Glenn Corbett: Learning From the Disaster at 22nd and Market

Monday, March 5, 2018

12:00 PM-1:30 PM

Learning From the Disaster at 22nd and Market: An Overview of the Report of the Mayor's Special Independent Advisory Commission

 

On June 5, 2013, workers demolishing a vacant building near the corner of 22nd and Market Streets in Philadelphia caused the unstable structure to collapse on to an adjacent Salvation Army Thrift Store, killing 6 and injuring over a dozen more. In this presentation, the Commission's chairperson, Glenn Corbett, will discuss the creation of the Commission, including the role of the victims' families. In addition, he will review the major findings of the Commission's report, most notably the significant issues involving the city's Department of Licenses and Inspection.

Glenn Corbett is an associate professor of fire science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He is the technical editor of Fire Engineering magazine and is a former assistant chief of the Waldwick, New Jersey Fire Department. Additionally, he has served as the president of the New Jersey Society of Fire Service Instructors.

In the wake of 9/11, he testified before the 9/11 Commission as well as several Congressional committees concerning issues of emergency response and terrorism resistant building protection. He served on the Federal Advisory Committee of the National Construction Safety Team that investigated the World Trade Center disaster. In addition, he is the chief technical advisor to the Skyscraper Safety Campaign, a 9/11 family advocacy group dedicated to improving emergency response and high-rise fire protection.

He has spent a large part of his career in code enforcement. He was a fire protection consultant for the City of Austin, Texas Fire Department and was the Administrator of Engineering Services for the San Antonio, Texas Fire Department. He was a member of Mayor Bloomberg’s Building Code Task Force in New York City. Corbett currently sits on the New Jersey State Fire Code Council.

Corbett is a co-author of "Brannigan’s Building Construction for the Fire Service, 5th Edition." In addition, he is the editor of "Fire Engineering’s Handbook for Firefighter I and II." He was the 2013 recipient of the Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award presented at the Fire Department Instructors Conference.

Corbett holds a Master of Engineering in Fire Protection Engineering degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Texas.

Contact Information

Irene Cho
itc25@drexel.edu