INWOOD, N.Y. — A fire that claimed the life of a volunteer firefighter is leading to changes in the way fire departments operate.
CBS New York reported that a New York State report recently cited the volunteer’s fire department for federal safety and training violations. Officials from the department said the report amounted to blaming the victim.
Joseph Sanford Jr., 43, died last December, four days after suffering injuries while battling a house fire. Eight months after his death, the state labor department’s Public Employee Safety and Health Bureau cited the Inwood (N.Y.) Fire Department with four violations.
They included failing to submit identification tags that keep track of those entering a burning house and failing to maintain constant visual or voice contact, according to the report.
Sanford was unaccounted for inside the burning house. He was found in the basement and may have fallen through a hole in the floor. The suspected cause of the fire was spontaneous combustion from varnish-soaked rags from a renovation, according to the report.
The report also cited training lapses — Sanford had missed annual and quarterly training sessions.
“Joe was the teacher; the instructor,” said former Inwood Fire Chief Anthony Rivelli.
Fire officials blasted the report for blaming the victim.
Sanford’s family’s attorney said the family hopes the report saves lives, and believes he may have gotten separated from his team for good reason.
“They didn’t know that house was empty. They’re searching for babies,” said attorney Christopher McGrath. “When you’re on a search mission, sometimes someone gets pulled away for a reason. Maybe they heard a noise; for whatever reason, who knows? And that’s why you can never criticize even his partner if he got pulled away to help somebody else who was doing something.”
The fire department is now rewriting training guidelines in response to the report. The former chief said if firefighters are to comply with new regulations, it will require more of their volunteer time.
Paramount Construction, the contractor in charge of the home renovation, told reporters that no blame should be assigned to the fire department or firefighter and it was simply a tragic accident.