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Massachusetts nursing home staffing accused of fleeing instead of helping elderly residents escape
Massachusetts nursing home staffing accused of fleeing instead of helping elderly residents escape

Fox News

time13 hours ago

  • Fox News

Massachusetts nursing home staffing accused of fleeing instead of helping elderly residents escape

A survivor of a Sunday blaze that tore through an assisted living facility in Massachusetts has claimed that staff members abandoned the burning scene leaving the elderly residents to fend for themselves – while another said that workers didn't even knock at doors to alert the seniors as the flames spread. Resident Lorraine Ferrara, 70, told the Associated Press of her shock to see staff running away from the fire that ultimately killed 9 people and injured dozens more at Gabriel House in Fall River. "They left us alone and ran," Ferrara said. "I was hanging out the window — 'Help! Help!' — and they just kept running." Meanwhile, resident Robert Cabral also said that workers fled the terrifying scene as smoke filled rooms. "They didn't knock on one door," Cabral said. "They just ran." Fox News Digital reached out to Gabriel Care, the operators of the facility, for comment but did not immediately receive a response. The deceased were aged 61 to 86. The facility opened in 1999 and had 100 units with about 70 people residing there at the time. As well as workers apparently fleeing the scene, reports have emerged of an alleged lack of fire drills at the facility, while a firefighters union said inadequate staffing hindered the response to the blaze. Paul Lanzikos, a former Massachusetts Secretary of Elder Affairs and co-founder of the advocacy group Dignity Alliance, said the group was concerned by reports about the apparent lack of fire drills as well a low number of staff for a highly dependent population and safety issues such as a broken elevator and air conditioners in the windows. "It's a terrible tragedy that should have never happened," Lanzikos told the Associated Press. About 50 firefighters responded to the scene at around 9:50 p.m., including 30 who were off duty. Police also helped break down doors and carried about a dozen residents to safety. Five injured firefighters were released from the hospital Monday. Edward Kelly, president of the national firefighters union, said eight additional firefighters would have been on scene if national staffing recommendations were followed. Capt. Frank O'Reagan said there was no breathing equipment available when he arrived, so he started going door to door on the third floor without an air tank until the smoke got to him. O'Reagan's brother and fellow firefighter Michael O'Reagan said he was shocked that 40 minutes after firefighters arrived, a large part of the building had not been searched. "We did the best we could with what we had, and what we had was not enough," said Michael O'Reagan, president of the Fall River firefighters union. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Officials said it did not appear suspicious, Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon told Boston 25 News that staffing levels is not unique to Fall River and that municipalities across the Commonwealth face similar concerns. "The crews were faced with an incredibly difficult situation. A fire is a difficult situation, a rescue is a difficult situation," Bacon said. "When you combine the two at the level this call asked for, it was almost an impossible situation."

The past legal controversies of the owner of the Fall River assisted care facility that caught fire
The past legal controversies of the owner of the Fall River assisted care facility that caught fire

CBS News

timea day ago

  • CBS News

The past legal controversies of the owner of the Fall River assisted care facility that caught fire

The owner of Gabriel House, Dennis Etzkorn, says he is cooperating with the investigation into the deadly fire at the assisted living home in Fall River, but an I-Team investigation revealed past legal controversies. The fire tore through the building on Sunday night, killing nine and sending 30 more to the hospital. One resident remains in critical condition. Residents who survived the fire called it a "nightmare" and said they thought they were going to die. Debbie Johnson has worked at Gabriel House for four years. "They have cockroaches, infested with cockroaches, bed bugs. It was dirty. They're so nice. They don't deserve to live in those quarters. " The I-Team learned that the Gabriel House is owned by Gabriel Care, Inc. Secretary of State records show Etzkorn is the president, treasurer, and secretary of the corporation. The home has 100 units and opened in 1999, according to Its last building certificate was issued in October of 2024. The Gabriel House owner past legal controversies Etzkorn also owns other healthcare-related businesses in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. And has been involved in legal controversies over the years. In 2010, he was sued by a female employee who claimed discrimination. He was ordered to pay her more than $15,000. In 2012, the Attorney General indicted him on a kickback scheme involving Medicaid; the charges were later dropped after a judge found the evidence was obtained illegally. In 2014, Charlie Baker's campaign returned donations from Etzkorn. And in 2017, he faced criminal charges in connection with sanitary cold violations in connection with another property in Fall River. Those charges were later dismissed. In a statement to the Boston Globe, Etzkorn said, "I, along with my entire family, am devastated by the tragedy at Gabriel House. Our thoughts are with every one of our residents, their families, our staff, and the brave first responders. I am grateful for the support the city of Fall River has shown to everyone affected by this tragedy. 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." "Their population has become more like a nursing home" Paul Lanzikos is the executive director of Dignity Alliance, an advocacy group. He says it's a tragedy that could have likely been avoided. Avoided because Dignity Alliance has been sounding the alarm about assisted living homes for years. Paul says, "Their population has become more like a nursing home, yet they don't have the same regulations or oversight." The homes are required to be certified and inspected by the Executive Office of Aging and Independence. None of the individual facility reports is posted online. The Fall River Building department records show that the property was inspected in October 2024. At a news conference, the fire chief was asked if there were any problems with the sprinkler system. He said he was not sure if it was operating properly. Assisted living homes are considered residential and provide personal services and food to residents. A 2025 state report shows the average rent cost per month for assisted living ranges from $4,228 TO $10,886. Governor Maura Healey says most residents at Gabriel House are on Mass. Health, and she was not aware of any safety complaints. Lanzikos says the state has an obligation to inspect the properties, telling the I-Team, "nine people died and 30 people are in the hospital in this day and age, that is not acceptable. We are in Massachusetts can and must do better. This just indicates the need for enhanced transparency –these people who own these homes need to be held accountable."

Nine dead, 30 injured in fire at assisted living facility near Boston
Nine dead, 30 injured in fire at assisted living facility near Boston

RTÉ News​

timea day ago

  • RTÉ News​

Nine dead, 30 injured in fire at assisted living facility near Boston

A fire that broke out at an assisted living facility for the elderly near Boston last night has killed at least nine people and injured 30 others, authorities have said. About 70 people lived at the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, where the fire broke out about 9.30pm local time (2.30am Irish time) Jake Wark, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Fire Security, said. Mr Wark said that about 50 firefighters responded to the incident in Fall River, about 90km south of Boston. The city opened a temporary shelter for surviving residents. Firefighters rescued numerous occupants of the facility, which is designed for older people to live independently with staff assistance, he said. Several residents were declared dead at the scene, while many others were transported to hospitals, and one person was in critical condition. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey called the fire a tragedy and said the cause was being investigated. "My heart goes out to those who are waking up to the most horrific news imaginable about their loved ones this morning," she said in a statement. Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon told the media that some people were hanging from windows when firefighters arrived, the Boston Globe reported. Gabriel House opened in 1999 and has 100 units, according to state data. Dennis Etzkorn has been the sole director, president and treasurer of Gabriel Care, the corporation that runs the facility, since its founding. Efforts to reach Mr Etzkorn for comment were unsuccessful. In 2015, he agreed to pay $950,000 to the state to settle and dismiss charges of fraud brought by the Massachusetts attorney general's office over an alleged scheme of offering kickbacks of $150 for referrals of customers to Gabriel Care who use the state's health insurance company, MassHealth, court records show.

Fire at Boston-area senior living facility kills at least nine
Fire at Boston-area senior living facility kills at least nine

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

Fire at Boston-area senior living facility kills at least nine

(Reuters) -A fire that broke out at an assisted living facility for the elderly near Boston on Sunday night killed at least nine people and injured 30 others, authorities said. About 70 people lived at the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, where the fire broke out about 9:30 p.m. on Sunday (0130 GMT Monday), Jake Wark, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Fire Security, said on Monday. Wark said that about 50 firefighters responded to the incident in Fall River, about 60 miles south of Boston. The city opened a temporary shelter for surviving residents. Firefighters rescued numerous occupants of the facility, which is designed for older people to live independently with staff assistance, he said. Several residents were declared dead at the scene, while many others were transported to hospitals, and one person was in critical condition. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey called the fire a tragedy and said the cause was being investigated. "My heart goes out to those who are waking up to the most horrific news imaginable about their loved ones this morning," she said in a statement. Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon told the media that some people were hanging from windows when firefighters arrived, the Boston Globe reported. Gabriel House opened in 1999 and has 100 units, according to state data. Dennis Etzkorn has been the sole director, president and treasurer of Gabriel Care, the corporation that runs the facility, since its founding. Efforts to reach Etzkorn for comment were unsuccessful. In 2015, he agreed to pay $950,000 to the state to settle and dismiss charges of fraud brought by the Massachusetts attorney general's office over an alleged scheme of offering kickbacks of $150 for referrals of customers to Gabriel Care who use the state's health insurance company, MassHealth, court records show.

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