THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, May 17, 1996                   TAG: 9605170019
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A16  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   37 lines

DID THE BUILDING KILL FIREFIGHTERS?

In reference to your headline of May 4, ``Fire chief blames building for deaths'':

When the two firefighters died, I was one of four Virginia Beach police chaplains called to the scene. While I was there I heard several firefighters say, ``This building was designed to kill firemen.''

My questions are as follows:

Was the building built in compliance with Virginia and national building codes? During construction, was the building properly inspected and certified?

If it was built according to code, then how can this state allow such inadequate and unsafe construction?

How many firefighters do we need to lose before the code is upgraded to require the safest construction?

Can someone answer these questions?

This is why we elect legislators. They should act in this matter.

The Rev. RUSSELL CHURCH BURCHARD

Virginia Beach, May 7, 1996

Regarding the investigation of the deaths of firefighters in Chesapeake (``Fire chief blames building''): I am a retired firefighter of 23 years' service. The chief's explanation doesn't make any sense to me.

B. H. ELLER

Virginia Beach, May 4, 1996 by CNB