NIOSH Cites Issues in Spring Valley, NY, LODD in Assisted Living Facility

Conducting a cultural cleansing ceremony in a dairy kitchen, a turned off fire alarm system, lack of sprinklers, lack of fire and life safety code enforcement, lack of pre-planning and lack of crew integrity are among the factors that led to the 2021 death of a New York firefighter in a senior living facility.

Following an extensive probe into the fire that claimed Spring Valley Firefighter Jared Lloyd, 35, NIOSH investigators outlined a number of contributing issues and reccommendations.

Lloyd, a 15-year firefighter, became trapped and called a 'Mayday' when he ran out of air. A colleague who was in the same predicament, didn't call the distress signal due to one already alerted.

A RIT crew located and rescued him, only to find out that he wasn't the one who called the 'Mayday.'  

Another team tried to re-enter but were driven back by detoriating conditions. Moments later, the structure collapsed. Command ordered firefighters go into defensive mode.

Jared's body was recovered the following night, nearly 24 hours after he called 'Mayday.'

Plea Deal

Rabbi Nathaniel Sommer pleaded guilty to felony manslaughter. His son, Aaron, pleaded to misdemeanor reckless endangerment. They admitted to unsafe use of torches and charcoal during a ritual pre-Passover cleansing of the Evergreen Court kitchen. Neither served jail time for the 2021 fire that killed Lloyd and a resident. 

Firefighters shared the grieving family's anger. 

"It's a sad day," volunteer firefighter Frank Voce said.

Rockland County Fire Coordinator Chris Kear worked with the DA on the case and shares the family's anger.

"I lost my faith in the judicial system today," Kear said after the hearing.

NIOSH Reccommentations:

• Develop a pre-incident plan for high-risk occupancies, including low frequency/high risk 
scenarios such as assisted living facilities, that is supported by national standards  

• Ensure that company officers and firefighters maintain crew integrity when operating in the 
hazard zone

 • Use a functional personnel accountability system, requiring a designated accountability officer or resource status officer 

• Ensure that the Incident Command System (ICS) general staff functions are expanded during Type IV incidents when they extend to multiple operational periods  

• Establish divisions/groups to provide an effective incident management organizational 
framework for the expansion of the incident action plan (IAP) 

• Incorporate the principles of command safety into the incident management system during the initial assumption of command  

• Ensure that a rapid intervention crew (RIC) or firefighter assist and search team (FAST) is 
dedicated, assigned, and in place before interior firefighting operations begin and throughout an incident  

• Ensure that all firefighters and fire officers are trained in fireground survival procedures and Mayday operations • Provide a Mayday tactical worksheet for incident commanders (ICs) in the event of a Mayday 

• Ensure that all members engaged in emergency operations receive annual proficiency training and evaluation on fireground operations, including live fire training 

• Ensure adequate incident scene rehabilitation is established in accordance with NFPA 1584, 
Standard on the Rehabilitation Process for Members During Emergency Operations and 
Training Exercises 

• Have Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)/Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG) to ensure 
that water supply is established during initial fireground operations, particularly in areas with limited water pressure, limited hydrants, or no hydrants  

• Consider maintaining resources and protocols to address occupational exposure to potentially traumatic events for their members