An 11-year-old girl sustained serious injuries after falling five stories from a sliding glass door at the Tamarac Family Shelter in Denver on Monday.
The girl is expected to be released from the hospital soon; however, the incident has ignited significant concerns regarding safety measures at the shelter.
Questions have arisen regarding the design of the glass door, which opened into an unsecured ledge without any protective barrier, as well as why it was unlocked at the time of the fall.
In response to the incident, city officials are moving quickly to secure the glass doors in every room at the shelter, which is run by the Salvation Army and operates within a former Embassy Suites hotel.
Prior to the city’s acquisition of the building for approximately $21 million, the previous owners removed the balcony railings, though the reason behind this remains unclear.
After purchasing the building, the city installed locks and issued warnings in both English and Spanish on every door, advising residents against opening the doors or tampering with the bolts.
Despite these warnings, the door in the room where the girl fell had been unlocked, a fact confirmed by Mayor Mike Johnston during a recent city council meeting.
The mayor noted, “We had some folks who broke off the locks on those systems and opened the doors even against our guidance. The child that fell out, that was a room where they had broken off the lock that we had put in.”
Concerns persist regarding the security of these locks, which can be easily removed using standard Phillips-head screwdrivers.
The Tamarac Family Shelter accommodates 204 families as part of Mayor Johnston’s House1000 initiative.
Each room is designed with a sliding glass door similar to the one involved in the incident, overlooking a ledge.
The girl fell from the seventh floor onto a lower roof, and as of now, the specifics of her injuries and her identity have not been disclosed.
A spokesperson for the Salvation Army stated that families sign agreements upon moving in, committing to not tamper with the sealed doors.
“Unfortunately, the safety features were tampered with—contrary to The Salvation Army’s regulations and the signed guest agreement—and the door was opened,” the spokesperson stated to Denverite.
“The Salvation Army takes the safety of every family in our care extremely seriously. Our staff frequently check these window safeguards. We remain committed to maintaining a safe and supportive shelter for families in need and to working closely with our city partners to prevent future incidents.”
City officials are now looking to implement a permanent solution that involves securing the doors with rivets.
This modification would allow the doors to open only four inches for ventilation, accompanied by tamper-proof bolts to prevent unauthorized access.
In a recent city council meeting, Johnston emphasized the importance of securing the doors, saying, “We obviously saw why we don’t want them opened.”
Initial plans to make these changes were already underway following a maintenance request from June, but the urgency increased after Monday’s fall.
These proposed four-inch openings for ventilation were recommended by the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment, while every room is also equipped with a personal air conditioning unit.
This incident is not isolated; previous concerns had been raised regarding the Tamarac facility.
In 2024, attorney Darren O’Connor sent a letter to the Salvation Army outlining issues with this specific shelter, particularly surrounding the sliding glass doors.
O’Connor represented a family at Tamarac that had complained about mold due to leaks from their sliding glass door, expressing worries that their door may not close fully and was not properly sealed.
While the Salvation Army representative did not address O’Connor’s letter directly, they reiterated that staff conduct regular checks of all rooms, including doors.
An audit released in 2024 flagged “poor management” within the Department of Housing Stability, or HOST, indicating that security issues and other operational problems are prevalent at shelters throughout Denver.
“Housing Stability’s poor organization is negatively affecting operations at Denver’s shelters,” said city auditor Tim O’Brien.
He also highlighted that failures in security measures had contributed to fatalities at one shelter that did not meet safety contract requirements.
This has prompted commitments from the city and its partners to enhance safety across the shelter network.
Due to safety concerns, advocates have recently urged lawmakers to cut ties with The Salvation Army, claiming that the organization is inadequately equipped to run shelters.
This pressure has led some city council members to call for significant changes in how the charity operates its shelters.
In response, Salvation Army spokesperson Jennifer Forker defended the organization, asserting that personal grievances have fueled what she termed “false claims and misinformation” about their operations.
Forker stressed, “Every day, The Salvation Army shelters up to 1,800 people, including at least 300 children — work no one else stepped up to do — and we do it with professionalism and care.”
During a city council meeting, Mayor Johnston commended the council for their efforts within the housing initiative and highlighted achievements, including a reported 45 percent decrease in street homelessness.
image source from：denverite
