By: John Patten
EAST WINDSOR – Residents in the Avon Drive building
destroyed by fire July 16 have raised questions about some aspects of how
local fire fighters responded, but a review of the event by local officials
failed to offer any indication of problems in the response.
Since the event which claimed the life of resident Louise
Kerner, some residents have asked why the Twin Rivers fire siren didn’t
sound warning residents in the area of the danger. They also allege calls
were made to 9-1-1 more than 20 minutes before official reports list, and
that a loss of water pressure may have allowed the fire to spread.
According to East Windsor Fire Official Kevin Brink, who
reviewed the records regarding 9-1-1 calls on the night of July 16, the
first call to the local emergency system was received at 1:53 a.m. He
pointed out the calls are taped and a "time-stamp" is recorded on each
message.
"A lot of things were going on," he suggested. "Someone
may have thought it was earlier but it wasn’t reported until then."
In a further review of the response by volunteers, Fire
Co. #2 chief Bill Askenstadt said one caller attempting to report the fire
misdialed and another was unable to complete the call when the fire burned
through the phone lines. He added that five fire companies were on the
scene within ten minutes of the report, contrary to the rumors.
Chief Askenstadt also said he realizes that for residents
watching the fire burning their homes time waiting for fire fighters can
seem endless.
"When you’re standing there totally helpless, time goes
by ever so slowly," he said.
The appearance of a "drop in water pressure" was due to a
change in fire fighting equipment in use at the blaze, according to Chief
Askenstadt.
"The first truck to arrive there was a truck with an
unmanned nozzle," he said. When a truck with a ladder arrived, fire
fighters shut down the first and switched to the second in order to better
battle the blaze. Mr. Brink added it is normal for the fire fighters to
adjust hose pressures, which may have appeared to be a drop in pressure.
"There is no knowledge by anyone of any shut down of
water," Mr. Brink said. "I talked to everybody and nobody knows anything
about it."
As far as the fire siren goes, Mr. Brink points out
municipal ordinances prevent the sirens from being used after 10 p.m., and
the siren was not sounded that night for that reason.
"The volunteers are alerted by pagers, and the siren
sounds during the day because you can’t hear a pager if you’re working
outside," Chief Askenstadt added.
