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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 498-08
December 22, 2008

STATEMENT BY MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ON DISTRICT ATTORNEY ROBERT MORGENTHAU’S ANNOUNCEMENTS REGARDING 130 LIBERTY STREET

This morning, District Attorney Morgenthau announced the results of his office's investigation of the tragic Deutsche Bank fire that killed two of our Bravest. 

"On a number of occasions, I've expressed how the failures of the contractors and City agencies were unacceptable.  After the fire, we convened a working group, chaired by Deputy Mayor Skyler, to strengthen our inspection and enforcement practices.  The group analyzed agencies' internal operations and the inter-agency coordination and communications.  The group proposed 33 recommendations to improve safety at construction, demolition, and abatement sites, and we are now implementing all of them.  

"Pursuant to our agreement with the District Attorney, we will now be creating an additional civilian inspection unit at the Fire Department dedicated to construction, demolition and abatement sites.  I want to express my appreciation to the District Attorney for his thorough investigation.

"It's our job to do everything possible to keep our firefighters safe, and I take that job very seriously.  The regulatory measures we have put in place and the additional reforms set out today are designed to prevent any firefighter from again confronting the conditions that Firefighters Beddia and Graffagnino and others faced at the Deutsche Bank building that tragic day.  These two men bravely sought to protect us all and lost their lives in that heroic effort, and we will never forget that." 

The working group's report is available at http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/pr277-08_safety_report.pdf

Please note that Kate O'Brien Ahlers at the City Law Department is distributing a statement from the City of New York - (212) 788-0400 or media@law.nyc.gov







MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser / Jason Post   (212) 788-2958




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