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HAMILTON, OH BASEMENT FIRE LODD REPORT RELEASED

 Brian Kazmierzak    December 21, 2017    No Comments

On December 28, 2015, a 28-year-old male career fire fighter died due to thermal injuries and smoke inhalation with severe pulmonary edema at a single-family residential structure fire.

Read the Report
Fire Fighter Falls Through Floor and Dies at Residential Structure Fire

At 0113 hours, the fire department was dispatched to a report of residential structure fire. The dispatcher advised on the dispatch channel that heavy, black smoke was showing. The dispatcher advised at 0114 hours that two elderly people may be in the house. Additionally, the dispatcher stated there was smoke coming from the basement in the back of the house. These last two  transmissions were on the dispatch channel and not simulcast on the tactical channel.

Quint 25 responded at 0114 hours and was on-scene at 0117 hours. Upon arrival, the acting officer of Quint 25 met a police officer who advised him that the neighbors reported two residents possibly inside. Heavy smoke was showing from the front half of the house, but no flames were visible.

The acting officer of Quint 25 told the fire fighter on Quint 25 to get the thermal imager and take the irons to the front porch (Side Alpha). The acting officer from Quint 25 walked along Side Bravo to Side Charlie. He then proceeded back to Side Alpha. He advised the dispatcher at 0118 hours that smoke was showing from three sides of a residential structure but he could see no visible fire. The acting officer of Quint 25 decided to enter the house through the front door, which was on Side Bravo/Side Alpha corner.

The engineer from Quint 25 had stretched a 1¾-inch hoseline to the front door. The fire fighter from Quint 25 forced the front door. The fire fighter from Quint 25 made entry into the foyer and then turned right into the family/living room. The acting officer of Quint 25 was behind the fire fighter on the hoseline. The acting officer of Quint 25 stated that the smoke was about a foot off the floor but not hot.

As the Quint 25 fire fighter crawled into the family/living room, the floor collapsed and the fire fighter immediately fell into the basement. Note: The term basement will be used in this report versus the term cellar. This is the term used by the fire department in their reports and correspondence.

The acting officer of Quint 25 started calling for the fire fighter. The acting officer from Quint 25 and the foyer were immediately enveloped in fire. The officer from Engine 24 called a Mayday at 0123 hours. Command ordered Tower 22 and Engine 21 to locate the missing fire fighter in the basement at 0125 hours.

In approximately 10 minutes, the fire fighter from Quint 25 was located, placed in a Stokes basket, and removed from the basement. Once outside, the fire fighter was treated by six paramedics, moved to a stretcher, and transported in Medic 22 to the local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 0226 hours

Contributing Factors:

  • Arson fire
  • Incomplete scene size-up
  • Wind-driven fire
  • Lack of tactical priorities (incident action plan)
  • Lack of resource status management
  • Lack of command safety
  • Ineffective dispatch center operations
  • Lack of a written professional development program

 

Key Recommendations:

 

 

  • As part of the strategy and incident action plan, incident commanders should ensure a detailed scene size-up and risk assessment occurs during initial fireground operations, including the deployment of resources to Side Charlie. Scene size-up and risk assessment should occur throughout the incident
  • Incident commanders should ensure that the strategy and tactics (incident action plan) match the conditions encountered during initial operations and throughout the incident
  • Fire departments should develop and implement a standard operating procedure, training programs, and tactics for wind-driven fires.

 

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UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute

2 hours ago

UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute

On March 4, middle school students from a local Maryland middle school will have the opportunity to take part in the USA Science & Engineering Festival #NiftyFifty presentation by UL FSRI's "Fire Scientist" Dr. Dan Madrzykowski! They will learn about fire dynamics, fire research and fire safety through UL Xplorlabs and #CloseBeforeYouDoze.

The Nifty Fifty, a program of Science Spark, are a group of noted science and engineering professionals who fan out across the country to speak about their work and careers at various middle and high schools. Featuring some of the most inspiring role models in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, this signature program of the USA Science and Engineering Festival presents your students with the latest in green technology, engineering, human health and medicine, astronomy and space exploration, nanotechnology, computer science, and more. The Nifty Fifty program featured over 100 STEM role models and reached over 22,000 students during 2016-2018.
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Dr. Dan Madrzykowski | USASEF

usasciencefestival.org

Fire Science with Dan Madrzykowski! Throughout his career, Dan Madrzykowski has conducted fire investigation related studies in a wide range of areas including fire fighter line of duty deaths, the post-earthquake fires in Kobe, Japan, oil field fires in Kuwait, the Station Night Club fire, and the....
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UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute

1 day ago

UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute

#ThrowbackThursday to one of our previous studies, "Improving Fire Safety by Understanding the Fire Performance of Engineered Floor Systems."

Check out the research and online training available to dive deeper into this week's #TacticalTuesday episode that discussed the importance of initiating the firefight on the same level as the fire.
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UL FSRI – Fire Safety Research Institute - Improving Fire Safety by Understanding the Fire Performance of Engineered Floor Systems

ulfirefightersafety.org

The main objective of this project was to improve firefighter safety by increasing the level of knowledge on the fire response to basement fires.
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UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute

2 days ago

UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute

FALSE: With your door open, you'll be able to smell fire and smoke and call for help quicker than with your door closed.

Listen to Peter Van Dorpe, Fire Chief of Algonquin - Lake in the HIlls Fire Protection District, extinguish this myth and underscore why you and your family should always #CloseBeforeYouDoze.

Check out an additional resource from ScienceDaily - "Scents Will Not Rouse Us From Slumber Says New Brown University Study."
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/05/040518075747.htm
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CBYD Myth Extinguisher: With the door open, I am safer during a fire..mp4
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Jonathan Di Cesaris

UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute

3 days ago

UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute

For today's #TacticalTuesday, check out this video featuring UL FSRI Advisory Board Member, Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel as he discusses the importance of initiating the firefight on the same level as the fire.

The quickest way to improve conditions on the fireground is to put the fire out. This is particularly important during basement fires when firefighters can be at increased risk for a floor collapse or become caught in the exhaust portion of a flow path if they are attacking from the floor above the fire.

Many factors can play into the initial decision of where to place the first attack line, but when possible, it is best to get water directly on the fire where it is burning. This does not mean that the primary search is not a priority or that it cannot be conducted concurrently. It highlights the need to coordinate ventilation, extinguishment and search. Early fire suppression is integral to minimizing the hazard on the fireground.

For more research resources and training related to this consideration click here: bit.ly/2EidLFI
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Tactical Consideration: Initiate Your Firefight on the Same Level as the Fire
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Connor Hustead

UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute

4 days ago

UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute

Today, we are welcoming a new member to the UL FSRI team!

Angela Bennett is the new UL FSRI Instructional Design Manager. She will support the UL FSRI team by managing course content development, instructional design and storyboard skills for online learning projects. She holds both a Bachelor's of Science and Master's of Science in Emergency Health Services and Instructional Systems Design from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Angela is a 28-year veteran of the fire and emergency services with most of her service in Western Maryland. Before joining UL FSRI, Angela spent over twenty-years on the Faculty at the University of Maryland, Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI) where she most recently managed the Institute Development Section, which is responsible for the design and development of all MFRI programs.
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Today, we are welcoming a new member to the UL FSRI team! 

Angela Bennett is the new UL FSRI Instructional Design Manager. She will support the UL FSRI team by managing course content development, instructional design and storyboard skills for online learning projects.  She holds both a Bachelors of Science and Masters of Science in Emergency Health Services and Instructional Systems Design from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. 

Angela is a 28-year veteran of the fire and emergency services with most of her service in Western Maryland. Before joining UL FSRI, Angela spent over twenty-years on the Faculty at the University of Maryland, Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI) where she most recently managed the Institute Development Section, which is responsible for the design and development of all MFRI programs.
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Congratulations, good luck in your new chapter

Congratulations Angie!

One of the best!! Great things for all!

Congratulations Angie. How important that phone call was so many years ago.

Congrats and good luck Angela👍

Really like your picture ! Congratulations

Congratulations,pretty lady!

Congratulations Angie great job!

Congratulations Angie!

You guys are lucky to have her join your team.

So impressive! And great picture, too!

Wow !!!! Congratulations Kiddo!!!!

Awesome news, Angie will do great work.

An excellent choice!

Congratulations!! Does this mean that if I have a fire emergency, I should first call you? 😱

Awesome choice!!!! Angie will rock it!!!

Congratulations Angie, I’m so happy for you. This picture of you is beautiful. I wish you the best of luck on your new adventure.

Way to go Angie! I had no idea storyboard skills (which I know through advertising) are also used in developing online educational curriculum. Interesting.

Congratulations Angie bennett

The start of another NEW ANGIE. Way to go girl. Miss you.

Congratulations Angie!!!!

I couldn't emoji like love and wow and the same time.

Congrats Angie! That’s awesome.

Congratulations!! That's so exciting!!

Change is exciting! Good for you Angie. Keep rocking it!

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