Collyers' Mansion

Published 05/29/2014 by: Operations

A "Collyers' Mansion" is a modern firefighting term for a dwelling that is so filled with trash and debris it becomes a serious danger to the occupants and emergency responders. It is common for a FDNY Incident Commander to transmit "Searches will be delayed" over the Department radio when these type of conditions are found. Collyer-type conditions can be found anywhere in New York City. When these conditions are found Firefighters must perform thorough extinguishment, overhaul and search. The large amount of clutter can make final extinguishment and searches very difficult and time- consuming.

The Collyer brothers often are cited as an example of compulsive hoarding associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as well as disposophobia or “Collyer brothers syndrome,” a fear of throwing anything away. For decades, the unemployed men lived in their home at 2078 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan. They obsessively collected newspapers, books, furniture, musical instruments and many other items, with booby traps set up in corridors and doorways to protect against intruders. On March 21, 1947, Homer Collyer was found dead in the Harlem brownstone. On April 8, 1947, a workman found the body of Langley Collyer just 10 feet from where Homer died. The brownstone contained more than 100 tons of rubbish that they had amassed spanningseveral decades.

Units responding to fires and/or emergencies in a hoarding household will have to operate under difficult conditions due to:

• Increased fire load resulting in high heat and smoke conditions • Deep-seated content fires • Difficulty fully extinguishing fire • Storage of materials near or on top of heating sources, such as candles, cigarettes, stove, furnace, etc. • Unable to force and/or open doors • Entry and exit pathways blocked • Falling and tripping hazards for Firefighters and occupants • Debris pilled high enough for firefighter crawling atop can to accidentally crawl out a window in smoke condition • Results of studies: Only 26 percent of hoarding households have a working smoke detector

How to approach a compulsive hoarder when confronted with a potentially dangerous living situation (Handbook: A Guide for Human Service Professionals, Oxford University Press)

• Use respectful language. Instead of commenting on "the mess" with frowns or grimaces, speak in neutral tones with neutral expressions. Say, "I’m concerned about your personal safety." • Match the language of the person. If the person talks about his "collection" or her "things," use that language. Don’t use words like "junk," "trash" or even "hoarding," as these words carry derogatory meanings. • Focus on safety issues. Concentrate on key areas, such as stoves, heat sources, blocked exits, non-working smoke alarms, structural damage or frayed electrical cords. Try to build support for addressing these particular safety issues instead of insisting on an immediate, total clean-up. • Explain that you understand why this is upsettin,g even while you emphasize that some kind of change is necessary.

Crawling atop the debris is extremely Debris and heavy objects can fall onto members hazardous to firefighters. In a smoke condition, during operations. members could crawl out broken windows if debris is level with the sill.

Debris may block entry into fire area hampering Access into the dwelling maybe blocked by debris, hoseline placement and advancement. requiring ladder from the exterior. Members may need to seek alternate methods such as breaching walls or exterior streams to get water onto the fire.

Information Links: Collyers' Mansion Type Fires, WNYF Article A "Collyers' Mansion" is a modern firefighting term for a dwelling of hoarders that is so filled with trash and debris it becomes a serious danger to the occupants and emergency responders.

Training Bulletin Search 1 The strategies of search never change in that the FDNY always strives to conduct an immediate primary search, followed by a painstakingly complete secondary search.

New York Times Newspaper Article - Collyer Brothers The Collyer brothers often are cited as an example of compulsive hoarding associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as well as'a fear of throwing anything away. For decades, the unemployed men lived in their home at 2078 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan.