due to age, weather exposure, vandalism, scavenging of structural components, and previous fires. There is no maintenance of these buildings.

Fires are more likely to spread faster in vacant buildings due to missing doors and missing fire stopping.

Fires in vacant buildings are most likely to be started by an arsonist. Be aware that vacant buildings have been booby trapped. In heavy drug activity areas,

drug dealers have used vacant buildings to conduct their nefarious activities. When climbing stairs at vacant buildings, stay close to the wall and keep your foot on

the riser of the step. When advancing a hand line at a vacant building, use all your senses. Listen for the

sound of the fire crackling. When hitting the floor with the hose stream to cool the embers and sweep any dangerous debris out of the way (needles, etc.), listen to hear if water is hitting a floor in front of you. Listen to hear the sound of the stream striking the ceiling. If there is a hole there, the sound will change.

While a hose line is advancing into an apartment, check the apartment below to make sure there are no holes in the floor above.

Do not pass uncontrolled fire in a vacant building to go above it.

Joe Aquino E-42 Ret. and his son, Capt. Rich Aquino on flight deck of

USS New York holding an FDNY 9/11 patch.

Before entering a window from a ladder or a fire escape and visibility is impaired, drop your tools into the window to hear if they hit a floor. Whole apartment buildings vacant of the 1970-1990

Do not jump over a parapet onto a roof from an aerial ladder. Make sure the roof is stable enough to support your weight.

The fire escapes on vacant buildings will be neglected also. Climb with your foot close to the stringer. Always face the fire escape ladder, never outward. Shake the gooseneck ladder to test its stability before using it. Never rely on fire escape railings.

Keep in mind, at vacant building fires, we are the primary life hazard. Yes, they must be searched within the limits of safety. However, vacant building fires are predominantly an Engine Company operation.

Devote more time than normal to size-up. There are more hazards than normal due to the neglect of the building.

The bathroom areas of vacant buildings are particularly hazardous. The beams in these areas support a concentrated load. These beams can be compromised due to scavengers looting the building.

Take a “no-rush approach” to fires in these buildings. Many vacant buildings that had significant fires in them were demolished. There is no vacant building worth the life of a Firefighter.

If a Tower Ladder is used at a vacant building fire, all Firefighters must be removed from the building.

Consider why this building went vacant. Is it being renovated? Is the building owner “warehousing” apartments? Is the building owner abandoning the building? Is the building going to be demolished and the land used for something else?

A relatively recent trend is to cover building access openings with Vacant Property Security Systems. Some vacant buildings are still secured with HUD sealed windows. To read more about these devices refer to WNYF 3rd/2008 and WNYF 2nd/1993.

As I was discussing this essay, a few people told me that vacant buildings are not the problem that they used to be. I concede that the traditional vacant building problem that was experienced in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s has abated somewhat. However, many of the same vacant building procedures apply to buildings under demolition or renovation. One of the more notorious vacant building fires in recent history was the Deutsche Bank Fire at 130 Liberty St. in Manhattan on August 18, 2007. That fire claimed the lives of Fr. Joe Graffagnino L-5 and Fr. Robert Beddia E-24.

Deputy Chief Jay Jonas, Division 7

Deutsche Bank Fire at 130 Liberty St. in Manhattan on August 18, 2007