‘Above and beyond’: Fall River chief Bacon addresses Gabriel House efforts, staffing; city pledges ‘dialogue’

FALL RIVER, Mass. (WLNE) — Fall River Fire Department Chief Jeffrey Bacon gave an update on Sunday’s deadly Gabriel House assisted living facility fire that left nine residents dead and and at least 30 hospitalized.

Bacon stated that seven displaced residents are currently at the Timao Center temporary shelter in Fall River and will be transferred to new local facilities after process approval.

There was no update on the exact number of residents still hospitalized, but Bacon emphasized that these residents would be released to proper facilities.

Bacon said that the Oliver Street fire was “working our firefighters to the bone,” on Sunday, and that the department has been working within a “less firefighters, more overtime” structure.

He also stated that he had requested more firefighters from the mayor, wanting a staffing level of four firefighters per apparatus.

He said that he will leave it up to the fire fighters’ union and the city to work out a way to try and address this situation and that his job is a “balancing act,” and he makes it a priority to equip the personnel he does have to the best of his ability.

“You could have had 100 firefighters on that scene and it wouldn’t have been enough,” said Bacon of the multiple-alarm level fire.

“I don’t know if it would have saved more lives.”

He continued; “The staff on hand went above and beyond. They worked themselves harder than they had to. The work they did saved a ton of lives on that call.”

Bacon said that the department has sufficient staffing for the day-to-day work right now, but the Gabriel House blaze would have been handled “more efficiently” if he had more staff.

Bacon repeatedly stated that the inspectional services report on the fire was still in the works.

ABC6 reached spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Fire Security, Jake Wark for comment.

Wark said that the investigation is ongoing: “The fire does not appear suspicious at this time, but investigators have not narrowed the potential factors down to the single cause necessary for a conclusive determination,” said Wark.

A Facebook post detailing items needed for donation for displaced victims of the fire was also shared by the Fall River Government Facebook page.

Fall River City Hall representative Elizabeth Aguiar Sousa released a statement regarding the fire and comments from the International Association of Fire Fighters leadership’s comments on city firefighter staffing levels.

“In accordance with standard protocol, a full investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire, assess system performance, and identify any contributing factors,” said Sousa.

“This includes thorough review of staffing, response times, fire suppression tactics, and building safety systems. We will allow this process to be guided by facts, not assumptions, and we ask the public to do the same.”

In addressing the staffing concerns from the IAFF, Sousa commented in part:

“We respect the role of national and local union leadership in advocating for its members and for public safety, and we take their concerns seriously. We also recognize that any large-scale emergency brings with it a range of complex emotions and legitimate questions. The City is committed to listening and engaging in constructive dialogue with all public safety stakeholders.”

Budgetary constraints were also referenced in the statement:

“The City of Fall River, like many cities and towns across the Commonwealth, strives to provide the best possible services to the community within the constraints of our financial reality. Resources are limited, and we are constantly looking for ways to be more efficient with the services we provide. Every Fire Chief, Police Chief, and EMS Chief has advocated for more personnel, apparatus, and equipment, and every Administration, including this one, has worked responsibly to ensure the needs of their departments and the community are met.”

Sousa also referenced the February authorization of the creation of coverage maps to “account for demographic changes in the City, and to determine how altering the deployment of fire apparatus, and/or staff could impact response times and the ability of the Fall River Fire Department to meet NFPA 1710 response standards.”

She said that those results will be available in the coming months.

The statement closed in part: “In this difficult moment, we call on all parties – city officials, first responders, and community leaders – to remain united in our shared goal: ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents.”