Although fire officials acknowledge that the trap doors might have provided some means of escape, they said the doors would not have been adequate for large firefighters operating in heavy gear in spaces darkened by smoke.
But now, in an experiment that has provoked scorn from the largest firefighters' union and criticism from some elected officials in Queens, the department is trying to speed response times in the borough by shortening the time dispatchers spend on the phone before they send firefighters out the door.
The head of the city's largest police union recently declared that his organization "could never support Rudy Giuliani for any elected office," and the head of the city's largest firefighters' union has similarly made it known that his union, which three years ago endorsed George Bush, will not be endorsing Giuliani.
But the flames grew too large, compelling firefighters to call off the rescue.
In two weeks, these labor leaders said, Mr. Schaitberger, whose union has 260,000 members and is the largest for firefighters, plans to appear with Mr. Kerry in New Hampshire, the first primary state, alongside hundreds of firefighters.
Of these, more than 2,000 are inmates, according to estimates provided by regional fire centers, with most operating in California, home to the nation's largest inmate-firefighter program.
With large numbers of firefighters already on the scene, the site erupted in explosions.
A large contingent of firefighters and nearly a dozen fire vehicles, working over a two-block stretch, had the fire under control by 10 30 p.m.
But instead of having large squads of firefighters spread out in the work zone, there are often just small groups of emergency workers assigned to each quadrant.
