The Schenectady City Fire Department filed a total of 14 reports with the city Codes Department regarding 104 Jay St. in the two years that preceded a fatal fire there -- reports that apparently were ignored, according to a report released Monday.
The Fire Department's reports focused on issues central to the fire's spread and residents' response to the March 6, 2015 blaze.
The report, compiled by a Schenectady County grand jury, includes eight separate recommendations to improve the city Codes Department and its response to critical building issues. It also places blame squarely on the city. One report, sent by a fire lieutenant on March 1, 2014 -- a full year before the fire that killed four residents -- stated: "Building poses numerous hazards that can/will be fatal to its occupants and EMS."