Friends of missing contractor Jamie Fitzgerald are questioning why the Adamo Group is more focused on demolition work than finding him.
Fitzgerald, 47, went missing after the roof of a decommissioned power plant in Adams County collapsed on Dec. 9. Rescue crews have been on-site for three weeks and his family members still want answers.
More:Work resumes at Adams County building collapse where 1 worker remains missing
Facebook comments about Fitzgerald's safety underneath the debris emerged after the Adamo Group demolished the stack tower at the Killen Generating Station site Tuesday morning. Many are saying the company should have gotten Jamie out before resuming demolition.
Steve Worthington, a union ironworker with more than 25 years of experience, said in a Facebook group that dropping the stack "only causes more of a mess when the manpower should of been focused on finding Jamie."
Another Facebook user, Natalie Petty, said the situation is sad and she "can't imagine the thoughts of not even knowing if he is alive under all the debris."
The Adamo Group says its main priorities are recovering Fitzgerald and protecting workers who are on-site from additional hazards.
Thornton Tomasetti, an independent engineering firm, identified the 11-story stack as a potential hazard to crews working at the site, according to a statement released by the Adamo Group. The demolition contractor also stated OSHA gave them permission to resume work at the site.
"The stack was felled with no issues or problems," according to a statement released Tuesday afternoon. "The stack was located in an area of the site that had no bearing on the efforts to recover Jamie Fitzgerald. That work is continuing seven days a week."
Nickie Benjamin understands why the stack needed to come down and hopes they locate Fitzgerald soon.
"That stack was a danger to the workers," Benjamin commented on a Facebook post. "It was unstable and as much ground movement as they had — it needed to come down. I'd hate to have a bunch more people hurt or trapped."
Adamo said all work crews, first responders, and local and state law enforcement agencies were notified of the demolition in advance.
What happened on Dec. 9
The roof of the main building at the Killen Generating Station collapsed on Dec. 9, resulting in three workers being trapped underneath the rubble and hospitalizing another two. One of the missing workers was rescued that same day.
Doug Gray, 42, was recovered on Dec. 12.
The Adamo Group said it may be mid-to-late January before Fitzgerald's body is recovered from the site.
The cause of the collapse is still unknown at this time.
The Killen Generating Station closed in 2018 but has been undergoing demolition and remediation work this year under Commercial Liability Partners as part of a redevelopment plan. The Adamo Group was hired by Commercial Liability Partners in December 2019, according to county records.
Fitzgerald's fiance, Lora Conley, said the only thing that matters right now is getting him home. She believes he is still alive.
"I still have hope and prayers for him," she told the Enquirer Tuesday. "The focus is on Jamie... not who is right or wrong. That will come in time. We as a family need prayers and lots of them."
Source link
