Community centers are so important to neighborhoods and communities. These buildings are often locations where people come together for education, entertainment, community meetings, and they provide a valuable resource to the people who live nearby. Yet, there are always risks involved when people are united in public locations. Community centers are no different, although it hits a little bit more close to home when something tragic happens there. Today we are going to look at a case study on a fire that occurred right here in New York. It happened at the two-story community center in Yonkers back in 1965, and 12 individuals lost their lives.
It was December evening in 1965 just before 5 PM, December 20th, to be exact. A fire started on the balcony of the second and third stories of Jewish Community Center in Yonkers, NY. The building was in the process of being renovated at the time, but it was not shut down – events were still taking place there. When the fire started, they were about 60 to 70 people in the building. The fire was to be thought to be arson, and flammable liquid that wasn’t identified was used to start the blaze. It began on the balcony, right near the stage, and in no time at all, the fire rapidly spread to the plastic panels and the other flammable the marterial that was located in the balcony.
Once those in the building realized there was a fire, teachers and children began to hide in nearby classrooms. Other teachers helped the children escape out an open window to a ledge waiting to be rescued. And tragically, there were those who perished in the fire. Since smoke and fire was filling the hallways, 9 children with 2 adults, sought shelter in a small room, which was adjacent to another room where another teacher and some children were hiding.
A 3rd woman, who had already escorted her own children out, re-entered the building looking for her neighbor's children. She joined those 11 in the small room. A chair was put in front of the doorway, but the door was left open. Those 12 individuals were the ones who lost their lives in the fire while awaiting rescue from the fire department.
Once the flames and ashes settled, the investigation that followed revealed the all the flammable materials were completely burned and the material on the floor was partially burned. Other evidence revealed that the flames were 2 stories high during the height of the blaze.
While this fire happened many years ago, we can learn many lessons from it. First, we need to realize that a closed-door can be life-saving protection during a fire. Another thing to look at is the importance of having non-flammable materials. Even if materials are inherently flammable, flameproofing treatments can address that and minimize its impact on the strength and severity of a fire. Flameproofing also creates more time for people to safely evacuate.
It's uncertain if the community center was compliant with building codes, health codes during renovations, but that only underscores the need to make sure buildings are up-to-date for fire and safety codes any time people are present in a building.
If your business needs flameproofing services, Certified Flameproofing can help. We've been serving NYC and the Greater Metro NY area for over 50 years, and we'd be honored to offer our services to keep your business protected from fire. Give us a call today and we can answer any questions and provide you with a free, no-obligation quote: 800-590-5530.