Mother of fallen Boston firefighter frustrated with lack of action on welding safety bill
Flames glowed from the roof an old mill building in Boston's Hyde Park neighborhood on Saturday. Fire officials report that flames were moving across the roof of 1 Westinghouse Plaza. A firefighter was rushed to the hospital in cardiac arrest.
Now, this Hyde Park fire is stoking an anger that has lived inside Kathy Crosby-Bell for over a decade. Crosby-Bell's son, Boston Firefighter Michael Kennedy, and fellow firefighter Lt. Edward Walsh were both killed in a Back Bay blaze in 2014. The cause of the fire at a Beacon Street brownstone was determined to be sparks from unpermitted welding work on a windy day.
The cause of Saturday's fire in Hyde Park is still under investigation but fire officials say welding was taking place at the building last weekend.
"I know a lot of fires begin because of hot works and nobody wants to track them," Crosby-Bell said.
Legislation would increase welding oversight, training
For years, Crosby-Bell and her non-profit, the Last Call Foundation, have advocated for legislation which would increase oversight and training for welders.
Right now, there are two proposed bills that would require welders to undergo training using a National Fire Protection Association program, impose fines on welders who do not take the training, and slap criminal penalties on welders who do not take training and have work that results in injury or death.
"There's somebody to hold responsible. Not like what happened with Mike and Ed. Nobody was held responsible," Crosby-Bell said.
The legislation also proposes a database of welders.
Mother of fallen firefighter questions inaction
Different versions of the legislation have languished in the State House for a decade and Crosby-Bell wants to know why.
"On March 26, it will be 12 years since that fire happened. And the immediate aftermath was everyone wanted to help and do something. Well that faded so quickly with the politicians and we have to wonder why," she said.
WBZ-TV reached out to the Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, where the legislation currently sits, as well as the sponsor of the Senate and House versions of the bill and received no response.
WBZ-TV learned the welding work taking place at 1 Westinghouse Plaza was done with a proper permit. The firefighter who went to hospital remains there.
