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Thursday, August 6, 2015

WHY ALL THE FIRES, ARE THEY PREVENTABLE?

 
 
It seems as though we are seeing many fires in Hartford this year, much larger and more severe than normal.

 I wonder if budget cuts over the last several years are contributing to these fires. I think we have all seen the increase in crime due to reduction in police staffing and a lack of hiring. Can the same correlation be made in relation to a lack of fire safety inspections? I have spoke to several Hartford property owners, and most of them can not remember the last time they were inspected by the Hartford Fire Marshall's Office.

Hartford needs to come into inspection compliance to prevent more loss of lives and property through what may be preventable fires. Here are the requirements below , according to Connecticut Law for the frequency of fire inspections

I think this is more an issue with the City Council and Mayor than it is with HFD. Budget cuts have consequences. Maybe we could do with less spokespeople and schedulers in the Mayor's Office and a couple more Fire Inspectors in the Fire Marshall's Office

The entire fire code can be viewed at: http://www.ct.gov/dcs/lib/dcs/office_of_state_building_inspector_files/csfsc_2009_amendment_5-5-09.pdf


The minimum requirements for the frequency of inspections as prescribed in section 29-305 of the Connecticut General Statutes shall be as follows:
(1) Annual inspections for the occupancy classifications, all R Residential, A-1, A-2, E, H-1, I-1.
(2) Inspections every two years for the occupancy classifications, A-3, H-2, I-2, I-3, I-4, B-Medical, B-College.
(3) Inspections every three years for occupancy classifications B, H-3, M, S-1, A-4, A-5.
(4) Inspections every four years for the occupancy classifications, F-1, F-2, H-4, H-5, S-2, U.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pedrito and Deller have cut small business assistance to Wetherfield Av, Franklin Av, Maple Av, Farmington Av, Asylum Av,the South Meadows, SAMA and HEDCO.

Anonymous said...

I was there this was Arson !!!!

Anonymous said...

The two clowns, Pedro Peter Caviar and Deller the Seller, cut assistance and funds to almost everyone. They did it so they can transfer money and finance their stupid stadium. But the huge soending so far on the stadium will not be sufficient, we'll continue paying for it for many, many more years.

Anonymous said...

Did Segarra visit the place where the arson, sorry, where the fire took place today or did he send one of his lieutenants? You know, Segarra is busy dancing, and has lots of schedule conflicts.

Anonymous said...

The City is burning down under this fraud of a Mayor and his INCOMPETENT Leeches he calls his Administration.

Pedro take your perverted, crooked lying ass back to Florida and bring Charlie the puppet master with you! Oh yeah you have to pay your delinquent bill to the Florida Bar and bring your tutor to help you pass that class you comprehend, Dumb Ass.

Anonymous said...

That much fire, during the daytime, on a very busy street is most likely arson.
HFD FMO always lags on inspections. They beef up their numbers by sending the fire companies out "area surveying". The building cards we use are from the 1940's, they are absolutely useless. Line firefighters are not inspectors, our notes and forms are not Connecticut Fire Code legal inspections, yet FMO counts them as such. The buildings we want to preplan they don't want us to go to because there is no building cards. We can only harass single family homeowners, have to stay out of apartment buildings and public buildings. We want to get familiar with potentially hazardous buildings so we don't get hurt, City just wants to drum up inspection statistics. FMO doesn't actually get out and do work to often.

Anonymous said...

Kevin did you watch the news, the owner of the shop kept trying to say something about the fire dept. The news cut it off twice during his interview. Watch the news clip, you will want to talk to him. I believe it was NBC.

Anonymous said...

The parallel universe of Hartford in which the mayor happily visits different districts announcing drastic tax reductions as the town's folk dance I the street. Where property lines defined by little white picket fences and even the doggies run in packs while wagging tails. While over in the other universe, killing fields grow. Taxes are raised. Drugs proliferate and fanged creatures wait to attack and eat the towns folk.

Anonymous said...

Last Sunday at Colt's Park Latino Baseball get together, Pedrito's get the signatures operative were booooo out of the Park.

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

Very interesting. is he not as well liked as he would like us to believe ?

Anonymous said...

Hey Kevin

Board of Inquiry Report out. What no comment. Things didn't turn out the way the Propaganda Machine wanted them to?

Anonymous said...

The illustrious "Fire Marshals Office" >> The Sick, Lame and Lazies of the HFD !!! Ya ever see them, Shopping, Running Their Errands, Meeting their Buddy's ??

Anonymous said...

Disgruntled ,unhappy,angry at the way the dept runs,looking to make a valid point ,not getting his way ,I say these are all good motives for an arsonist ,I say let's look at those who aren't happy while driving to a job that pays their mortgage in surroundings towns,it's like the angry tenant destroying your property after they're evicted , hm hm hm ,,,it's like when my daughter leaves the seat up ,so we can blame our son,just so that we can give her the room with a half bath ,,childish I'd say,making a new chief or new mayor won't change a thing

Anonymous said...

Bad Decision Making Chief Lowe said

I'm all alone in this mess. XO was much easier. Free lights and free coffin storage.

Anonymous said...

What needs to be determined is which E-16 radio signaled the Mayday.

Anonymous said...

You ask a very good question, ie., are fires preventable. The simple answer is that I don't know. Several years ago, I called the Fire Marshall's office to ask about data on fires. I wanted to write a research piece for the Hartford News. An officer at the time told me that their computers were not functioning and therefore, didn't have such data. I might have mentioned FOI but I didn't continue my request for info. I wasn't going to be paid for it. Jon Harding is too cheap to pay for investigative journalism.

So the questions remain as to origins of fires. I can only speculate. There are probably multiple reasons for fires. Arson is certainly one especially in inhabited buildings. But also overload of electrical strips on fuse-based antiquated house panels. Since Hartford is filled with an urban youth bubble, kids make mistakes. I would never have thought that I could cause a fire in my house but once upon a time, I lit a candle in a bowel. Later, I took a nap and woke up to smell string candle wax burning. I rushed downstairs I find the candle had melted into the bowel and the whole bowel was on fire. I rushed to wet a towel and smothered the bowel before it caught the nearby wall. I wonder how many fires begin with an unattended candle.

In our NRZ meetings, we often talk about parks issues. I have never been privy to basic issues around care of the home both in terms of security and safety. I intend to bring these issues out in upcoming meetings.

Back to the Fire Department. They are so dysfunctional dating to my encounter up to the unnecessary loss of a fireman's life. I hope every fire department employee who lives in Hartford, votes against Pedrito and in favor a a very capable Like Bromin.

Anonymous said...

Brookman is right the FMO needs to have their Inspectors do all the required Inspections per state statue and if they don't meet their goals, persons should be held accountable all the way up the chain. Mr. Mayor take heed to the message, if the FD is to provide the best service for the community Inspections needs to be a priority.

Kevin I like this article as it seems to take a positive turn.

Brookman for Fire Chief:

Anonymous said...

What does Danny think about the findings Kevin?

Anonymous said...

Only YOU can stop forest fires!

Anonymous said...

Inspections help more with ways of egress and finding out who has illegal apartments. Between arson, smoking in bed, unattended stoves, candles and incense there are not many fires prevented by inspections. Making sure there a detectors and sprinklers can limit the severity,
but they do not prevent them. Fires are no different than citizens walking into the streets 'text messaging with headphones on and getting hit by a car. It will always be someone else's' fault.Just like there is a different standard for the expectations of employees. Home grown City residents are treated like they grew up on another planet and aren't expected to know anything about how to take care of a real job.

Anonymous said...

There seems to be an increase of Fires in the state - has a study been done to see if there is a connection in these fires statewide & the new "Smart Meters" that have been being installed? There are complaints in other states that these new "Smart Meters" are causing fires but the electric companies installing them are trying to cover up that these meters are the cause?