The house owners of the Gabriel Home Assisted Dwelling Facility mentioned their sprinklers and fireplace suppression system had been final checked simply 5 days earlier than a tragic blaze trapped and killed 10 folks.
“One focus of the investigation has been the status of the building’s fire suppression system, or sprinkler system, and investigators have taken several sprinkler heads for further investigation,” mentioned George Regan, spokesperson for the Gabriel Home, on Monday. “Among the information we have provided is documentation of regular tests of the sprinklers by the vendor, the most recent of which was performed on July 8 of this year. That test found the sprinkler system to be in working order.”
9 residents of the Fall River facility died within the fireplace on the evening of Sunday, July 13, and one other resident died of her accidents within the hospital on Friday, marking the deadliest fireplace in Massachusetts in over 40 years. Over 30 residents had been injured within the blaze.
No results of the state and native investigation into the reason for the hearth have been launched as of Monday. Advocates have pointed to numerous issues concerning the incident, together with staffing ranges on the fireplace division and the constructing’s security citations from the state.
On Monday, the Bristol County DA introduced a press convention scheduled for Tuesday afternoon “related to certain preliminary findings of the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility fire investigation.”
The DA’s workplace mentioned the “fire investigation remains active and ongoing.”
“Ensuring the safety of our residents has always been our paramount responsibility since our purchase of Gabriel House in late 1999,” mentioned Regan, noting the hearth suppression system underwent “quarterly inspections.”
The house owners mentioned they’ve labored carefully with state and native fireplace investigators and supplied all information associated to the constructing’s security.
Gov. Maura Healey additionally introduced a Hearth and Life Security Initiative on Friday, ordering the state’s 273 assisted dwelling amenities to concern letters with security particulars inside 5 enterprise days and full state fireplace security evaluation survey.
The Gabriel Home proprietor’s assertion mentioned their “hearts are broken for the victims and their families; their losses will never be forgotten.”
The power possession is offering short-term housing to displaced residents, the assertion mentioned, including they’ve been proud “knowing that we make assisted living possible for many community members in need who might not otherwise be able to obtain that assistance.”
Gabriel Home was dwelling to 70 residents, and firefighters arrived on the scene to search out many hanging out of the home windows of the three-story constructing, screaming for assist.
“We will continue to provide investigators with whatever assistance they need,” Regan’s assertion mentioned. “We, like them, realize the importance of knowing exactly what caused this catastrophe, and if there were factors that made it worse. Our community, our residents, and most of all, the families who have suffered these unimaginable losses, deserve nothing less.”
