| Hey, Please take a moment to read about these fires-and the Firefighters who lost their lives. Please pass it on, to your troops - and compare your ops to these, your staffing, resources and training. Pass these on to whoever may be able to learn from these sacrifices.
These aren't just stories-but opportunities for us all to learn and train-and honor these Firefighters.
==THE HACKENSACK FORD FIRE: July 1, 1988 was when the infamous 60-ton bow strung truss roof collapsed at a working fire at Hackensack Ford killing Capt. Richard L. Williams, 53, Firefighter William Krejsa, 51, and Firefighter Leonard Radumski, 38 in the Line of Duty. And then, two additional firefighters, Lt. Richard Reinhagen, 48, and Stephen Ennis, 30, survived the initial collapse but were trapped in a closet and running out of air...as the men called out for help over a portable radio while rescuers struggled to find them, they too lost their lives in the Line of Duty.
Every firefighter should be educated on this fire. Odd's are, many Secret List members were not old enough to remember this fire...or were not even born yet. The 5 were engaged in interior fire suppression efforts at the automobile dealership when portions of the building's wood bowstring truss roof suddenly collapsed. The incident occurred on Friday, July 1, 1988, at approximately 1500 hours., when they received the first of a series of telephone calls reporting "flames and smoke" coming from the roof of the Hackensack Ford Dealership.
Two engines, a ladder truck, and a battalion chief responded to the first alarm assignment. The first arriving fire fighters observed a "heavy smoke condition" at the roof area of the building. Engine company crews investigated the source of the smoke inside the building while the truck company crew assessed conditions on the roof. For the next 20 minutes, the focus of the suppression effort was concentrated on these initial tactics. During this time, however, little headway appeared to have been made by the initial suppression efforts, and the magnitude of the fire continued to grow. The overall fire ground tactics were shifted to "defensive" and the battalion chief gave the order to "back your lines out." However, before suppression crews could exit form the interior, a sudden partial collapse of the truss roof occurred, trapping six fire fighters. An intense fire immediately engulfed the area of the collapse. One trapped fire fighter was able to escape through an opening in the debris. The other five died as a result of the collapse.
HERE is how you can learn about how those 5 Firefighters gave their lives-and what has been learned since then:
STORY, PHOTOS, VIDEO HACKENSACK FORD:
The NJ State Report:
http://www.state.nj.us/dca/divisions/dfs/reports/hackensack.pdf
RELATED MEDIA:
http://tinyurl.com/oxba3ze
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/02/nyregion/5-firefighters-killed-in-jersey-as-a-roof-collapses.html
http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2013/06/fire-engineering-vault-hackensack-ford-fire.html
http://tinyurl.com/2uchtoq
The Hackensack fire and an earlier similar incident at the Waldbaums supermarket fire in Brooklyn, New York, http://stevespak.com/waldbaums.html ...provide good lessons to the fire service regarding wood truss roof assemblies. RIP.
==REMEMBERING FIREFIGHTERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY-JULY (Excellent links, videos, photos etc below):
14 CO Firefighters Killed-1994
2 CT FIREFIGHTERS KILLED-2010
2 CALIFORNIA FIREFIGHTERS KILLED-2007
3 NJ FIREFIGHTERS KILLED-2002
==14 FIREFIGHTERS KILLED: SOUTH CANYON/STORM KING FIRE
The South Canyon Fire was a 1994 wildfire that took the lives of 14 wildland firefighters on Storm King Mountain, near Glenwood Springs, Colorado on July 6th, 1994. It is often also referred to as the "Storm King" fire.
HERE is more:
http://www.postindependent.com/news/12037702-113/fire-glenwood-memorial-firefighters
==2 BRIDGEPORT CT: FIREFIGHTERS KILLED 2010
On July 24, 2010, 2 Bridgeport FF's, 40-year-old Lieutenant Steve Velazquez and 49-year-old Firefighter Michel Baik, from Ladder 11 were killed in the Line of Duty. They were found unresponsive at a residential structure fire. Valazquez and Baik and two additional crew members were tasked with conducting a primary search for civilians and fire extension on the 3rd floor of the multifamily residential structure. The fire had been extinguished on the 2nd floor upon their entry into the structure. While pulling walls and the ceiling on the 3rd floor, smoke and heat conditions changed rapidly. RIP.
HERE is the NIOSH Report: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face201018.html
HERE ARE THE DETAILS OF THE FIRE FROM IAFFTV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRHQxJlh7OY (GREAT VIDEO FOR A COMPANY DRILL)
HERE IS MEDIA VIDEO about the Fire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DSlVAGV1c4
==2 CALIFORNIA FIREFIGHTERS: KILLED 2007
Two Contra Costa County firefighters lost their lives on July 21, 2007 after they were caught in flashover as they tried unsuccessfully to rescue a couple from their burning dwelling. A "seemingly routine" call for help quickly turned disastrous with four lives lost, and left the 300-member Contra Costa County Fire Protection District reeling from the first on-duty deaths in its history.
Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Capt. Matt Burton, 34, and Fire Engineer Scott Desmond, 37 died in the fire at the couple's ranch-style, one-story home.
The firefighters had managed to pull one victim from the home and were trying to find the other person when they were caught in the flashover.
Captain Burton and FE Desmond were from the first arriving crew at 0150 hours. They made a fast attack and quickly knocked down the visible fire in the living room. They requested vertical ventilation, grabbed a thermal imaging camera, and made re-entry without a handline to search for the two residents known to be inside. Another crew entered without a handline and began a search for the two residents in the kitchen area. A positive pressure ventilation fan was set at the front door to increase visibility for the search teams. The crew found and was removing a civilian from the kitchen area as rollover was observed extending from the hallway into the living room. Additional crews arrived on-the-scene and started to perform various fireground activities before a battalion chief arrived and assumed command. The IC arrived at 0201 hours and asked the victims' engineer the location of his officer. The officer who assisted removing the civilian from the kitchen briefly re-entered to fight the fire. He then exited and notified the incident commander about his concern for the air supply of both victims who were still in the structure at approximately 0205 hours. Crews conducted a search for the victims and found them in a back bedroom where they had been overcome by a rapid fire event. RIP.
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCLqybjExOY
NIOSH REPORT: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200728.html
MEDIA REPORT: http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/archives/42/Montalvinfirereport1.7.19.08CCTimes.News.pdf
==GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ: 3 FIREFIGHTERS KILLED 2002
On July 4th, 2002 at 0136 hrs.,The Gloucester City FD along with auto-mutual aid including the Mt Ephraim FD was dispatched to 200 North Broadway in Gloucester City for a dwelling fire. Responding units were advised that occupants may be trapped. First arriving units were on the scene in less than three minutes and had heavy fire, burn victims and kids trapped.
While Firefighters were operating an interior attack and rescue, a partial collapse of the structure occurred. An emergency evacuation signal was sounded and while that was happening, a much more substantial collapse occurred trapping 8 Firefighters. Additional rescue resources were requested, Firefighter accountability was initiated and rescue efforts continued. Five of the eight trapped Firefighters were rescued. But 3 Firefighters (see below) died in the Line of Duty and 3 children were killed.
We remember James Sylvester, Fire Chief, Mount Ephraim FD. Sylvester, 31, a 17 year veteran, was survived by his wife, who was pregnant with the couple's first child.
John West Deputy Chief, Mount Ephraim FD. West, 40, a 23-year veteran, was survived by his wife and three children.
Thomas G. Stewart III, Career Firefighter, Gloucester City FD. Stewart, 30, a 13 year veteran, was survived by his fiancée and their son. Stewart publicly proposed to his girlfriend, just hours before the fire while they watched the city's fireworks from high atop a fire truck ladder at Gloucester City High School. RIP.
HERE is the NIOSH REPORT: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200232.html
HERE is the NJ STATE REPORT: http://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/dfs/reports/gloucester.pdf
HERE is the DISCOVERY CHANNEL VIDEO Report and re-creation w/Interviews of those FF's who Survived: (several link choices to the same video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fVWzNNMQPU
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d5c_1343817924
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fVWzNNMQPU&feature=player_embedded
==4 WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS KILLED: WASHINGTON 2001
The Thirtymile Fire started as an escaped picnic cooking fire on July 9, 2001, in the Okanogan National Forest in the state of Washington. On the evening of July 9, the Libby South Fire was already burning 50 miles (80 km) to the south, and this fire exceeded 1,000 acres (4.0 km2). To the north on the Thirtymile Fire, four firefighters were killed in the Line of Duty:
FF Karen FitzPatrick, 18; FF Jessica Johnson, 19; FF Devin Weaver, 21, and fire squad boss FF Tom Craven, 30 - asphyxiating them in, intense heat that literally melted vehicles.
The Thirtymile fire seemed at first, to be a very controllable fire, and fire managers assigned a crew of 21 firefighters, estimating that the fire would be contained by nightfall. However, the temperature on the day of the fire was nearing 100 degrees, and the fire was spreading fast. By mid-afternoon, the crew watched the fire crawl up the slope on the opposite side of the valley, and they called in for more help. The fire's location caused communication difficulties regarding the firefighters' request for helicopter support because of confusion over the legality of dipping water from a "protected" river. RIP.
Details of the issues are explained in author John N. Maclean's book: The Thirtymile Fire: http://johnmacleanbooks.com/thirtymile/
HERE is the Thirtymile Fire Investigation Report. http://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/lessons/documents/Thirtymile_Reports/Thirtymile-Final-Report-2.pdf
RIP. Take Care. Be Careful. Pass it On.
BillyG
The Secret List 7-1-15-1800 Hours www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com |
