The state fire marshal’s office was in Shelton Thursday to interview Fire Marshal James Tortora as part of an investigation into a complaint of fire code violations at Shelton High School.
Trooper Detective Joe Lombardi conducted the interview, according to Tortora. The state fire marshal’s office is a division of the state’s Department of Public Safety.
“They interviewed me today, but I’m not going to divulge what we spoke about,” Tortora said Thursday afternoon.
The state fire marshal’s office has been inspecting Shelton High School in response to a complaint about code violations.
Tortora didn’t know specifically what the complaint says, as he has not been shown the contents, he said.
State police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said the complaint deals specifically with alleged code violations at the high school.
It is not a criminal investigation, Vance said Friday.
Vance said the investigation is active.
“We’re examining everything, documenting everything,” Vance said. “We’re examining the statutes to see if there are any violations. It’s a big, evolving, ongoing process before we come to any conclusion. Simply stated, it’s still being investigated.”
Fire Code
The fire code violations at the high school were noted in a re-accreditation report for Shelton High School issued in July.
“Pending fire code violations present safety issues and concerns for students and staff members,” the report from NEASC stated.
According to the NEASC report, the violations have to do with:
- The Installation of sprinklers in technology classrooms, maintenance shops and painting areas
- The lack of windows for rescue from interior classrooms
- The replacement and repair of fire stairs and doors
Tortora said his office is aware of fire code violations, and has been working toward fixing them with the Shelton High School Fire Rehabilitation Committee.
Mayor Mark Lauretti, when asked about the trooper interview Thursday morning, said he wasn’t aware it was going on.
Fire And Politics
The fire code issues at the high school have been a talking point in mayoral candidate Chris Jones’ campaign.
Since a fire broke out at Shelton High School in December 2008, Jones has pushed for the code violations to be fixed. He filed a complaint with the state fire marshal in February 2009, referring to code violations. The state determined there were no violations of state statute at the time.
Tortora said the city has been reviewing the code violations, but that fixing some things takes time.
For example, several interior classrooms don’t have windows for secondary escape — a fire code violation.
To satisfy the state fire marshal, the city could install second doorways in those classrooms, install sprinklers throughout the building or try to come up with some other solution, Tortora said.
The city’s fire rehabilitation committee has been evaluating the options and trying to fix the problem, he said.
“That’s what we’re doing, but these things take time,” Tortora said. “It’s not something that takes three to six months.”
Jones disagreed.
“This should have been done the summer after that fire,” Jones said. “Lauretti was in charge of making sure this all took place… Lauretti dropped the ball on this. Why isn’t it done?”
A message was left with Lauretti Thursday, seeking a response to Jones’ statements.
