Pete mourns the deaths of his fallen brothers.
If you saw people coming out of 130 Liberty Street dressed like this:
Would you go into it dressed like this?
The Deutsche Bank Building at 130 Liberty Street became toxic on 9/11/2001. The tragic fire occurred on August 18, 2007 - almost six (6) years later. 6 years breaks down into 24 quarters. Captain Peter Bosco was not assigned to the Ten House in the third quarter of 2001. He was not assigned there in 2002; nor in 2003; nor in 2004; nor in 2005; nor in 2006; He arrived at the Ten House for the last three quarters of 2007. Captain Bosco was at the Ten House for not quite 3 quarters. FDNY Commissioner Scoppetta, on the other hand, was in charge of the FDNY for almost the entire 24 quarters.
When Captain Peter Bosco arrived at the TEN HOUSE, FDNY's official policy of not inspecting the toxic ground zero building was already firmly established and solidly in place (Click Here). Captain Bosco inherited it; he did not originate it. 130 Liberty Street was a building over which FDNY had no jurisdiction (Click Here) and was exempt from NYC laws (Click Here) .
After the ground zero buildings became toxic on 9/11/2001, FDNY stood at a crossroads where two paths forked. A decision needed to be made. One of the paths needed to be followed; the other, spurned. In order to protect the safety and health of its employees and to comply with New York State Labor Laws, FDNY had to decide whether toThe power to make such a decision was above the rank of Captain of the local firehouse. It was above the rank of battalion chief and it was above the rank of division chief. It was above their rank because the creation of a toxic building inspection plan and the allocation of FDNY resources to implement it require FDNY time, FDNY effort, FDNY money, FDNY know-how and FDNY personnel. The Captain of the local firehouse was far too low in the chain of command to marshal these resources; so was the Battalion Chief and the Division Chief [Note: FDNY does not even give Captains their own FDNY email address (click here)]. Only the very top of the FDNY chain of command had "the juice" to bring all of these FDNY resources together and give his "blessing" to such a complex project. Because it is indisputable that the TEN HOUSE was neither provided with a toxic building inspection plan (click here) nor the means to implement it (click here), it can be firmly concluded that the very top of the FDNY chain of command decided either affirmatively or otherwise on the first alternative (click here). Hence, the TEN HOUSE had no choice but to stay out of the toxic ground zero buildings. No plan - no resources - no inspections. To enter, inspect, and exit a toxic building without the means to do so safely would have been against the labor laws of the State of New York.
- Keep the TEN HOUSE out of the toxic ground zero buildings or
- Provide the TEN HOUSE with the means necessary to safely enter, inspect and exit the toxic ground zero buildings.
The expertise to create a toxic building inspection plan and the resources needed to implement it did not reside within the TEN HOUSE (click here). Expertise and resources existed within the FDNY, elsewhere, but not within the TEN HOUSE (click here). Moreover, being outside the TEN HOUSE, they were beyond the command of the TEN HOUSE (click here). However, they were subject to the command of Scoppetta. At his beck and call were FDNY time, FDNY effort, FDNY money, FDNY know-how and FDNY personnel. He could have created a toxic building inspection plan and given the TEN HOUSE the resources to implement it(click here).
SO THE QUESTION IS
Why didn't the FDNY Commissioner figure out a plan to inspect the toxic ground zero buildings(click here) and, according to the plan, give the Ten House the resources needed to safely enter, inspect and exit the toxic Deutsche Bank Building
Didn't the FDNY Commissioner have enough time to figure this out?
- in the year 2002?
- in the year 2003?
- in the year 2004?
- in the year 2005?
- in the year 2006?
- and in the first three quarters of the year 2007?
THE MORE TROUBLING QUESTIONS ARE
Why did the FDNY Commissioner sideline Captain Peter Bosco for not inspecting a toxic ground zero building when the FDNY Commissioner failed to supply him with a toxic building inspection plan and the resources needed to safely enter, inspect and exit a toxic building? It sounds like a hosing to us! If the choice for the sidelines was between Scoppetta and Bosco, it certainly seems that Scoppetta was much more deserving than Bosco!
Moreover, why is the FDNY Commissioner keeping Captain Peter Bosco on the sidelines together with his Battalion Chief and Division Chiefs long after he ought to have taken notice of the indisputable evidence of their innocence?
It was wrong for the FDNY Commissioner, at a public news conference with the klieg lights shining, the cameras flashing and politicians smiling [Note: FDNY personnel decisions are not typically made with such fanfare] to throw them under the bus. It is much, much worse that the FDNY Commissioner has abandoned them there and refuses to drag their tarred and feathered bodies back from under the bus to safety within the loving arms of their FDNY family! Unless we have somehow misunderstood you, verily, you are a cruel, cruel man and a despicable human being - vile to your core - who lacks any compassion for the men and women you are supposed to be leading!
There are men and women whose character is generously blessed with the rare and noble qualities of leadership. Yet, there are also specious leaders whose weak, craven and selfish characters disqualify them from the leadership positions they undeservedly and falsely possess. FDNY Commissioner Thomas Von Essen - he occupied the position immediately before perfidious Nick - is an example of a great leader willing to go to bat for the men and women he leads - even after his duty to do so had ended. Shortly after the tragic fire of August 18, 2007, the Honorable Thomas Von Essen, said "The Captain of the Engine probably had no ability to inspect that building it was so contaminated." (Click Here to listen to his words yourself) FDNY Commissioner Von Essen was under no obligation to take notice of Captain Bosco's innocence and publicly proclaim it. Yet, he did so,-and did so right away- because he is a true and faithful leader who stands by the men and women he leads. Yet, Scoppetta remains silent, begrudging even a single kind word to the three innocent fire officers he mistakenly sent to the sidelines and wrongly keeps there. In the ethics of leadership, there is no greater infamy than for a leader to betray the men and women he leads! Shame on you, perfidious Nick, for throwing them under the bus; worse shame on you for leaving innocent fire fighters there!
If FDNY's goal was to inspect a toxic building, why didn't the FDNY Commissioner give the Ten House the means to accomplish the goal (Click Here)? An employer who gives an employee a goal must also give an employee the means to accomplish the goal (Click Here). A goal without means is an illusion - a fictional goal (Click Here) - an impossible dream (Click Here). The means needed to inspect a toxic building would have included:FDNY did not provide the Ten House with any of the foregoing means to accomplish the goal of inspecting a toxic building (Click Here). In fact, FDNY banned the Ten House from wearing their bunker gear - not that bunker gear is proper P.P.E. but at least it is something - into the toxic building (Click Here)!
- a procedure showing them how to safely inspect a toxic building,
- training on how to safely inspect a toxic building,
- drills taking them through the process of inspecting a toxic building,
- dermal and respiratory protection, and
- post-inspection decontamination. (For the details of the resources needed, see the Health and Safety Plan for the Search for Potential Human Remains at the World Trade Center Site by clicking here)
Moreover, it is not like FDNY did not understand the means that were necessary to accomplish the goal of inspecting a toxic building. FDNY had actual knowledge of the means needed to accomplish the goal of inspecting a toxic building and had this actual knowledge many months before the tragic August 18, 2007 fire. FDNY knew how to do it! Mayor Bloomberg assigned the goal of inspecting the toxic Deutsche Bank building for potential human remains to a group of NYC agencies that included FDNY. FDNY via its Manhattan Borough Command provided a special FDNY unit - not the Ten House - with the means to accomplish such inspections (Click Here). Although FDNY provided the means to inspect the toxic Deutsche Bank Building to a special FDNY unit, FDNY never - we repeat, never - provided the Ten House with the means to do inspections of toxic buildings (Click Here).
It was only after the tragic August 18, 2007, that FDNY, again via its Manhattan Borough Command, initiated a process of consultation with the New York State Department of Labor to try to figure out the proper way for the Ten House to inspect toxic buildings (Click Here)!
Inspections of the toxic Deutsche Bank Building were the responsibility of someone other than the Ten House! This building was under the jurisdiction of someone other than FDNY (Click Here).
It is time for the FDNY Commissioner to give the speech (Click Here).
- Listen to former FDNY Commissioner, Thomas Von Essen - Scopetta's predecessor - defend Captain Peter Bosco by Clicking Here
- Read about the Chernobyl Firefighters by Clicking Here
- Read Alfred Lloyd Tennyson's Charge of the Fire Brigade (Click Here)
- Read about the misadventures of Batberg and his faithful sidekick, Boy Blunder (Click here)
- Read Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass (Click Here)
With apologies to Alfred Lord Tennyson,
The Charge of the Fire Brigade
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the skyscraper of death,
Inspect while we blunder.
Inspect fire brigade!
"Charge through the toxins", Bloomberg and Scoppetta said
Into the skyscraper of Death
inspect while we blunder.
Toxins to right of them,
Toxins to left of them,
Toxins in front of them
floated and flutterd.
Storm'd at with poison and smell,
Boldly you'll inspect so well
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Inspect while we blunder
But no haz-mat suits for you
no guidance from FDNY too
How you do it is up to you
risk your lungs and your health
Meet my quota of 2 a month, Bloomberg and Scoppetta said
We'll decontaminate you after your dead
Inspect while we blunder
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the firefighters knew
Someone had blunder'd?
Bloomberg and Scoppetta scoff:
"Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to inspect and die."
Into the skyscraper of Death
Inspect while we blunder.
[Note: The NY Post appreciates a meaningful rhyme (Click Here)]. To learn a little background about Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem, the Charge of the Light Brigade, and the disastrous decisions of the Light Brigade's top commanders, visit Wikipedia by clicking here For the actual poem, click here.
Feel Free to republish this Poem or suggest improvements.
* * * * * * * * * *
If you knew about the deadly and debilitating consequences to the vast numbers of FDNY rescue workers brought on by 9/11/2001 toxins (Click Here), would you take your men into a building contaminated by them without the proper gear, training, drills, site-specific safety plan and decontamination equipment? (Click Here)
THE CHARGE OF THE FIRE BRIGADE, printed above, puts into words what Bloomberg's and Scoppetta's opinion would be if they indeed sincerely think that the local firehouse ought to have inspected the highly toxic Deutsche Bank Building without site specific training, Haz Mat Suits, decontamination equipment, etc. Because such an opinion is so patently absurd, reasonable people have concluded that Captain Peter Bosco, his Battalion Chief and Division Chief are being framed on trumped up charges. What is more disturbing, however, is the possibility that Bloomberg and Scoppetta knew that inspections were outside the jurisdiction of the local firehouse; yet, to preserve Bloomberg's image and protect his tea and crumpet cronies, Bloomberg directed his spineless lackey, FDNY Commissioner Scoppetta, to scapegoat three decent, decorated and innocent fire officers and throw them to the wolves. How despicable! What kind of villains would sacrifice innocence for image. Image is a false god that too many small minded politicians worship. More ignobly, how can Scoppetta betray his own men? You cannot get much lower than that! That Bloomberg was so swift in blaming Captain Bosco, his battalion chief and his division chief - which blame turned their lives upside down - and is so slow in exonerating them despite irrefutable evidence of their innocence, makes it crystal clear that Bloomberg has little regard for anybody outside his chummy circle of tea and crumpet cronies.
