Only four Canandaigua firefighters initially responded to the Oct. 11 fire at 5 Beeman St., forcing crews to search apartments, advance hoses and establish a water supply while critical safety positions went unfilled, according to the city’s firefighters union.
The firefighters union is calling for increased staffing following the three-alarm fire, saying the initial response put firefighters and residents at risk.
The early morning fire forced residents from several apartments in the downtown building. No injuries were reported, according to the Canandaigua Fire Department.
As previously reported, firefighters were dispatched around 2:47 a.m. after a report of smoke coming from an apartment. Crews encountered heavy smoke inside, including on the second floor. The response escalated to a second alarm, followed within minutes by a third alarm to bring additional personnel and equipment.
The union described the property as an approximately 11,000-square-foot, turn-of-the-century building with a first-floor restaurant, rooftop dining and occupied apartments above. Whether residents were trapped was initially unknown, the union said.
Two firefighters arrived on Engine 212 and two on Truck 281, according to the union’s account.
The engine captain requested mutual aid, then entered alone to search apartments across two floors, leaving no incident commander outside to direct incoming units and monitor safety, the union said.
The other engine firefighter stretched a 200-foot hose line and forced entry alone, leaving the engine’s pump without an operator. One truck firefighter helped with forcible entry and advancing the hose.
The second truck firefighter stretched 200 feet of large-diameter supply hose from a hydrant, then returned to reposition the ladder truck and set up its aerial ladder before entering to help search, according to the union.
With all four firefighters committed inside, the union said, no personnel remained outside to operate the pump or aerial ladder, place ground ladders at windows for rescue or emergency escape, or manage the scene.
The union also raised concerns about the availability of a firefighter rescue team.
The Veterans Affairs Fire Department had been assigned to serve as the Firefighter Assist and Search Team, known as FAST, whose role is to remain available to help firefighters who become trapped, injured or otherwise need rescue. Because of limited staffing, arriving VA firefighters instead helped search for residents, leaving that standby function uncovered until later in the incident, the union said.
Citing National Fire Protection Association Standard 1710, the union said a medium-hazard structure of the building’s size and use calls for an initial response of 28 firefighters to handle suppression, searches, water supply and safety duties.
“Minutes matter in a fire,” the union wrote in its public statement, calling for staffing increases to protect residents and firefighters.
The fire department’s earlier account identified mutual aid from the VA, Bristol, Cheshire, Crystal Beach, Farmington, Hopewell, Manchester and Victor fire departments. At the time of that report, the fire’s cause and origin remained under investigation.
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