"Lessons Learned from the Buffalo Blizzard." That’s the main title of the report released last week by New York University, which criticizes the City of Buffalo’s preparedness and response to Winter Storm Elliott.
But according to the President of Buffalo’s Firefighter’s Union, Vincent Ventresca, the report is "nothing more than a fluff piece put together in an effort to slowly cover up the glaring failures of people in leadership roles within the City of Buffalo."
Ventresca leads Buffalo Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 282, and represents over 700 Buffalo firefighters. Speaking at a press conference Thursday, he took specific aim at Fire Commissioner William Renaldo, who is also the current Emergency Management Coordinator for the city.
"[Commissioner Renaldo] has never pre planned or coordinated a storm response in any way. He did no interdepartmental coordination. He did no tabletop exercises and he did no training in this area," Ventresca stated.
He went on to pick apart some statements in the report, which was commissioned by the City of Buffalo and written by Sarah M. Kaufman of New York University. When it came to staffing firehouses, for example, the report found that they were fully staffed throughout the blizzard thanks to what Kaufman calls “a well-developed reserve plan.”
But, as previously reported by WBFO, the firehouses were only fully staffed throughout because firefighters were unable to switch shifts due to the dangerous weather conditions. Some were on duty for around 96 hours because "there was no plan in place to relieve them," according to Ventresca.
When it comes to apparatus, the report found that the lack of snow-agile equipment, such as all-terrain vehicles, left both the police and fire departments "without the resources they needed." In response, the city plans to order four utility task vehicles on July 1, which are due to arrive around October. But Ventresca says that without planning how to properly use the new equipment, it will be "a knee jerk purchase and a waste of time, energy and money."
WBFO reached out to Commissioner Renaldo’s office for a response, and they said: “The Buffalo Fire Department responded to all 12 fires that occurred during the blizzard.”
They also told WBFO that “Commissioner Renaldo and his management team put together a task force that included City of Buffalo Department of Public Works (DPW), Buffalo Police , State Fire and the National Guard. This task force allowed firefighters and fire trucks to respond to all 12 fires. The task force, including DPW high lifts, cleared the way for fire trucks to get to the fires. Only one minor injury was reported during those 12 fires.”
Thirty-one City of Buffalo residents died in the storm. For Ventresca, there has not been enough accountability.
"Ask yourself: Is no one responsible for what occurred during the Buffalo blizzard? This storm took a tremendous toll on the Western New York community. There was a tragic loss of life. It showed that the Buffalo Fire Department was not prepared for a snowstorm. This is Buffalo New York. It should be."
The full report can be found below.
