Essay About E31 And Truck Company

Tactics Paper for Firefighter Death
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Victims – 39 y/o male Lieutenant
39 y/o male firefighter
*assignment – initial entry crew searching for the
fire and possible entrapment of the store manager
were operating handline/ back of the store on fire
above suspended ceiling
*what? – Truck company pulling ceilings looking for
extension and possible back draft explosion occurred
in the void space above the ceiling tiles
Victim 1 Lt. – ordered everyone to back out due to
intense heat – same time roof system began to fail
sending debris down on top of firefighters
Victim 1 and 2 – got separated and disoriented
* Removal – victim 2 was removed within minutes and
transported to local hospital
Victim 1 was removed 1 1/2 hours later
*Results – both Lt. and firefighter died
*Training – Lt. 11 yrs of experience firefighter level
III, haz-mat, forcible entry, f/f survival, emt,
strategy and tactics
f/f 18 yrs of experience firefighter level III,
haz-mat, forcible entry, f/f survival, emt, strategy
and tactics
*Equipment – Eng. 31 – 4 people including victim 1 and
2 (1st IC – Lt.)
Eng. 26 – 4 people
Truck 11 – 4 people
Eng. 27 – 4 people
Truck 6 – 4 including tiller man
Batt. Chief 2 – 2nd IC
Batt. Chief 11 – C-D corner/sector command
Rescue 2 – 4 people
Division 1 – final IC
*Building Info – Type II, non-combustible
8,925 sq ft of space, 6,670 sq ft was retail space
No sprinkler system
Exterior walls constructed of 12-inch masonry blocks
with 4-hour fire rating
New roof installed in April 10, 2001 Ð- hot asphalt
over a ÐÑ* inch fiberboard membrane
The store was sectioned into two parts by a block wall
with a man door for access between the two. The front
section was for retail operations and consisted of a
suspended ceiling which covered the bottom of the roof
trusses. The discount mercantile operation in the
front section contained merchandise ranging from
automotive supplies to clothing. The rear section was
used for storage and also consisted of a separate
office space. The steel bar joists were open in the
rear storage section, which shared the void space in
the front created by the suspended ceiling.
INVESTIGATION
On June 15, 2003, a 39-year-old male career Lieutenant
(Victim #1) and a 39-year-old male career fire fighter
(Victim #2) died while trying to exit a commercial
structure following a partial roof collapse. At
approximately 1945 hours, Central Dispatch eceived a
call of a structure fire in a commercial occupancy
with a possible entrapment and dispatched the first
alarm assignments. Engine 31 (E31) was the first to
arrive on the scene at 1950 hours and radioed Central
Dispatch to report light smoke showing from the roof
and in the building. The Lieutenant from E31 (Victim
#1) assumed incident command (IC). The driver/operator
from E31 began forcing the front door while the crew
prepared to enter the store. Engine 26 (E26) and Truck
11 (T11) arrived on the scene at 1951 hours. Engine 26
began laying a 5-inch supply line from a hydrant to
Engine 31. Truck 11 was ordered to the roof to
investigate the air conditioning unit for a possible
malfunction. Engine 27 (E27) arrived on the scene at
1952 hours and began assisting E31. Truck 6 (T6)
arrived on the scene at 1953 hours and began forcing
the door at the rear of the building, C-side (Diagram
1).
The IC (Victim #1) and the Lieutenant from E26 (Lt.
26) entered the building to investigate and search for
the fire. Light smoke allowed the officers to see to
the back of the store which was approximately 100 feet
long. Victim #1 and Lt. 26 proceeded to the rear
without donning their air masks. There was no visible
fire in the store. Victim #1 and Lt. 26 entered the
storeroom in the rear (Diagram 2) to search for the
fire. The smoke conditions in the storeroom were
heavier, but did not require the officers to don their