Report Number: 05-0000069
Report Date: 05/27/2005
Event Description
A structural alarm assignment was dispatched for an occupied house on fire. Upon arrival the companies (three engines, two ladders, two battalion chiefs, ambulance and an ALS unit) were confronted with a working fire in the attic space. As the fire was knocked down, a hoseline was placed into the attic acess opening with a fire fighter and an officer assigned to observe and control fire extension and prevent a rekindle (overhaul phase). It was at this time a ventilation opening was being made above both of these members.
The fire fighter was directed by the officer to take the hoseline over towards the gable end opening. The officer remained at the attic opening, separating the crew. Once the fire fighter moved into the requested position, he fell through the attic space (dry wall between the rafters) trapping himself firmly between two of the ceiling rafters. The position that the fire fighter ended up in shut off his air supply from his SCBA. Due to the overhead noise (gasoline powered saw), he was unable to call for assistance. Due to a lack of equipment, only the officer had a portable radio. The end result was the fire fighter was suffocating due to the position of his facepiece and was unable to call for help by any means. As a last resort, he remembered to rely on a previously learned technique of using the wall as a ladder ("wall climbing") to climb back into the attic space. The fire fighter kicked his feet into the load bearing wall below, breaking through the dry wall and was able to get back into the attic space on this own. Once he was in the attic, he called for and received help by requesting a "Mayday".
The fire fighter was transported to a local hospital and spent about two weeks hopsitalized. Another three months of rehabilitation was necessary before he could return to full duty. The officer required hospitalization as well to treat injuries that he sustained lifting the fire fighter from the attic to a safe postion on the ladder
Lesson Learned
1. The command was somewhat limited at this incident. We had an acting battalion chief and communications were questionable at best.
2. Spliting the crew into two single person units is never a good idea.
3. The fire fighter should have had a portable radio with him and the ability to at least be able to activate the "emergency" button.
4. The RIT comapny was not identified and several policies were violated.
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