The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
FD Cited Following Close Call Fire
Loudoun County (VA) Fire Rescue has been cited by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry's Occupational Safety and Health Compliance division for violation of workplace safety standards. The violation notice follows a May 25 house fire in which 7 Firefighters were injured and burned. Here is the link to that fire information and video: http://firefighterclosecalls.com/fullstory.php?75264
According to an article in the Leesburg Today newspaper, specifically, the violation is for "employees that were exposed to fire hazards while engaged in search, rescue and interior structural firefighting activities at a single family residence." LCFR has presented additional information to the state agency in an effort to reverse the findings of a violation. This is the department's first occupation health and safety citation.
The document states that there was insufficient staffing on site at the time that fire-rescue crews entered the burning home on Meadowood Court near Leesburg. The November citation does not impose a fine because Virginia law doesn't allow penalties against public agencies.
As you may know, around 1300 hours on Sunday, May 25, Firefighters entered the house to perform a search and to begin attacking the working fire. At that time, an engine and tower ladder were on the scene with no other command support or companies. While there we no clear indications of people trapped, but since no one from the home met the FF's on arrival, the OIC made the decision to conduct the search. At that point, there was heavy fire on the C side extending up and into the structure. While searching, conditions deteriorated rapidly, a MAYDAY was then transmitted and the trapped (and injured) firefighters were forced to escape through an upstairs window. Six of the seven injured men and women have returned to work but one career Lieutenant is still recovering from his burn injuries after a long-term stay at Washington Hospital Center.
A separate three-month regional investigation into the incident resulted in 64 recommendations for the fire-rescue department, ranging from additional training programs, communication processes and staffing. The final report (link above) suggests an increase to the minimum staffing requirements for engines, trucks and rescue companies to 4 firefighters but unlikely due to the fiscal issue.
The citation also recommends the implementation of Standard 1500 from the NFPA, which addresses the two-in-two-out policy where a minimum of two employees must be located outside the fire when at least two employees enter the fire. County Chief Joe Pozzo said they do follow a two-in-two-out policy, but that the potential for imminent life danger caused the Captain on the scene to make a judgment call. Here is a link to the entire article: http://www.leesburg2day.com/articles/2008/12/12/news/fp334fire12120...
This tough fire is another reminder to any of us of the importance of our own size ups..and determining if the resources we have on the scene match the tasks that must be performed now, 5 minutes from now, and later. The question: What is the most we can do--right now--with the resources I have on the scene-right now...includes rescue, but may also mean rapidly getting water on the fire as the higher priority...it all depends on the conditions, the size up and immediately available resources. In the cases of possible rescue following size up, the rapid determination of risk for that possible (or confirmed) rescue is critical for us-and those we are trying to find and save. Sometimes we must take risks.
Per Secret List
According to an article in the Leesburg Today newspaper, specifically, the violation is for "employees that were exposed to fire hazards while engaged in search, rescue and interior structural firefighting activities at a single family residence." LCFR has presented additional information to the state agency in an effort to reverse the findings of a violation. This is the department's first occupation health and safety citation.
The document states that there was insufficient staffing on site at the time that fire-rescue crews entered the burning home on Meadowood Court near Leesburg. The November citation does not impose a fine because Virginia law doesn't allow penalties against public agencies.
As you may know, around 1300 hours on Sunday, May 25, Firefighters entered the house to perform a search and to begin attacking the working fire. At that time, an engine and tower ladder were on the scene with no other command support or companies. While there we no clear indications of people trapped, but since no one from the home met the FF's on arrival, the OIC made the decision to conduct the search. At that point, there was heavy fire on the C side extending up and into the structure. While searching, conditions deteriorated rapidly, a MAYDAY was then transmitted and the trapped (and injured) firefighters were forced to escape through an upstairs window. Six of the seven injured men and women have returned to work but one career Lieutenant is still recovering from his burn injuries after a long-term stay at Washington Hospital Center.
A separate three-month regional investigation into the incident resulted in 64 recommendations for the fire-rescue department, ranging from additional training programs, communication processes and staffing. The final report (link above) suggests an increase to the minimum staffing requirements for engines, trucks and rescue companies to 4 firefighters but unlikely due to the fiscal issue.
The citation also recommends the implementation of Standard 1500 from the NFPA, which addresses the two-in-two-out policy where a minimum of two employees must be located outside the fire when at least two employees enter the fire. County Chief Joe Pozzo said they do follow a two-in-two-out policy, but that the potential for imminent life danger caused the Captain on the scene to make a judgment call. Here is a link to the entire article: http://www.leesburg2day.com/articles/2008/12/12/news/fp334fire12120...
This tough fire is another reminder to any of us of the importance of our own size ups..and determining if the resources we have on the scene match the tasks that must be performed now, 5 minutes from now, and later. The question: What is the most we can do--right now--with the resources I have on the scene-right now...includes rescue, but may also mean rapidly getting water on the fire as the higher priority...it all depends on the conditions, the size up and immediately available resources. In the cases of possible rescue following size up, the rapid determination of risk for that possible (or confirmed) rescue is critical for us-and those we are trying to find and save. Sometimes we must take risks.
Per Secret List
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by WFD318 on
-
I used to run with one of the second due Rescue Squads to the station involved in this incident. I may point out that the station(s) involved in this are Volunteer departments that are career staffed in the daytime during the week. I mention this to make the point that volunteers could have (and may have) supplemented the career staff during the call. (They may now be staffed on weekends also, and possibly 24 hours by career, but when I moved in 2006 they were not.) When I ran with Loudoun, the general response was more than what seems to be on scene for this incident. The BC should have been on scene very quickly, along with additional units from both Leesburg stations (they have two), and the Ashburn and Hamilton depts. I'm surprised the article doesn't mention the Medic unit and the Heavy Rescue from Loudoun County Vol. Rescue (also now partially career staffed,) that should have been dispatched to the incident. These units would have added at least 3-4 available personnel to the scene to assist in operations (not including the Medic crew).
I don't have much else to add, since I don't have a lot of experience on the fire side as of yet, but being from that county, this article was a suprise to me when I read it the first time.
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
