Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Cuts could have killed blaze tower residents...
Union warns over cutbacks Rescue team bravery hailed Accidental fire at old filling station
CUTBACKS could have cost lives in the Dunmurry tower block blaze and it was “pure luck” no one died, firefighters warned yesterday.
The Fire Brigades Union praised personnel for moving in quickly to ensure no one was killed during Wednesday’s emergency at Seymour Hill, just outside West Belfast.
But a representative claimed cost-cutting meant it was only by chance a specialist appliance was available to tackle the blaze.
FBU Northern Ireland executive council member Jim Quinn said: “Aerial ladder platforms have been stripped of their dedicated fire crews due to budget cuts. This means they are no longer always immediately available around the clock as firefighters also have to crew a different type of fire appliance at the same time. “Firefighters did an excellent job ensuring no lives were lost and bringing the fire under control quickly. “However, this would not have been the case had the ALP crew been at another incident using a different fire appliance.
“It could have been a very different, much more tragic outcome if such a delay had occurred.
“This incident should act as a wake-up call to ensure specialist firefighting equipment is immediately available. We were lucky no one died in the fire. Next time we may not be so fortunate.” Resident Nigel Faulkner told how he spotted smoke coming from a ninth-floor flat after getting off his bus at around 5.30pm on Wednesday.
He said he called the fire brigade but struggled to alert others to the danger.
Mr Faulkner added: “When I ran into the bottom hallway I thought there was a button you could hit to alert everybody, but there was nothing. I tried to ring a few people I knew through their buzzers. The only way most people found out about the fire was to look out the window and see fire engines.”
The fire service yesterday moved to reassure residents of the flats and other similar buildings amid concern smoke alarms in parts of the tower block unaffected did not sound.
Some residents believe everyone in the block should have been aware of the blaze and allowed to evacuate. However, senior firefighters said the blaze was contained and correct procedures were followed.
NIFRS group commander Geoff Somerville said: “The alarm in the gentleman’s flat operated and sounded and that is the correct configuration.
“There is a communal fire alarm system in the hallway that is to operate and automatically open vents to the common hallway and that also successfully operated and that allowed smoke to exit from the building.
“There would be no sounders in the common hallway nor should there be.
“It is important of course to emphasise to everybody that each flat would have a self-contained fire alarm system.
“This individual flat itself had three smoke detectors and they operated and worked. Their [other residents’] alarms should not go off unless they
detected smoke.” Images from Wednesday night show how flames burst through windows of the flat in Coolmoyne House causing scorch damage on two sides of the 14-storey property.
Two people were hospitalised after the incident suspected to have been caused by a toaster.
DUP leader Arlene Foster was among those who visited the scene yesterday. She said: “Everyone has pulled together during this frightening experience.”
Ulster Unionist MLA for Lagan Valley and former firefighter Robbie Butler said members of the service had shown “immense bravery and professionalism in getting residents out of the flats so quickly to be treated by the paramedics”. The Housing Executive said staff have been on site since Wednesday evening to ensure emergency accommodation is available for any resident who requested it. Three availed of overnight accommodation at a nearby hotel.
A spokesman added: “The Housing Executive wants to reassure residents their safety is taken extremely seriously. “We work closely with the fire service to ensure we remain fully compliant with all fire safety regulations, have robust fire safety regimes and carry out regular inspections in all of our high-rise buildings.”