My son, Eric, was killed at your Ambridge, Pennsylvania plant on Thursday, June 27, 2002, due to a faulty door on an electrical panel as written up on the police report from Harmony Township Police which I am sure they would be willing to send copies of to your corporate office if they have not already done so.

The day he died, a manager from the plant called his roommate X, after 10 pm while a number of friends gathered at the apartment to grieve. The man who spoke to X was very rude and intrusive, asking about my son’s personal habits such as if he drank or used drugs and so forth. He then demanded my phone number which X did not have, he did offer my daughter’s phone number that he had been given that morning, the manager refused to accept it. At this point my son’s roommate chose to terminate the phone call. I would like to know why this was done. Your company, and the manager, had no right asking any of these sorts of questions, especially at a time so disturbing to this young man and their friends.

While no one from your company came to my home or called me; however, two men from the company did go to his mother’s house, my ex-wife, directly before she had to leave for the first viewing on Friday, June 28, 2002, somewhere between 12:43 and 1:15 pm unannounced. They then also went to the viewing where my wife, my daughter, her husband and I met them. While they were at the viewing I requested a meeting in which his mother and I could collect his personal belongings and to ask what had happened. This was agreed to and we set up a meeting for 9 am Monday, July 1, 2002. They then also showed up again at her home on the day of our son’s funeral, also unannounced, before she left home for the 9 am service.

When son’s mother and I arrived at the Ambridge Plant for our appointment, we were made to stand outside in the parking lot in the heat. We were not allowed into the building because we were told that they had to place in the office for us to speak privately and some other long minded rhetoric. We were simply given his car keys by a man, who for some unknown reason, said that he was a former police officer for the City of Detroit. When he gave us the keys he told us that the meeting was over and then he returned to the building leaving us in the parking lot.

These are just some examples of the rude and uncaring treatment our family has received from Iron Mountain. I fail to understand why, as does my ex-wife, your company has acted in this manner. So, I ask why you had to go to his mother’s house before we had the viewing, this was very upsetting to her, and why did you call and harass his roommate. My daughter and I spoke with X who said the man who spoke to him was rude and callus, he was still visibly disturbed by this phone calls days later when we spoke to him. As parents, we feel that to be made to stand in a parking lot while the person who arranged the meeting ignored us as if we were some type of scum is unconscionable. Is this the way Iron Mountain treats everyone?

Please note we have yet to hear back from the company, I will update when we do. Also if you noted they refused my phone number, this was told to a woman at the main office who needed to speak to me. It would have saved her two weeks of trying to find my unlisted number if it had been accepted.

Update, we still have not heard back from the Company as of 8/17/2002 however they are refusing to talk to our attorney and we have been told that employees are NOT ALLOWED to talk to us.


UPDATE, 8/25, its been two months today since my brother's accident and what did my father get in the mail yesterday but a letter from Iron Mountain congratulating my brother on his one year of service. What nerve of these people!! My father sent them back their letter with another copy of the one posted above.

UPDATE, 1/5, since the last update we did not a return letter from Mr. C. Richard Reese, Chairman of Iron Mountain, speaking of his regret over the accident and that he had spoken to the plant manager about the phone calls and vists and was sure it was simply the media questing his roommate in a separate call, there were no two calls that night nor was he given the wrong number for my father by my mother as the letter also states. He is also sure that this was simply an accident. If you read the OSHA report they don't seem to agree we will be sending him a copy of that shortly as well as reports of their violations since 1975 that I have also found on OSHA's web site. As time permits the letters will be posted on this site.