At a press conference Tuesday, July 15, outside FRFD headquarters, Bacon said the city has typically relied on overtime for coverage in the event of a crisis -- but in an event like the Gabriel House “you can never have enough staff,” and that he is primarily focused on the lives that were saved.

Mice, cockroaches and beds without sheets were a part of life at the Gabriel House in Fall River, according to a current employee, long before Sunday’s fire that killed nine residents and injured 30 at the assisted living facility.

River's fire chief says the cause of the Gabriel House fire that killed nine residents remains under investigation, while acknowledging more firefighters on scene could have improved rescue efforts.