THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING
On Saturday, February 7, 2009, the Iowa state fire marshal ordered closed the 106-year-old "Atalissa Bunkhouse" where dozens of mentally disabled Texans lived in order to work at a meat processing plant in the employ of Henry’s Turkey Service. Acting on a tip, Iowa Department of Human Services workers believed the men, though living in a clean environment, may be suffering from neglect and the evacuation was ordered after inspectors discovered the building had been warmed solely by space heaters since the boiler had broke down in 2002. Water heaters vented inside the building, creating an additional risk of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning, officials said. Windows were boarded up to keep out the cold and some doors were padlocked. Investigators also found electrical circuits overloaded with surge protectors and extension chords. Entire sections of the building were constructed with flammable plywood and in some instances the nearest exit from the bedrooms was more than 100 feet away. “If there was a fire in this building, it would spread very quickly. It would be very difficult for everyone to get out alive,” said Kyle Gorsh, an inspection supervisor with the state fire marshal’s office. The residents of the facility were moved to a hotel Saturday night, and officials from the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI agents were on the scene.
"My God, this is an embarrassment to the state of Iowa," said Sylvia Piper of Iowa Protection and Advocacy, a federally funded group that oversees services for the disabled. "This should not be happening in our state."
READ MORE ABOUT IT IN OUR BLOG!!
THE ATALISSA BUNKHOUSE
HENRY’S TURKEY SERVICE
CITY & STATE OFFICIALS: WTF?!
THE ETHICS AND THE MEDIA
COMPLAINTS ABOUT ATALISSA BUNHOUSE REJECTED
MEANWHILE, THE COMMUNITY....
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