York firefighter widows initiate legal action following fatal fire, collapse
York City Fire/Rescue Services firefighters Ivan Flanscha, 50, of Red Lion, left, and Zachary Anthony, 29, of York. (Photo: submitted)
(York) — The widows of two York firefighters who died from injuries they suffered in a building collapse have initiated legal action against C.S. Davidson Inc., which the city contracts with for engineering services.
Casey Flanscha and Allison Hoffman, who are also the administrators of the estates of York City Fire/Rescue Services firefighters Ivan Flanscha and Zachary Anthony, respectively, each filed court documents on Tuesday in the York County Court of Common Pleas.
The court documents do not contain any allegations. But they allow them to collect information about what happened to potentially file a lawsuit.
It’s unclear why legal action has been started against the company. Joel Rosen and Stewart Cohen, Casey Flanscha’s and Hoffman’s attorneys, could not be reached.
C.S. Davidson Inc. President and CEO Kerryn Fulton said the company did not have any involvement with the old Weaver Organ & Piano Co. factory until after the firefighters died. The firm, she said, comes out on the request of the city.
Fulton said the company was contacted afterward to provide “general consultation” with the site, but she declined to elaborate. The firm hasn’t yet received notice about the case.
On March 22, Ivan Flanscha, 50, of Red Lion, and Anthony, 29, of York, were on the fourth floor of the building, which was on North Broad Street near Walnut Street, dealing with hot spots when it collapsed. Assistant Fire Chief Greg Altland and firefighter Erik Swanson were also hurt in the collapse but survived.
A fire engulfed the building the previous day.
Developers were converting the old factory into 42 modern apartments. The building was 53,000 square feet and about 130 years old.
An estimated 5,000 people attended a memorial service for the fallen firefighters at the York Expo Center. The National Institute for Occupational Safety Health Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program is scheduled to meet with city leaders next week and launch an investigation into the deaths.
This story comes to us through a partnership between WITF and The York Daily Record.
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