Fire Strikes Another Paterson School

School # 15 Closed as a Result of Fires, Bomb Threat

School # 15 got lucky on Thursday, September 27 even though someone set three fires in the school, and left a 20 page handwritten bomb threat. The school, its students and its staff got lucky because:

• School # 15 was not one of the schools cited the week before with fire alarm violations. (The school, however, was cited for storing gasoline in the building, one of three fire code violations that were corrected in the past two weeks.)

"That's the importance of us letting the school district know about the problems and to have them abated," Postorino said.

• The school fire alarms were working.
• There were few students and staff in the building when the alarms worked, telling everyone to evacuate.

Paterson firefighters responding to a 7:34 a.m. alarm Wednesday discovered three fires at the school, Fire Chief Michael Postorino said. Two were set in the school's auditorium; the other was in a classroom on the school's lower floor.

Wednesday's fires caused no structural damage to the building, although the school sustained smoke and water damage, Postorino said. Doors were also broken, apparently by emergency workers.

Parents and students said the fire made them question the safety of the Paterson schools. "It's a problem because not too long ago, the schools failed fire inspections. Now, one of the schools that did pass had a fire in it," said Betsy Matias, who was picking up her daughter, 12-year-old Keisi Inoa, at Roberto Clemente. "I grew up in this school system, but I do not feel safe with my kids here."

Keisi said she was walking to the school cafeteria for breakfast when the school was evacuated. Standing outside, she could smell smoke. She had left her backpack in school and was concerned about the markers, crayons and pictures of her friends inside.

"The staff members of School # 15 who were in the building at the time deserve a tremendous amount of credit for their quick thinking and action," commented P.E.A. President Pete Tirri. "They maintained their cool, employed their training and got everyone out of the school without injury."

Tirri also commended the School # 15 staff members who arrived at the scene. "Despite being blocked from their school, and coming upon this possible calamity, the staff members got the children together and moved them away from the fire scene, first to adjacent Bauerle Field, and then to the New Roberto Clemente School. Everyone acted as the professionals they are, and we are extremely proud of the job they did."

Classes were combined at the New RCS for several days before the School # 15 family returned to their own school.

Authorities had no suspects as of Wednesday afternoon. They said they found no signs of a break-in.

"It could be anybody right now who has access to the school," said Detective Lt. Anthony Traina, a spokesman for the Paterson Police Department. The investigation is ongoing.

By ED BEESON, ALEXANDER MacINNES and ASHLEY KINDERGAN

Additonal information by the P.E.A. Advocate staff

Photos by DAVID BERGELAND / HERALD NEW, and Mitch Izenberg, P.E.A. Advocate