Brattleboro and the Vermont Fire safety codes corrupted

Well, I hate to do this –but I’m going to be as provocative as I can here. As you should know I’ve had problems with the Vermont Yankee fire brigade, and the peculiar response to the Brattleboro fire department who responded to the recent VY transformer fire. The bottom line question I asked from this; was on a national scale, are we providing adequate resources and management to the fire departments thought the nation. Did you catch that Boston Globe series on that?

When the VT politician’s gives out metals of heroism in an event like this, and the coincidence of inadequate fire capabilities on a national scale in a major newspaper –you have to wonder what the real rationale is with the medal giving orgy. It is my experience that they are tying to cover-up the incompetence and failure to act with the VT politicians -and all the town officials and elites on their oversight and management of the fire services. Does anybody remember the Rode Island nightclub fire that killed over a hundred?

What you should know is that a fire like the Wilder building it should have never happened…the sin is it should never have happened….and we know for decades that old buildings can be serious threat of a large scale fire in the old parts of our town and cities. We invented the modern fire code and sprinklers for that in response to the horrid death toll from these disasters. What we know is that the real–estate and property owners have a lot of influence in setting the fire department interpretation of fire codes. We know for a fact that Brattleboro has been involved in political fire department favors in support of the property owners.

I know the buildings across the street from the Wilder building are sprinklered –why didn’t the wilder building have sprinklers? What are the codes for sprinklers? Don’t you have a perverse reward system for not following the rules when you think about giving state grants for the reconstruction of the destroyed building -so your reward the rule breaker and you punish the people who have to invest in a sprinklers system?

So from what I see in Brattleboro the fire safety codes are completely corrupted by corrupt official and the politicians –and I would wonder if it is a state wide corruption with fire safety codes with all the happy faces seen in the Vermont House of representatives.

I consider that is a direct threat to the health and safety of many Vermonters who walk and dwell in corrupted safety fire coded buildings.






Brattleboro Reformer

House honors firefighters By CAROLYN LORIé Reformer Staff

Tuesday, February 01, 2005 - BRATTLEBORO -- The Vermont House of Representatives honored the firefighters of the Brattleboro Fire Department on Monday for their quick action and professional handling of the Wilder Building fire.

State Reps. Daryl Pillsbury, I-Brattleboro, Sarah Edwards, P-Brattleboro, Virginia Milkey, D-Brattleboro, and Patricia O'Donnell, R-Vernon, as well as Sen. Jeanette White, D-Windham, presented Chief David Emery and Assistant Chief Michael Bucossi with a copy of a House resolution recognizing the "outstanding work of the Brattleboro Fire Department."

"We're proud to have you protecting us," said Pillsbury.

The brief ceremony was held at the fire station.

The fast-moving blaze that tested the mettle of the department broke out on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2004. Shortly before 6 a.m., the alarm in the historic Wilder Building sounded and minutes later the Brattleboro crew was on the scene.

It wasn't long before the top two floors of the building were engulfed. Two firefighters, Chris George and Greg Seymour, escaped serious injury when they recognized the signs of an impending flashover and knew just what to do.

Eventually, more than 15 departments and over 100 personnel fought the blaze. At the peak of the effort, 7,000 gallons of water per minute were being pumped into the fire. By the end of the day, 700,000 gallons of water were used.

The fire started when one of the tenants, Rose Billetdeaux, fell asleep with a lit cigarette. She suffered burns over 40 percent of her body. There were no other injuries, but 10 people living on the third and fourth floor lost their homes, all their possessions and at least two cats. Water damage also destroyed two businesses on the ground floor.

What wasn't destroyed was the historic Latchis Theater next door. The resolution refers specifically to this accomplishment, recognizing the amount of vigilance and expertise it took to keep the theater from catching fire.

Town Manager Jerry Remillard, a former firefighter, echoed that sentiment.
"There were break points in that fire that had to be handled correctly," he said. "We are very fortunate to have the department and personnel that we do."

In addition to state legislators, Selectboard members Pat DeAngelo, Joerg Mayer, Steven Steidle and Kevin Yager attended Monday's ceremony.

"We have an incredible fire department here in Brattleboro," said DeAngelo. "They deserve every bit of recognition they get -- at every fire they fight."

According to White, who works closely with fire departments around the state, Emery is a well-respected figure within the firefighting community.

Though the chief was out of town when the blaze began, the lawmakers praised him for ensuring that his department was well-run and well-prepared.

Firefighter Chris George, whose name appears in the resolution, said he was pleased with the House's honor.

"Knowing we have a good reputation in the state should make everyone feel proud," he said.
George was quick to point out that without the aid of the other departments, their task would have been much more arduous.

Despite the hours and hours the men spent putting out the fire and the hours spent dealing with the aftermath, most of the firefighters are hesitant to take any credit.

Moments after the ceremony ended, Bucossi, whose name appeared in the resolution for his role as commander-in-chief for much of the blaze, shrugged his shoulders and said: "It's quite an honor to be recognized like this -- especially just for doing your job."