by DOUG AUER
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE -- The Fire Department is implementing several changes in its citywide building inspection program, after the fatal fire at the former Deutsche Bank building at Ground Zero that took the lives of two firefighters, one of them from Staten Island.
The changes result from a comprehensive review of the FDNY inspection program ordered by Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Aug. 27, after the deaths of Firefighters Robert Beddia of South Beach and Joseph Graffagnino of Brooklyn during the fire at 130 Liberty St. in Manhattan on Aug. 18.
Three high-ranking FDNY members -- former Staten Islander Engine Co. 10 Capt. Peter Bosco, Battalion 1 Chief John McDonald and Division 1 Deputy Chief Richard Fuerch -- were relieved of duty for contributing to a failure of oversight of the building.
Not only have changes been made in the program itself, its name has been changed -- from Apparatus Field Inspection Duty to Building Inspection Safety Program.
The notable changes include:
* Implementation of a third inspection period each week for every field unit, increasing the amount of time -- from six to nine hours -- during which units will be scheduled for weekly building inspections.
* Creation of a computer software program that indexes all buildings more than 75 feet high that are under construction or demolition for each individual field unit, according to its particular area. The program tracks inspections and electronically reminds units when the next inspection is due.
* Added oversight of field inspections by or at the borough command level, and additional oversight with compliance measures implemented at FDNY headquarters in Brooklyn.
* The city Department of Buildings now will notify the FDNY of new building or demolition permits issued, and the information will be passed on to field units. Previously, units had to canvass their response areas to learn this information.
Yet, according to John Bosco -- Great Kills attorney and brother of Capt. Peter Bosco -- the changes fail to address the challenge of inspecting toxic buildings.
"How can Mayor Bloomberg blame Capt. Peter Bosco and his battalion and division chiefs for failing to inspect a toxic building when the FDNY still, after all of these years, has failed to come up with a plan to inspect toxic buildings? Something is not fair here," he said, commenting on the changes.
INFO SHARING
The FDNY is also working on computerized information-sharing with the city Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications and the Buildings Department.
Also, additional material on fire prevention and building inspections has been added to the curriculum at the Fire Academy. And, newly promoted officers at every level also will receive additional training.
"By increasing inspection time and providing more tools and information to our members, these initial steps will give firefighters a better opportunity to uncover any challenges they may face while fighting fires. What they see could ultimately save their own life or the lives of others," said FDNY Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta.
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