A fatal fire at an assisted-living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, brought quick response, including communications, from many people and organizations. Unfortunately, the most disappointing response came from the company that runs the residence.

The five-alarm fire broke out Sunday night at Gabriel House (pictured), an assisted-living facility with about 70 residents. It was a horrific scene, with residents hanging out of windows looking to be rescued. Nine residents, ranging in age from 61 to 86, died. Many others, including five firefighters, were injured. The cause is being investigated.

“This was not a situation where teams arrived and people were able to get out easily — all of these people needed assistance,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said, according to ABC News. “Many were in wheelchairs, many were immobile, many had oxygen tanks.”

“The main concern was getting people out,” Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said. “It’s an old building.”

Empathetic Statement

The most-empathetic statement we saw came from Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon. “This is an unfathomable tragedy for the families involved and the Fall River community,” he said. “On behalf of the Fall River Fire Department, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the loved ones who are grieving this morning.”

Much coverage was given over to the claim by Edward Kelly, general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters union, that more residents would have been saved had the city’s fire department not been understaffed. Eight of Fall River’s 10 fire companies have only three members, while the national standard is four. “If all companies had been properly staffed, there would have been eight more firefighters on the scene,” Kelly said, according to ABC.

The most-disappointing response came from the operator, Gabriel Care LLC. At first, many news outlets reported that the company didn’t respond to requests for comment. CNN’s story eventually had a quote from owner Dennis Etzkorn from a statement:

‘Investigative Process’

“Our thoughts are with every one of our residents, their families, our staff and the brave first responders,” Etzkorn said. “We will continue to cooperate with the authorities and provide them with any information they may need throughout the investigative process regarding the cause and origin of this fire.”

The situation shows the importance of maintaining a good reputation to help get through a crisis, or as we like to put it, having credits in the Credibility Bank. Alas, it’s working the opposite way for Gabriel Care. Many news reports mentioned legal troubles from a decade ago in which Etzkorn was accused by the Massachusetts attorney general of offering illegal kickbacks; the case settled for $950,000. CNN also reported on three lawsuits against Etzkorn between 2003 and 2013 accusing him of sexual harassment that settled out of court.

It shows how long-ago troubles can continue to haunt you. In dealing with this crisis, that legal history will only make it harder for the operator.

Photo Credit: Gabriel House via Facebook

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