On Nov. 23, 2002, at about 8:15 am, Endwell firefighters
responded to a report of an automatic alarm activation at Marian
Apartments, the senior high-rise located on Hooper Road. They
arrived to find a fire in one apartment and smoke filling the hallways. Because many of the residents of the apartment building
are handicapped or have limited mobility, they are instructed to
stay in their apartments and if evacuation is necessary, someone will come
to assist them.
As soon as the fire was confirmed a second
alarm was turned in calling in mutual aid assistance from Union Center,
East Maine, West Corners, Endicott and Vestal Fire Departments.
Mutual aid firefighters, along with 50 firefighters from Endwell, responded quickly
and began the evacuation plan. Starting on the fire
floor, residents were escorted from their apartments. Crews then started
evacuating one floor above and one floor below the fire floor until all affected areas were
evacuated. While the fire was quickly brought under control,
smoke conditions in some of the apartments and hallways made it necessary
to evacuate many apartments.
Personnel from SEPP, the owner of the
building, assisted fire personnel, Deputies from the Broome County
Sheriff's Department, New York State Police Officers, and ambulance
crews from Union Ambulance in getting all of the residents out of the
building and safely across the street to a church where a temporary
shelter had been set up. Approximately 60 residents were assisted
from their apartments, first to a day room in the basement of the
apartment building and then across the street to the church.
The Broome County Sheriff's Department
brought their van to assist in shuttling residents across the
street. Eventually a Broome County Transit bus was brought in to assist in
moving people across the street.
By 12:15 the fire was out and the building
had been cleared of smoke. Only the apartment where the fire started
was badly damaged and most residents were allowed to return to
their apartments.
