Two construction workers stranded roughly 70 feet above Vassar Street were hauled to safety Monday after Cambridge fire crews pulled off a high-angle rescue that turned a stalled scaffold into a full-blown technical operation. Firefighters used a lower-floor window to bring the workers inside while emergency medical personnel and police waited below in case things went sideways.
High-angle rescue on Vassar Street
According to the Cambridge Fire Department, Engine 2, Ladder 2, Squad 2, Rescue 1 and Division 1 responded when the scaffold became disabled about 70 feet above the street. Crews rigged a high-angle setup, moved into the building, and removed both workers through a lower-floor window rather than risk bringing them down on the stuck platform. The department reports that pro EMS, MIT Police and the Cambridge Police Department assisted at the scene.
Experienced tech crews handled the call
The department notes this was not unfamiliar territory for its technical rescue teams. The city’s public news feed has documented previous high-angle and elevator rescues that depend on the same specialized rescue and ladder companies. The Cambridge Fire Department highlights regular training and joint drills designed to keep crews sharp for exactly these kinds of complex evacuations.
Scaffolding safety and what 70 feet means
Work on scaffolding is tightly governed by federal safety rules, which generally call for fall protection when workers are more than 10 feet off the ground and require frequent inspections by a designated competent person. Those protections are spelled out in OSHA regulations. The scaffolding involved in Monday’s incident was set up along Vassar Street in the middle of MIT’s campus, near the Stata Center at 32 Vassar Street. Location details for the site appear in MIT materials.
What officials say and what's next
The fire department’s Facebook update did not include information on injuries or explain what caused the scaffold to fail, and as of Monday afternoon neither the city nor the contractor had posted additional public statements. Typically, city and state safety officials, along with the contractor’s own safety team, handle follow-up after construction incidents and may release more details once inspections are complete.
