COLLAPSE IN JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY

COLLAPSE IN JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY

BY WILLIAM C. PETERS

Martin Luther King Day was a cool and sunny day in Jersey City, New Jersey. Schools were closed, and many residents were off work relaxing, tending to chores, and shopping for bargains.

The city`s Journal Square is a transportation hub with a large bus terminal where passengers transfer to PATH trains running to Newark, Hoboken, and New York City. John F. Kennedy Boulevard cuts a wide path through “the Square,” and a variety of retail stores and service establishments take advantage of the easy public transportation that brings customers to the area.

The State Theater, once described as a palatial show house, was in the advanced stages of demolition. Numerous multiscreen cinemas springing up in the area had long since made the theater obsolete. The owners decided the property would be better used for a new retail occupancy. The theater fronted on Kennedy Boulevard; the rear was on Sip Avenue. The demolition crew had removed the roof and most of the rear wall and had gutted the inside of the structure. The 60-foot-high sidewalls still stood, supported at each corner by a part of the rear wall. To give the workers access to the masonry work, a 40-foot-high scaffold was erected on the roof of an adjoining two-story commercial building.

Using small power and hand tools, 10 workers on the scaffold were slowly removing small sections of the wall. Sensing some unusual motions in the scaffolding and wall, the workers evacuated the area, anticipating a possible collapse.

They had just cleared the area when a 30- by 70-foot section of the thick brick wall crashed down on the roof of the commercial building next door. The tremendous weight of the section tore a 12- 2 60-foot hole in the roof, passed through a closed secretarial school on the second floor, through an open discount store on the first floor, and into a computer school in the basement that was closed for the holiday. Several shoppers in the discount store, some with small children, fell into the basement when the debris and scaffolding crashed through. Three girders supporting the discount store floor divided the debris into three piles.

THE ALARM

At 1415 hours, the Jersey City Fire Department central office received a report of an explosion at the discount store at 2844 Kennedy Boulevard and dispatched the standard four engines, two truck companies, and a battalion chief. Before fire units arrived, a radio call from police on the scene confirmed a collapse with numerous injuries.

The captain of the first engine on the scene observed debris from the front windows of the store that had been blown out into the boulevard by the concussion of the structural collapse. He reported that there had been an explosion with numerous civilians trapped. The central office then filled out the first-alarm response with a deputy chief, a squad company, a mask service unit, a safety officer, and a FAST (firefighter assist and search team) truck.

The Fourth Battalion chief arrived, established command, and ordered a tower ladder on the first alarm to set up on the Kennedy Boulevard side, to commence survey and rescue operations. An additional tower ladder was special-called on the Sip Avenue side for the same purpose. Removal of surface and lightly trapped victims began immediately. Rescue 1 and Engine 9 responded to the Sip Avenue side, the rear of the building, which later proved significant.

The Fourth Battalion chief briefed the deputy chief on arrival, who immediately transmitted a second alarm–bringing an additional battalion chief, three engines, one truck, the chief of the department, and several staff officers. The second-alarm battalion chief took command at the rear of the building, and incoming companies were staged one block away and reported to the command post for orders.

On arrival, Chief of Department Frederick G. Eggers took command and requested two additional truck companies to the staging area.

OPERATIONS

Initially, the command post was at the front of the building on Kennedy Boulevard. After assessing the scene, command determined that the rescue operations would be better controlled from the rear of the building, and the command post was relocated to the Sip Avenue side. A command board listed the units operating on- scene and those in staging.

Since police and EMS also responded to this emergency, scene control was the first and most difficult priority. A 60-foot section of the rear corner of the building towered over rescuers and vehicles assembled in the area. The incident commander ordered all personnel and vehicles out of the collapse zone, and the safety officer cordoned off the zone with barrier tape. Keeping emergency workers out of the collapse zone was a formidable task–they were anxious to help. After the collapse zone was established, the safety officer logged each individual entering and exiting the collapse zone to maintain close individual accountability in the case of a secondary collapse. A second safety officer monitored operations in the basement.

Initially, approximately 12 customers were removed from the surface debris in the store and transported to area hospitals. Arson investigators from the Jersey City Fire Department responded to the hospitals and interviewed each survivor, asking where each person was when the building collapsed and if they could identify any other individuals who were with them or nearby. Construction and store personnel were accounted for and interviewed as well. This helped account for all victims.

Engine 9 and Rescue 1 initially responded to the Sip Avenue side of the incident and descended the stairs to the basement computer school. There, they could hear a woman screaming for help, but collapse debris blocked their path. After breaching a gypsum board wall and crawling through the hole, they encountered a young, panicked mother whose child was trapped by collapse debris. Even worse, the child was on the floor and the basement was filling with water from a broken main. Before the water service could be secured, the IC called for portable pumps. The Port Authority responded with several pumps that were never used. One rescuer held the child`s head above water while others began moving heavy debris off her legs. Working from both sides of the collapse, they freed the child and removed her to a waiting ambulance.

Approximately 30 minutes into the incident, Chief Eggers requested that a City of New York (NY) Fire Department (FDNY) collapse rescue unit (Rescue 3) respond to the scene, and the Jersey City Police Department requested search dogs from the City of New York Police Emergency Services Unit.

Inside the first-floor store, Engine 18 and Truck 2 members at the edge of the collapse crater shouted to victims, received a response, and entered the hole. Clearing debris to locate the source of a weak, muffled voice, they soon uncovered the face of a woman. While members continued to remove debris piece by piece, she was comforted and administered oxygen. This was the most involved rescue in the incident; it took approximately two hours.

After carefully removing heavy debris by hand, rescuers found that she was trapped from her pelvis down between a section of wall and a heavy steel girder. Air shores were placed to prevent a secondary collapse in the basement. All during the rescue operations, EMS personnel monitored the woman, and rescuers calmly assured her that they would remove her from the debris that held her tightly.

Rescuers used a hydraulic spreader to provide enough clearance to free the woman. She was taken to a local hospital with a fractured pelvis and possible internal injuries.

After all obvious victims were transported, members planned to search the three debris piles systematically. In the first phase, all rescuers moved out of the collapse area and allowed the police canine units from Jersey City and New York to work the piles. The dogs detected human scents several times. Each time the crews would return to the area and continue painstakingly removing debris manually, brick by brick. Rescuers used two thermal imaging cameras to scan the debris piles for heat sources that would indicate the possible presence of a human being.

Battalion Chief Ray Downey, FDNY chief of rescue operations, lent his expertise to the search efforts. Using heavy rigging equipment from the FDNY collapse unit, rescuers moved large sections of masonry wall to uncover voids and complete the basement search.

Line company crews rotated through a staging/rehab area, taking turns removing debris under the watchful eyes of experienced rescue personnel. FDNY Rescue 1 relieved FDNY Rescue 3 at the scene and continued working with the Jersey City crews. After rescuers worked throughout the night and determined that no other victims were present, the incident was terminated.

SUPPORT SERVICES

When the IC determined the scope of the rescue effort needed, he arranged for sufficient supplies to support an extended operation. The fire department equipment shop supplied saw blades, gasoline, and two-cycle oil for power equipment. The automotive division sent a fuel truck to supply diesel fuel and gasoline for the apparatus and equipment operating at the scene.

Since it was January, night fell early. In addition to the generators and tripod lights initially set up, apparatus light towers illuminated the exterior of the scene. Several truck companies were special-called to deliver portable generators, cord reels, and lights to the scene.

Batteries for portable radios and rechargeable handlights were needed later in the operation. The Jersey City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) responded with a field communications unit that served as a secondary command post. The public information officer presented timely updates to the many print and electronic media personnel at the scene. A crane and other heavy demolition equipment obtained by OEM stood by at the scene for use if needed.

Governor Christine Todd Whitman arrived with a state police escort to survey the scene and offer any needed support.

In addition to the police emergency services unit, police maintained crowd and traffic control. Port Authority police escorted FDNY units from the Holland Tunnel to the scene.

LESSONS LEARNED

–Preparation. A large-scale incident will quickly tax available tools and equipment. Determine how to improve the equipment available and what items should be added to the inventory.

Realistically, every department can`t justify every tool, but evaluating the possibilities of a repeat of the operation should serve as a guide. Also, additional specialized training might be necessary for the personnel who must work this type of incident.

–Available resources. Identifying available resources beforehand expedites assistance in a large-scale operation.

Mutual-aid fire departments provided staffing and special equipment.

Police canine units responded quickly to help in the search.

The EMS unit (separate from the fire department) set up its own triage and treatment center and had adequate resources to transport the injured to area hospitals.

Fire investigation interrogation techniques helped account for all victims; police detectives could also be used for this task, if available.

Police controlled traffic and secured the scene, keeping curious onlookers at a safe distance, and escorted out-of-town responding units unfamiliar with the area to the scene.

Utility companies shut off power and water and furnished pumps for the flooded collapse area.

–Scene. Rescuers` safety should be the IC`s prime concern. While most operations of this type involve some degree of risk, the IC should minimize the hazards in any way possible.

Early in the operation, removing the freestanding portion of the wall before rescuers operated was considered. After consulting engineers and the demolition contractor, command decided to monitor the wall`s position with a surveyor`s transit from FDNY Rescue 3. If any movement was detected, all rescuers would be removed and the wall demolished.

Logging personnel into and out of the collapse zone through one point helps maintain accountability in case a secondary collapse occurs. During this incident, not one firefighter operating at the scene was injured. Numerous other safety officers may be needed at an incident depending on the size of the operation.

At any collapse, the possibility of a criminal act, a terrorist attack, or an act of revenge might require a police investigation. The collapse then becomes a crime scene, and the debris might contain valuable evidence. If this is suspected, notify the proper authorities immediately, and consider the possible presence of a secondary destructive device.

If the collapse involves a building under construction or demolition, federal OSHA inspectors will investigate for workplace violations. They will obviously seek your cooperation in determining the cause of the accident.

In addition to marking and enforcing the evacuation of a collapse zone, adequate scene lighting will help reduce injuries.

–Incident command. The incident command system is essential to ensure all critical areas are addressed. Assigning personnel to supervise operations, safety, logistics, and public information freed the incident commander to concentrate on the overall operation.

–Support services. Sufficient supplies are needed for any long-term incident.

Food and fluids to replenish rescuers performing heavy manual labor are a must.

A weather-sheltered rehab area with restroom facilities is useful.

Apparatus and gasoline-powered equipment require refueling, which often involves private or city agencies and takes time to arrange. Make these requests early.

Arrangements for replaceable equipment components (i.e., saw blades) should also be made early.

–Postincident critique. Conduct a postincident critique with all officers who had a role in bringing the incident to a conclusion. Charts, photos, and documentation will be most helpful. This event should never result in finger pointing; it should be held in the spirit of review for training and future improvement. The results of the critique should be carried back to all as an educational tool. n

(Above) Looking at the roof of the discount store from a tower ladder, the large hole with scaffolding protruding is where the wall on the right side crashed through. (Photo by JCFD Arson Unit.) (Right) Inside the discount store, a large crater was formed when the heavy wall passed through carrying merchandise, store shelves, and customers into the basement. (Photo by Joe Lovero.)

(Left) In the basement, heavy rigging equipment furnished by FDNY Rescue 3 was used to haul large pieces of debris from the pile to facilitate the search. (Photo by Joe Lovero.) (Right) Heavy sections of the wall were pulled from the debris pile to gain access to the voids. (Photo by Captain John Norman, FDNY.)

A safety officer (left) was assigned to the basement to monitor and document the operations. (Photo by Captain John Norman, FDNY.)

The command post was located at the rear of the building, where most of the rescue activity took place. The portable command post board helped in tracking units operating at the scene. Governor Christine Todd Whitman is being briefed by Jersey City Chief of Department Frederick G. Eggers. (Photo by Firefighter A. Torres.)

The Jersey City Medical Center EMS activated its disaster plan that brought the necessary resources to the scene. In the rear, a tower ladder surveys the collapse.

The collapsed building`s large freestanding corner was a serious concern to the incident conmander and was closely monitored during the operation for indications of a possible secondary collapse. (Photo by Ron Jeffers.)

Searching the debris piles in the basement was very labor intensive. The water on the floor was from broken sprinkler pipes. Adequate lighting during such an operation is essential to prevent injuries. (Photo by Captain John Norman, FDNY.)

WILLIAM C. PETERS is a battalion chief, supervisor of apparatus, and a 23-year veteran of the Jersey City (NJ) Fire Department. He is a member of the NFPA Technical Committee on Fire Apparatus and the Fire Engineering editorial advisory board. Peters is the author of The Fire Apparatus Purchasing Handbook (Fire Engineering Books, 1994), two chapters on apparatus in The Fire Chief?s Handbook, Fifth Edition (Fire Engineering Books, 1995), the booklet Final Farewell to a Fallen Firefighter: A Basic Fire Department Funeral Protocol, and the video Factory Inspections of New Fire Apparatus (Fire Engineering, 1998).