Fire Origin Expert On Group Home Deaths

A new grand jury report on the March fire that killed four of the nine residents of a Hamilton County group home offers some meaningful recommendations to protect the safety of New York’s developmentally disabled citizens, the New York Civil Liberties Union says.  The grand jury report says that a fire origin expert witness has identified the port of origin for the fire as being on the exterior screened porch located on the rear of the building and indicates that the fire started in a trash can on the porch.

In June, the Department of State, Office of Fire Prevention and Control had determined that the cause of the fire was the result of “human action”.  “We submit that this demonstrates the very significant challenge presented in evacuating individuals who do not have self preservation skills. We also submit that these circumstances were reasonably forseeable.” Fire safety in this group home and in the thousands others like it are reviewed by employees who monitor the quality of care provided to residents. They have little training and “cannot in any sense be considered experts in the field,” the report says.

For more, see northcountygazette.org.