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OF OUR PRODUCER, OUR
SOURCES, OUR CONSULTANT AND
INSPECTOR. THE LAWYERS CLAIM
THE OWN HIRED FIRE SAFETY
EXPERT AND ENGINEER MIKE DILL
LISTEN INSPECTED SIGNIFICANT
NUMBER OF FIR DOORS AND
FRAMES AT STAPLES AND FOUND
THEM FULLY FUNCTIONAL. THEY
SAY DILLON CAN FIND NO BASIS
FOR CHARACTERIZESING THE
ARENA AS UNSAFE. BUT
THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS THE
LAWYERS HAVE REFUSED TO LET
US INTERVIEW MIKE DILLON.
THEY ALSO SENT US THIS
BINDER. TITLED SMOKE CONTROL
SPECIAL INSPECTION REPORT.
WHICH THEY SAY DOCUMENTS A
COMPLETE AND SUCCESSFUL
ACCEPTANCE TEST DONE ON
STAPLES SMOKE CONTROL SYSTEM
INCLUDING ITS FIRE DOORS IN
LATE 19 MEAN. THEY QUOTED
DILLON AS SATISFYING NOTHING
IN THOSE DOCUMENTS LEADS ME
TO CONCLUDE THAT STAPLES
CENTER IS CURRENTLY UNSAFE.
WE ASKED TOWNSEND AND OTHER
EXPERTS TO EXAMINE ENTHE
BINDER. THEY ALL REACHED THE
SAME CONCLUSION. THAT THIS
IS A SNAP SHOT OF INCOMPLETE
TEST DONE ON INCOMPLETE SMOKE
CONTROL SYSTEM. ONLY
PARTIALLY CLIENT WITH THE
CODES. MANY MONTHS BEFORE THE
CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
>> NO MENTION OF ANY OF THE
DOORS OPERATION IF THEY
OPERATED PROP RECALL. NO
MENTION OF ANY REPORT THAT
THE DEVICE WERE HIS TESTED.
>>Reporter: IN ADDITION WE
HAVE UNCOVERED FIRE
DEPARTMENT DOCUMENTS THAT
SHOW THE ALARM SYSTEM AND
FIRE CONTROL PANEL FOR THE
SMOKE CONTROL SYSTEM HAD NOT
BEEN INSTALLED AT THE TIME
THIS REPORT WAS PREPARED.
>> IF YOU HAVE A FIRE CONTROL
PANEL ONLY PARTIALLY
OPERATIONAL NOT FULLY CAN YOU
CONDUCT A FULL ACCEPTANCE
TEST OF THE SMOKY EVACUATION
SYSTEM.
>> NO.
>>Reporter: ACCORDING TO
THIS FIRE DEPARTMENT LAW OVER
THE NEXT 5 MONTHS RIGHT UP TO
THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY
FIRE AND BUILDING OFFICIALS
CONTINUED TO INVESTIGATE
WHETHER SMOKE CONTROL SYSTEM
ACTUALLY WORKED.
>> THAT ENTIRE TIME THEY WERE
TESTING EVERY DAY.
>>Reporter: DAY BEFORE THE
CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY FIRE
INSPECTOR ISSUED HIS OWN
FINAL TEST REPORT ON THE
SMOKE CONTROL SYSTEM. AND
INDICATED BY EMPTY CHECK OFF
BOX THAT HE HAD NOT GIVEN IT
A PASSING GRADE. INSTEAD HE
REFERRED READ INVESTIGATORS
HIS LOG NOTES IN WHICH HE
WROTE I SPOKE WITH BOB FLOREZ
AND SAYS MOST OF THE RATED
FIRE DOORS IN THE FACILITY
HAVE BEEN ALTERED OR
IMPROPERLY REPAIRED AND
INSTALLED AND THAT HE WOULD
NOT CERTIFY THEM AS THEY ARE
NOW. YOU EXPRESSED THAT
OPINION IN WRITING.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>>Reporter: I WILL NOT
CERTIFY THE DOORS IN WRITING.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>>Reporter: BUILDING
OFFICIALS RAN FINAL TEST ON
COMPONENT OF THE SMOKE
CONTROL SYSTEM AND GAVE THEM
ONLY PARTIAL APPROVAL. EVEN
SO THE FOLLOWING DAY FEBRUARY
16th 2000 THE 60 SIGNED OFF
ON STAPLE CERTIFICATE OF
OCCUPANCY VERIFYING THAT ALL
FIRE LIKE SAFETY SYSTEMS WERE
PROVEN EFFECTIVE. WE ASKED
THE FORMER CHIEF DEPUTY FIRE
MARSHAL FOR THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON. HOW COULD THAT
HAPPEN?
>> IT HAPPENED IF THE CITY
OFFICIALS SIGNED OFF ON THE
CF O WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T
HAVE. THAT'S HOW IT HAPPENS.
SHOULDN'T HAPPEN THAT WAY.
NO WAY IT WOULD HAPPEN IF I
WAS INVOLVED. NEVER SIGN OFF
ON SMOKE CONTROL SYSTEM WHERE
RECOMMEND TO THE BUILDING
OFFICIAL TO SIGN ON UNLESS
ALL THE SAFETY SYSTEMS WERE
UP AND RUNNING AND PASSED 100
PERCENT OF THE CERTIFICATION
AND ACCEPTANCE TEST.
>>Reporter: TOWNSEND ISN'T
THE ONLY CAUTIONARY VOICE.
>> THINKS AN INSPECTION
PROBLEM.
>>Reporter: A RENOWNED
EXPERT ON FIRE SAFETY
EVALUATION AND EVACUATION
PROCEDURE SAYS HE FINDS THE
EVIDENCE WE COLLECTED ON
STAPLES TROUBLING.
>> THERE ARE VARIOUS REASONS
FOR THIS. ONE BEING THAT
DOORS ARE ILL FITTING OR
DON'T WORK LIKE THEY ARE
SUPPOSED TO AND HENCE THE
SMOKE CONTROL DOESN'T WORK AS
WELL AS IT'S SUPPOSED TO AND
SECONDLY THERE APPEARS NOT TO
HAVE BEEN ADEQUATE TESTING OR
EVALUATION OF THE SMOKE
CONTROL SYSTEM.
>>Reporter: HE ADMITTED IN
THE ORIGINAL INTERVIEW HE WAS
AOEG INTER1999 TO GET THE
ARENA UP AND RUNNING. BUT HE
SAID NEITHER HE NOR THE CITY
SHORT CHANGED ANY OF THE
REQUIRED FIRE SAFETY TESTS
FOR STAPLES.
>> NO FAVORS WERE ASKED FOR
AND WE WENT THROUGH EVERY
STANDARD TEST THAT ANY OTHER
BUILDING HAS TO GO THROUGH.
>>Reporter: BUT THIS REPORT
PREPARED BY INSPECTOR UNTIL
LATE FEBRUARY OF 2000 STATES
THE INSPECTION SCHEDULE
ESTABLISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT
OF BUILDING AND SAFETY AND
THE ARENA CONTRACTORS WAS NOT
PRACTICAL. NOT ENOUGH TIME
ALLOWED FOR RETESTING
DEEFFICIENCY TO MEET THE
PROPOSED CERTIFICATE OF
OCCUPANCY DATE. EVEN NOW
SEVEN YEARS LATER BUILDING
AND SAFETY COMPUTER DATABASE
SHOWS THAT MANY FIRE SAFETY
PERMIT FOR STAPLES INCLUDING
THE ONE FOR SMOKE CONTROL
COMPONENTS STILL HAVE ONLY
PARTIAL APPROVAL AS THE FINAL
INSPECTION ENTRIES.
DEPARTMENT SAYS EITHER BEHIND
IN ITS DATA ENTRY.
>> CLEAR THAT THIS DOOR IS
NOT LATCHED. CAN SEE THE
OFFSET FROM EACH OTHER FACE.
WE CAN SEE THE LIGHT COMING
RIGHT THROUGH THE BOTTOM
THERE AS WELL. WE CAN
CLEARLY SEE THE MARGIN HERE
IS VERY LARGE.
>>Reporter: IN THE LAST OF
THE RECENT TRIPS TO STAPLE
BOB FLOREZ WAS ACCOMPANIED BY
WHETHER HE WILL CHAIR BOUND
RICHARD A FORKER BUILDING
INSPECTOR WHO HELPED THE
MAYOR OF SAN FRANCISCO
DEVELOP BUILDING STANDARD TO
ASSIST THE DISABLED.
>> WOULD THE DOORS PROTECT
YOU OR PERSON WITH ANOTHER
TYPE OF DISABILITY OR THE
GENERAL PUBLIC?
>> I COULDN'T TELL YOU THAT
THIS DOOR WOULD HELP KEEP YOU
SAFE FROM MIGRATION OF SMOKE
OR FIRE. TO SAY THEY WOULD
PROTECT YOU NO I WOULDN'T GO
ANYWHERE NEAR THAT.
>>Reporter: BOB FLOREZ TELLS
US HE FILED A REPORT WITH THE
CITY BACK IN 2000 EXPLAINING
HIS CONCERNS ABOUT THE FIRE
DOORS. WE FILED A PUBLIC
RECORDS REQUEST ASKING THE
DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND
SAFETY FOR A KEEP OF HIS
REPORT. THEY REFERRED US TO
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE
SCOURED FIRE DEPARTMENT FILES
FOR IT. AND FOUND NO TRACE.
BUILDING SAFETY TOLD US THE
LABELS PLACED ON THE FIRE
DOORS BY THE MANUFACTURER ARE
PROOF THE COMPONENTS ARE
CERTIFIED AS CODE CLIENT.
FLOREZ SAYS UNDER CODE
REQUIREMENTS ONCE A FIRE DOOR
IS FULLY INSTALLED IF ANY
PART OF IT IS DAMAGED OR
INSTALLED IMPROPERLY, IT MUST
BE RECERTIFIED BY AN
INDEPENDENT INSPECTOR LIKE
THE TESTING AGENCY HE WORKED
FOR AT STAPLES IN 1999-2000.
IN THE MANY LETTERS TO US
STAPLES LAWYERS EMPHASIZE THE
SMOKE CONTROL TEST PREPARED
IN LATE 1999 REPRESENT THE
COMPLETE SUCCESSFUL
ACCEPTANCE TESTING NECESSARY
FOR CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
THEY DO NOT EXPLAIN WHY THE
CITY 10ED TESTING THE SMOKE
CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE NEXT 5
MONTHS. IN ONE LETTER
STAPLES LETTERS DID
ACKNOWLEDGE FIRE INSPECTOR
NEAL HAD CONDUCTED SMOKE
CONTROL TEST AT STAY
NECESSARY EARLY 2000 BUT THEY
ALSO CLAIM THAT MR. NEAL
WASN'T RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
SMOKE CONTROL ASPECT OF THE
PROJECT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
DEKHRAOEPD TO LET US
INTERVIEW HIM OR ANY OTHER
OFFICER. STAPLES LAWYERS
ALSO NOTED THAT HE WROTE THE
WORD COMPLETED ON HANDWRITTEN
NOTES ABOUT THE SMOKE CONTROL
TEST HE RAN. THEY CLAIM THIS
MEANS THE SMOKE CONTROL
SYSTEM WAS FULLY AND
SUCCESSFULLY TESTED. OUR
EXPERTS TAKE A DIFFERENT
VIEW.
>> FULLY TEST ANYTHING
WHETHER IT PASSES OR NOT IS A
DIFFERENT STORY.
>>Reporter: RECENTLY STAPLES
FEAR SAFETY EXPERT DILLON
CONTACTED FLOREZ AND TALKED
WITH HIM ABOUT THE FIRE
DOORS. IN A FOLLOW-UP LETTER
STAPLES LAWYERS STATE WE HAVE
REASON TO BELIEVE THAT
MR. FLOREZ NEVER ADVISED THE
NETWORK KNBC THAT STAPLES
FIRE DOORS PRESENT A HAZARD
EITHER BY VERIFY FEW OF THE
DESIGN, INSTALLATION OR
CURRENT CONDITION. BOB