Times Union13%
Union: Unit lacked full-time safety official before Albany explosion 4%
By Patrick Tine24%
8/5/2026, 9:10:19 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 10 faulty reasoning types, including Availability Heuristic, Self-Serving Bias, and Status Quo Bias, with Appeal to Emotion as the most egregious example at 9.1% saturation with 85 hits. Analysis detected 420 faulty-reasoning hits from 931 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 12.4% and a BS Rank of 4% (27,327 of 28,461 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 96.00% of the article peer group.
ALBANY — In the aftermath of a gas pump explosion that critically injured a Department of General Services supervisor and a senior fire department official, a city employee union that represents some workers in the general services department is questioning why the agency has not hired a full-time safety coordinator.
In a statement Wednesday, Alex Catello, a labor relations specialist with Council 66, which represents hundreds of general services and water department workers, called for a “complete investigation into fuel-pump maintenance and repairs, employee training, contractor involvement, and safety oversight.”
His statement noted that a review should “include the full-time facility safety coordinator vacancy that has existed since approximately February and whether assigning those responsibilities on a part-time, acting basis provided sufficient time, authority, and oversight to protect employees.”
The statement said the injured general services supervisor had been represented by Council 66's Local 1961, but is now represented by the Civil Service Employees Association.
Catello’s statement said unionized workers regularly used the fuel system that exploded at 3:15 p.m.
Tuesday at 1 Richard Conners Blvd.
He said the union is “requesting preservation of all evidence, access to relevant records, and confirmation by qualified professionals that the fuel system is safe before employees are required to use it again.”
Timothy Finnigan, the person still listed as Albany’s general services safety coordinator on the city’s website, said Wednesday that he had left his post in March.
He did not offer specifics for his departure, saying only that he had accepted a new job elsewhere.
He said that when he left, the department was using temporary equipment while a new gas island was being installed to fuel city vehicles.
Video of the incident shared with the Times Union shows a marked fire department SUV parked several feet away from what appears to resemble a large shipping container and other outbuildings behind the headquarters.
A man in a white shirt and dark trousers — who appears to be Albany Fire Department Battalion Chief Wayne Brennan — is seen in the video moving around the front of the container as another man begins to walk toward him.
A few seconds later, with the men standing next to one another, the container bursts into flames.
Brennan can be seen getting hurled backwards by the fireball explosion while the other man runs several steps before falling after the flames appeared to also reach him.
Fire Chief Joseph Gregory said Wednesday he believed a fire department unit was being fueled at the time of the explosion.
Catello said that the duties of a safety coordinator include inspecting workplace conditions, reviewing records and work practices, monitoring compliance, training and taking corrective action when hazards are found.
Zipporah Hommel, a spokeswoman for the mayor, said the Department of General Services had an acting safety coordinator in place after the post was vacated in March.
“Yesterday’s incident remains under active investigation, and the city continues to collaborate with the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control to determine the cause,” she said in a statement.
“The mayor was onsite immediately following the incident, and has been coordinating with (Police Chief Brendan Cox), Chief Gregory, and DGS Commissioner (Sergio) Panunzio since yesterday,” Hommel added.
“Mayor Applyrs extends her deepest sympathy to the injured employees, and the city continues to provide support to their loved ones and colleagues during this difficult time.”
The injured general services supervisor, who has not been named, and Brennan both suffered critical injuries as a result of the explosion and flash fire, Gregory said Tuesday.
They were treated at the scene before being taken to different hospitals.
The general services supervisor was taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital, and Brennan was flown to Westchester Medical Center, which has a special unit for critical burn injuries.
A statement from the Albany Police Department issued Wednesday afternoon said the 48-year-old general services supervisor was later taken to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, which also has an intensive-care unit for burn victims.
According to two sources, Brennan, 62, suffered burns across his upper body and is intubated in an intensive-care unit.
The sources said they were told by fire department members that Brennan is expected to survive — although his condition is critical.
Reached by phone Wednesday morning, Gregory said he was at the fire scene, along with representatives from the police department and the state Office of Fire Prevention and Control, and they were “trying to piece together what happened.”
He emphasized that the investigation is still in its early stages.
He said the fuel system that exploded was a shared system used for refueling vehicles across city departments.
He said the mayor’s administration has been supportive while their investigation is continuing and the department copes with the anguish of one of its longtime members being injured.
“Everyone is here.
I spoke with the mayor last night and early this morning.
The state fire administrator is on scene.
Everyone is engaged,” Gregory said.
“I’ve spoken with Police Chief (Cox) several times and DGS Commissioner Sergio Panunzio.
We’re all working together.”
The Albany Common Council released a statement Wednesday afternoon praising the emergency personnel who responded to the explosion.
“Our thoughts are with the two city of Albany employees who were seriously injured, as well as their families, friends, and colleaguesduring this difficult time.
We remain hopeful for their full recovery,” the statement said.
“The Common Council will continue to monitor the situation closely and stands ready to support efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of all city employees.”
Speakers
6speakers69%attributed speech293writer words
Selected voice
77%flagged-word coverageAlbany Common Council
79 attributed words12% of attributed speech34% writer coverage
Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.
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