The families of three Wilmington, Delaware firefighters are blaming officials and cost-cutting measures for the firefighters’ deaths in a 2016 blaze.
A lawsuit alleges that the city of Wilmington, former Mayor Dennis Williams and others are to blame for the deaths of three firefighters and the severe injury of another.
It says a cost-saving policy taking fire engines out of service prevented hundreds of gallons of water from arriving within minutes at the scene of a fire.
WDEL-FM reports that court documents filed Monday say the city and department's "rolling bypass" policy led to the deaths of firefighters Jerry Fickes, Ardythe "Ardy" Hope and Lt. Christopher Leach at the September 2016 fire. Now-retired firefighter Brad Speakman was severely injured.
The lawsuit was filed last year by attorney Tom Neuberger on behalf of the victims and their families. The defendants filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit in October.
