Fundamentals of Fire Protection

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Fundamentals of Fire Protection

Tragedy in Worcester December 3, 1999

December 3, 1999 is a day that forever changed the Worcester Fire

Department. Six career fire fighters died after they became lost in a

six-story, maze-like, cold storage and warehouse building. Those lost

were, Joseph T. McGuirk, 38; James F. Lyons III, 34; Lt. Thomas E.

Spencer, 42; Timothy P. Jackson, 51; Paul A. Brotherton, 41; and

Jeremiah M. Lucey, 38. (Firehouse.com/worcester May 2002) This

research will discuss the importance of operating within the incident

command system, the importance of an accountability system, crew

integrity, rapid intervention teams and the use of thermal imaging

cameras, and operations at abandoned occupancies.

The first report of the fire was made by an off-duty police officer

who was passing by. The officer reported that smoke was coming from

the roof of the structure. The first alarm was struck at 1815 hours.

Responding on the first alarm were Engines 1, 6, 12, and 13, along

with Ladders 1 and 5, Rescue 1, and Car 3. Engine 1 was first to

arrive on the scene at 1816 hours and reported heavy smoke showing.

Units were assigned to search the building for victims and locate the

fire. At 1819 hours, car 3 arrived on scene and assumed command (IC#1)

and requested a second alarm be struck due to the size of the

building. Units responding on the second alarm were Engines 2 and 16,

Aerial Scope 2, and Car 2, which later became Incident Commander Two

(IC#2). At 1820 hours, IC#1 requested any available building

information from dispatch, but no information was ever found or

received. The lack of pre-fire plans created confusion amon...

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Firefighters across the nation should study this incident and learn

from the mistakes made that December day. Perhaps if all crews

operated within a well structured incident command system, managed

personnel accountability, maintained crew integrity, utilized

tag-lines and thermal imaging cameras, four of these firefighters

lives might have been spared. Most importantly, if a pre-fire plan had

been conducted on this structure, interior operations would not have

been initiated therefore preventing the loss of lives December 3,

1999.

Works Cited

Firehouse.com www.firehouse.com/worcester May 2002

National Institute on Safety and Health. Fatality Assessment and

Control Evaluation Investigative Report #99F-47 Sept. 27, 2000

Sendelbach, Timothy "Managing the Fireground Mayday" Firehouse.com 26

June 2004

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