Two Firefighters Injured at Deutsche Bank site

By Michael Clancy Thu., Aug. 23 2007 at 6:18 PM

Two firemen were injured, one seriously, when a pallet jack, like the one pictured, fell from the 23rd floor of the Deutsche Bank building.

As one firefighter killed in the Deutsche Bank blaze was being laid to rest in Brooklyn, two more firemen were injured by an object that fell off the 23rd floor of the same building.

The FDNY and mayor's office issued this joint statement at 6 pm:

At approximately 2:00 PM, a worker employed by the John Galt Company was working on the 23rd floor of 130 Liberty Street when he lost control of a pallet jack he was operating. The jack traveled through the door of a construction hoist, falling 23 stories. The falling jack landed on the top of a temporary covering, which partially collapsed, injuring two firefighters. The firefighters were transported to St. Vincent’s hospital. Firefighter William Corbetis, of Engine 258, is in serious condition. Firefighter Neil Nally, also of Engine 258 is in stable condition.
The Buildings Department’s Stop Work Order, issued after Saturday’s fire, remains in effect for demolition activities. The Stop Work Order did not apply to remedial work (such as cleaning of debris and repairing scaffolding), which the individual operating the pallet jack was conducting. Since today’s incident, all work has been halted to allow for an investigation by the Fire Department.

These latest injuries come just one day after an internal FDNY report on the Deutsche bank fire found a stunning lack of oversight and preparation by the department.

Among the report's findings:

Commissioner Scoppetta has directed that this investigation also examine why the Department did not have a pre-fire plan for the building.

The Rules of the City of New York that pertain to the Fire Department require the FDNY to conduct visual inspections of standpipes located in buildings under demolition every 15 days, a requirement the Safety Command has already determined has not been met.

The Fire Prevention Code requires that owners of occupied buildings conduct a hydrostatic test of standpipes once every five years, a process that involves fully charging the system with water and utilizing pressure gauges to confirm its suitability for FDNY operations. The last hydrostatic test of the 130 Liberty Street standpipe and sprinkler systems on record was conducted on November 12 and 13, 1996

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