Report Number: 05-0000153
Report Date: 05/27/2005
Event Description
The fire was in a townhouse and had spread to exposures on both sides. The deck on Exposure C was some how affected. This deck collapsed on a fireman and trapped him. The big problem was how accountablity was not used. It seemed to take forever to find out who was trapped. Then the recovery was crazy. Everyone was running to help. It was not in any way organized. The fireman was removed with minor injuries that kept him off the floor for several weeks. The command officer was trying to organize the rescue but he was on his own, no battalion aide or command support person. So he had to try and contact everyone and organize the rescue.
It seems to me that more command staff would have helped. The weather was cold and raining and the fire had been burning for 10 min. or so. It turns out that the deck was only lag bolted to the sill plate. The code has recently changed requiring through bolts and the deck must be supported on both sides. This was prior to us having thermal imaging equipment. Maybe a quick look would have shown that the sill plate was already burning. We only had one fire ground channel in use at the time.
Lesson Learned
1. I believe that if this new code is not nationwide it should be.
2. I also have made a practice of looking at overhead objects with the thermal imager giving me an idea if things are burning above me even if it does not look like it.
3. I believe command officers need help keeping track of crews and their location. It is just too much for one person.
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