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Career lieutenant and career fire fighter die and four career fire fighters are seriously injured during a three alarm apartment fire - New York.

Berardinelli S; Lutz V; McFall M; Romano N; Griffin C

Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, FACE F2005-03, 2006 Dec; :1-20

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200503.html

20031339

On January 23, 2005, a 46-year-old male career Lieutenant (Victim #1) and a 37-year-old male career fire fighter (Victim #2) died, and four career fire fighters were injured during a three alarm fire in a four story apartment building. The victims and injured fire fighters were searching for any potentially trapped occupants on the floor above the fire. The fire started in a third floor apartment and quickly extended to the fourth floor. Fire fighters had been on the scene less than 30 minutes when they became trapped by advancing fire and were forced to exit through the fourth floor windows. The six fire fighters were transported to metropolitan hospitals where the two victims were later pronounced dead. NIOSH investigators concluded that, to minimize the risk of similar occurrences, fire departments should: 1. review and follow existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for structural fire fighting to ensure that fire fighters operating in hazardous areas have charged hoselines; 2. ensure that fire fighters are trained on the hazards of operating on the floor above the fire without a charged hoseline and follow associated standard operating procedures (SOPs); 3. ensure that fire fighters conducting interior operations provide the incident commander with progress reports; 4. ensure that team continuity is maintained during interior operations; 5. review and follow existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for incident commanders to divide up functions during complex incidents; 6. ensure that Mayday transmissions are prioritized and fire fighters are trained on initiating Mayday radio transmissions immediately when they become trapped inside a structure; 7. develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fire fighting operations during high wind conditions; 8. provide fire fighters with the appropriate safety equipment, such as escape ropes, and associated training in jurisdictions where high-rise fires are likely. Additionally, building owners should follow current building codes for the safety of occupants and fire fighters.

Region-2; Fire-fighters; Fire-fighting; Fire-safety; Fire-hazards; Injury-prevention; Accident-prevention; Traumatic-injuries; Emergency-responders; Fire-fighting-equipment; Accident-prevention; Accidents; Injuries; Safety-education; Safety-measures; Safety-practices; Surveillance

20061206

Field Studies; Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation

2007

PB2007-103712

A03

FACE-F2005-03

DSR

NAICS-92

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

NY; WV