ALBANY – The Department of State Wednesday transmitted to the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) the report of the Fire, Building and Life Safety Code Applicability at the Riverview Individual Residential Alternative (IRA).

Details have not been made public because of the ongoing investigation, officials said.

At the request of OMRDD Commissioner Diana Jones Ritter, the Department of State's Office of Fire Prevention and Control conducted a fire safety and codes review of the Riverview IRA in Wells, New York after the tragic fire on March 21, 2009. This report identifies code compliance issues as well as provides a prospective review of fire safety in community residences.

As previously announced by OMRDD, the report will be used by an OMRDD panel of statewide and national experts, including a representative from DOS' Office of Fire Prevention and Control, to assess OMRDD's current policies, procedures and practices in the areas of fire safety for thoroughness and effectiveness. The panel will also propose recommendations for system-wide changes to enhance fire protection and detection in places where people with developmental disabilities live or receive services.

State Fire Administrator Floyd Madison said, "I want to extend my deepest sympathies to all of the families that lost loved ones in this tragedy. Commissioner Ritter should be applauded for taking the proactive step in requesting this report. This report provides recommendations on actions that can be taken to prevent this type of tragedy from happening again. We hope that the report will be used as a catalyst to improve the safety of the residents and workforce in these types of settings."

The Department of State has also transmitted to the New York State Police and Hamilton County District Attorney the Fire Origin and Cause Report. A systematic process was used to examine the scene for determination of the fire's origin. As a result of this examination, all accidental and natural ignition sources present in and around the area of origin were examined and eliminated, with the cause of the fire determined to have been as a result of human action. The full investigative report will not be released publicly at this time due to the ongoing, active criminal investigation.