Louis Orangeo is a resident of Dover.
I recently read the article published in the Daily State News, “Dover City Council overrides mayor’s veto on subdivision standards,” and agree with the mayor. He was 100% right with his veto to protect the citizens of Dover. It’s unfortunate that it may take a fire-and-rescue situation being hindered by the inaccessibility to the town homes for council members to realize they were wrong to cave in and grant an unsafe waiver to the developer of this project on Cecil Street, just to save a buck. The question I ask is, if a fire or disaster ever occurs at the town house site, what will the price be for a human life? I am sure a lawsuit would be brewing against the city for negligence if a fire or smoke inhalation claims the life of a resident. I believe an unsafe situation could come back to haunt the city for allowing this waiver.
Concerns like this need to be raised, especially about the long-term implications of the project, which could affect the community’s safety and quality of life.
If one was to do research, he/she would see that sprinkler and fire suppression systems are not 100% reliable and are subject to failure. Read about the deadly Imperial Food Products plant fire in Hamlet, North Carolina, during which the building’s sprinkler system failed. I am not saying that having a sprinkler system installed is a bad idea, but there should be a backup plan to gain access to the buildings, whether it be a rear alley or access road to get major rescue equipment in close proximity to save someone’s life. What if a fire develops behind the town homes, in a trash receptacle, and expands to the rear siding? Would the sprinkler system activate from an exterior fire? Wouldn’t it be quicker for emergency equipment to respond within appropriate distance if an alley or access road exists?
As the son of a Philadelphia fireman, I want to thank Mayor (and former Fire Chief) Robin Christiansen for his due diligence in looking out for safety and not compromising the lives of the residents of our city. Some would maybe now agree that this wasn’t the right decision by the City Council members.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
