Investigating whether cop cars blocked firefighters responding to fire at Southgate senior facility

Local 4 Insiders spoke out three days after a fire at a Southgate senior living facility, sharing concerns about the response efforts.

While no deaths occurred and responders acted quickly, some insiders were worried about the initial arrival of emergency crews.

It was reported that emergency crews were having a hard time getting through and parking because of the police cars and their positions.

Although a quick police response is vital, questions remained about the policy and protocol for parking police vehicles at fire scenes to avoid blocking fire trucks.

Radio traffic from the scene highlighted the urgency and coordination challenges crews faced.

“Hey, yo, can you send us a couple of Wyandotte cars? I got a pretty good fire. Flames are coming out of the roof. I’m going to need as much help as I can to get these people out of there, please,” one firefighter said.

Another added, “I’m on the second floor. I got a bunch of people trapped up here. I need as much help as I can get.”

Calls were made to move police vehicles blocking fire truck access.

“Anybody blocking the entrance, I need you guys to move your police cars for the fire trucks,” a dispatcher said.

Despite these concerns, Southgate Fire Chief responded with a statement: “Upon my arrival on scene, I did not observe any police vehicles obstructing access. It is possible that the first responding officers initially parked near the building to provide immediate assistance. At the onset of the emergency, however, I did not identify any issues related to vehicle placement.”

The chief did not recall his exact arrival time and referred inquiries to Public Safety Director Marsh, who has not yet responded.

We’ve emphasized the importance of perspective as Local 4 is not criticizing, but it’s one of those Monday morning quarterbacks who say, ‘Okay, what could we have done better?’"

Insiders expressed urgency about the need for clear protocols: “When the fire comes, when those flames are shooting, I’ve got to get to the building close.”

The question now is how to improve response coordination for future emergencies.

Thankfully, no one was hurt in the fire, which remains the most important outcome.