10/14/2026
🚨 CRITICAL SAFETY WARNING: CRITICAL UNDERSTAFFING AT 5 BEEMAN ST. FIRE🚨
Canandaigua Residents & Community Members,
Our firefighters answered a call for a structure fire at 5 Beeman Street on 10/11 —an 11,000 sq. ft., turn-of-the-century building featuring a first-floor restaurant, rooftop dining, and two upper floors of occupied apartments. Heavy smoke was pouring from every floor, with the status of trapped residents inside completely unknown.
According to NFPA 1710—the national standard for fire safety—a structure of this size and risk level (a medium hazard) requires an initial response of 28 firefighters to safely attack the fire, conduct rescues, establish water supply, and manage scene safety.
How many Canandaigua firefighters responded on the initial alarm? ONLY FOUR.
Two firefighters on Engine 212 (a Captain and firefighter) and two firefighters on Truck 281.
Because of this severe lack of personnel, our four firefighters were forced to make impossible choices and perform multi-person tasks completely alone:
🚨 Engine 212 Captain: Called for mutual aid and immediately entered the building alone to search multiple apartments across two floors for trapped occupants—leaving no Incident Commander outside to run the fireground or monitor safety.
🚨 Engine 212 Firefighter: Stretched a 200ft hose line and performed forcible entry alone, forced to completely abandon operating the pump on the fire engine.
🚨 Truck 281 Firefighter #1: Entered the burning building to assist with forcible entry and advancing the hose line.
🚨 Truck 281 Firefighter #2: Single-handedly stretched 200 ft. of large diameter supply hose from a hydrant to supply Engine 212 with water, returned to the ladder truck to reposition and set up aerial ladder operations alone, and then entered the building to assist with search and rescue.
🚨 Veterans Affairs Fire Department: The VA FD was preassigned the task of “FAST” Firefighter Assist and Search Team. This is a designated team of specialty trained firefighters whose only task is to standby and assist down or injured firefighters (a NYS and NFPA requirement). Upon arrival due to low manpower the VA FD was tasked with assisting in search and rescue, leaving no “FAST” Team should any FF’s suffer an emergency on scene.
THE REALITY OF WHAT WAS LEFT UNCOVERED:
Because all 4 firefighters were forced inside to perform life-saving rescues and hose advancement, there were:
❌ NO firefighters outside to operate the pump
❌ NO firefighters outside to operate the aerial ladder truck
❌ NO firefighters outside to throw ground ladders to windows for emergency rescue/egress
❌ NO Incident Commander outside to manage safety or direct incoming units
❌ NO “FAST Team” established until further into the incident
OUR COMMUNITY & OUR FIREFIGHTERS DESERVE BETTER!
While our firefighters stepped up heroic efforts under extreme odds, 4 firefighters cannot safely do the job of 28. Relying on critically low staffing puts lives at risk—both the residents trapped inside and the firefighters trying to save them.
Minutes matter in a fire. Proper staffing isn't just a number on paper—it's the difference between life and death. We need adequate, safe staffing levels in Canandaigua now to protect our community and ensure every firefighter makes it home safely.
