Spurred by May Accident: Fire Truck Latches Given Safety Cover

By GINGER ADAMS OTIS

The Fire Department has issued an internal memo informing members that its fleet of Seagrave pumper trucks will be undergoing a simple alteration to prevent rig doors from accidentally popping open due to "inadvertent actions," THE CHIEF-LEADER has learned.

NICHOLAS SCOPPETTA: Opted for precaution.

Seagrave is manufacturing a metal plate "which will cover the latching mechanism ... thus assuring a more foolproof system," the department order said.

No Fluke After All

The missive was sent to members Nov. 14 - five weeks after Uniformed Firefighters' Association President Stephen J. Cassidy held a press conference criticizing the FDNY for failing to inform the union of a June memo from Chief of Safety Allen S. Hay that recommended that same retro-fit. The FDNY's initial response to Mr. Cassidy had been to call the head injuries suffered by a firefighter when the mechanism failed an "unexpected fluke."

Chief Hay wrote his memo after investigating a May 2 accident that sent 28-year-old Thomas LaBara crashing into a busy street en route to a call when the door in his fire truck unexpectedly opened during a sharp turn.

STEPHEN J. CASSIDY: 'Better late than never.'

The Firefighter struck his head upon impact, jumped up to avoid an oncoming car, and then collapsed a few feet away. He suffered serious head trauma and has been unable to return to work.

The FDNY order mentioned Mr. LaBara's accident, but stated that "Safety Command investigated this incident and found there was nothing defective with the door." It added that "the apparent cause may have been the inadvertent movement of a door lock mechanism which prevented it from closing properly."

First Reported Case

The FDNY said it was the first time such an incident had been reported. Firefighters could "unknowingly alter the door lock mechanism by placing their hand/finger(s) inside the mechanism when boarding the apparatus," the order said.

New door latches are already being installed in the approximately 200 pumpers owned by the FDNY. The upgrades are expected to be concluded by the start of the new year, according to the department.

Mr. Cassidy said he was pleased the FDNY had "finally seen the light of day and reversed positions."

'FDNY Delayed'

The union leader had blasted the FDNY at his Oct. 10 press conference for concealing the results of Chief Hay's investigation from both the UFA and the Uniformed Fire Officers' Association. He was sharply critical of the department for failing to implement Chief Hay's recommendation more than six months after Firefighter LaBara's accident. An estimated 95 percent of the FDNY's 200 pumpers had flawed latches, Mr. Cassidy had said.

An FDNY spokesperson at the time downplayed the May 2 incident and reiterated the department's stance that firefighters should wear their seatbelts when in moving trucks.

A week later, FDNY spokesman Frank X. Gribbon told this newspaper that Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta had asked the First Deputy Commissioner and the Commissioner of Support Services to review the latch mechanisms on the department's fleet to see if there was a way to make the locking mechanism more reliable.

"Better late than never," commented Mr. Cassidy. "But this administration has to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to do the right thing for firefighters."

He noted that right after the details of the latch mechanism came to light, the FDNY said it didn't see the need for retro-fitting metal plates as Chief Hay recommended. "I'm glad they changed their mind," said Mr. Cassidy.

'Glad They Made Change'

UFOA President Peter L. Gorman noted that in 1980, when two firefighters died because of faulty ropes, the FDNY's investigations unit had said the unions should be involved in all matters involving firefighter safety.

"If that recommendation had been followed," he observed, "maybe the union would have known about what happened six months ago. We are pleased, however, that they are making this change."