One Dead After Fire in Trump Tower, Where Trump Lobbied Against Installing Sprinklers

[Content Note: Fire; death.]

On Saturday, a fire at Trump Tower left six firefighters injured and killed 67-year-old resident Todd Brassner, who had lived in the building for two decades.

My sincerest condolences to Brassner's family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors. I hope the injured firefighters will all make swift recoveries.

There are no sprinklers on the residential floors of Trump Tower, because it was completed before building codes in New York City required them. And, although many building owners voluntarily retrofitted their residences with sprinklers despite not being required to do so, presumably because they aren't sociopaths and care about human lives, Donald Trump was not among them.


In fact, Trump fiercely lobbied against a proposal that would have mandated sprinklers in all high rises, and, instead, the city council passed a different version of the bill, signed by Trump's BFF and then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, which excluded from the mandate buildings built before its passage.


A lack of sprinklers were not the only problem during the blaze:


And, despite the injuries to firefighters and Brassner's death, the only thing Trump has said about the blaze, via tweet, is: "Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!"

He has offered no condolences to Brassner's family, offered no concern for the injured firefighters, offered no sympathy for the other residents who may be traumatized or dealing with smoke damage to their property. Just praise for how "well built" his building is, even though its lack of sprinklers may have cost a man his life.

He's been on Twitter instead shit-talking Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and the FBI, and congratulating the winner of the Masters golf tournament.

What a truly loathsome person he is.

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