Bronx Construction Worker Accident at Freedom Tower Causes "Turf War"
As reported in today's New York Daily News, Bronx construction worker Jose Jerez was seriously injured yesterday when he fell 14 feet onto a piece of plywood floor while working at the Freedom Tower. The 28 year old Jerez was working on a doorway 100 feet above ground level at Ground Zero. The article did not describe the cause of the worker's plunge and what, if any, safety equipment was provided to him to prevent the fall (perhaps a harness?).
Unfortunately, the story dealt more with the "turf war" between the Port Authority and the FDNY over which agency should respond to such emergencies. Apparently, the Port Authority has sole jurisdiction over the former World Trade Center site, and actually prevented Fire Department medical responders from entering the site to help Mr. Jerez..
This is typical of New York City bureaucracy BS! If the New York City Fire Department medical team responded first, were they supposed to just wait outside the fence to the Freedom Tower while the construction worker screamed in pain?! Thankfully, I have a feeling that New York's Bravest" wouldn't stand for such silliness and would always do whatever was necessary to aid an injured worker.
This is not the first construction accident fall at the Freedom Tower, and it certainly won't be the last. Click here to follow the ongoing progress of the re-building of Ground Zero in pictures (they have now placed the structural steel up to 20 floors). Let's hope the Port Authority responds more professionally in the future.
