A Firefighter's Widow Demands Change… And The Mayor Responds
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
DALLAS (CBS 11 NEWS) - A veteran firefighter's widow has accused the City of Dallas and its fire department of a coverup in her husband's death – an accusation Dallas fire officials deny.
"We don't want anyone else to die," said Jenny Wilson, whose husband, Stan, died in May 2013 after he entered a burning apartment complex in search of victims when the structure collapsed.
Surrounded by family and supporters, Jenny and her attorney, Barry Hasten, accused the city and the Dallas Fire and Rescue Department of not doing all it could to investigate Wilson's death, including checking out allegations that firefighters should not have been ordered back into the building by Deputy Chief Bobby Ross, now retired, who has denied issuing the order or doing anything wrong.
But Jenny Wilson believes the fire had been burning too long, a search for victims had already been completed, and water streams were pounding the roof, increasing the risk of a collapse, all of which she says made it too dangerous for her husband to re-enter the blaze.
Questions surrounding how the fire was fought, and what led to Wilson's death, were first reported by CBS 11's I-Team in a months-long investigation.
This week, with her youngest son Luke by her side, Wilson accused officials with the city and with the fire department of covering up evidence that, if revealed, would hold certain department commanders accountable for mistakes made at the scene.
Hasten added: "It seems protecting jobs was more important than protecting lives."
Joel Lavender, a spokesman for the fire department, said the events leading up to Stan Wilson's death was thoroughly investigated, resulting in new training procedures. In addition,
"in honor of Stanley Wilson," the department will continue to look for ways to improve.
In a news conference at her lawyer's office in Arlington, Jenny Wilson said she was not satisfied, calling on Dallas city officials, including Mayor Mike Rawlings, to hire an independent investigator to look into her husband's death.
In response, Rawlings told the I-Team in a statement that Wilson's death "was a terrible tragedy for our city. I want to make sure Dallas Fire-Rescue learns whatever it can from what happened on that day…"
The mayor also said he wanted Dallas' city manager to keep him up to speed on changes made at the fire department, including improving communications among firefighters fighting a fire.
"We must do everything possible to ensure that no other family suffers the pain that the Wilson family has endured these past two years," Rawlings added.
Jenny Wilson, in an exclusive interview with the I-Team, said she will continue to lead the efforts to make the job safer for Dallas firefighters, even if it is a role she is not entirely comfortable with.
"It's difficult to see myself on the news....but this is too important to be silent," Wilson told us.
She said her husband never leaves her thoughts as she campaigns for change.
"This is something very wrong that needs to be corrected," Wilson said. "I know that Stan would be proud of me right now."
If you want to reach CBS 11′s Senior Investigative Producer Jack Douglas Jr., you can email him at jdouglas@cbs.com. If you want to reach CBS 11′s Senior Investigative reporter Ginger Allen, you can email her at gingera@ktvt.com.
(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)