Fall River, assisted living
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Body-worn camera footage from Fall River police shows officers rescuing residents from the Gabriel House fire. Check it out.
The city of Taunton is urging long-term care facilities to up their fire prevention measures. Fall River may follow suit.
Police, fire, and EMS crews worked to rescue residents as smoke and flames spread through Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility in the heart of the city.
River expects to budget for an additional $1.5 million for fire department staffing, but in the immediate future, expects to fill gaps with OT.
River fire union has claimed more lives could have been saved if more firefighters were on scene. The mayor says the department was staffed as requested by the chief.
It’s very important in a crisis that people stay in contact,” Mayor Paul Coogan said in a wide-ranging interview from his office Friday.
The preventable tragedy at Gabriel House demonstrates the potential suffering posed to vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly, by the savage cuts to social programs in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” relied upon by millions.