A local news story Wednesday, questioning Houston Fire Department policies on aggressive fast attacks. They interview Chief Brunacini, and were probably surprised at his responses.
A lot of fires are supposedly "textbook" at first appearance.
The one under discussion here, the 2007 Super Sofa Store fire in Charleston, the Waldbaum's store fire in NY, etc, etc.
With the number of "routine" or "textbook" fires that result in LODDs, and sometime multiple LODDs, it should make us all remember that there is no such thing as a "textbook" or "routine" fire.
We are in a business that is inherently risky. That means that the department can do everything right and still have LODDs. It is premature to call out HFD this soon after a LODD incident when a lot of the facts are unknown.
A single-perspective video doesn't provide an adequate basis for a comprehensive report and analysis, much less for "calling out" brother firefighters in a very public place like FFN.
In other words, don't be on the wrong side of FTM.
This is true and i did not mean for it to sound like it was a standard fire. I was just saying that the inital attack did not show signs of any extreme circumstances.
As for the inital reports of firefighters being told no one was in the house, i can not answer that due to the fact i was not there. I will say that there must have been a reason for the entry. I have heard 2nd hand that the 1st truck was informed the couple was still in the house, however it is 2nd hand information.
This is a bad situation all around and it is hard to loose any brother or sister from any department.
Hopefully when the report is complete we will know what happend.
Actually, most vacant buildings really are vacant...until you put firefighers in them.
You might want to check out Detroit FD's new stance on vacant burning buildings...they don't just automatically go offensive any more.
Committing well-intentioned suicide isn't a "must" , and it never will be.
Permalink Reply by Bill on April 28, 2009 at 12:06am
On Saturday night before the Houston Fire I was talking to one of our rookies. He had spent about 7 months on the floor at Houston Fire before coming to our department. We talked about how Houston Fire is very traditional and that is something that he would miss. He talked about the numerous fires that he was able to go interior on and how Houston Firefighters proclaim themselves to be the "Most aggressive interior firefighting department in the Nation". We talked about past firefighter fatalities within the HFD. It was disheartening to read the next morning about the fatalities. It was even worse to tell my rookie about them. You could see the blood leave his face. As a company officer I make calculated judgements for myself and my crew. As the Chief from San Antonio stated, We risk alot to save alot, risk a little to save property and risk nothing to save nothing.
When you leave the fire service, your position will be filled the next day because it is a job. But if you leave this earth will your family be able to replace you the next day. Be safe.
Brothers and Sisters we need to remember one thing. We all chose this job for specific reasons. One of them that is very common for most of us is the adrenaline rush that is felt when you enter the unknown to do what you are trained to do. If Houston FD would have decided to go defensive on this fire the media would have had an amateur videographer there that got video of the house burning to the ground. The headlines would have then read "Firefighters Stand by as Family Home burns to the Ground". The media has always had the reputation of finding a way to make the decisions made by public safety personnel the wrong decisions when something goes wrong.
One last thing to think about. It may not be popular but here we go..... Last year we lost 114 Brothers and Sisters. We have lost 37 this year so far. As dangerous a job as this is, there are to many fatalities that seem to have similar causes. Whether it be heart attacks, motor vehicle crashes or fire related, we are not learning from others mistakes or mishaps. In my opinion, we dishonor these firefighters memories by not making sure we don't do the things that resulted in there deaths. Please honor these brave brothers and sisters who gave the ultimate sacrifice. The fire service has made many changes in its 200 plus years to make our job safer for us. Please, train with and use the tools provided to you by your department. those of you who listened to the news cast will note that Chief Brunicini used the word training multiple times. THIS SHOULD BE THE NUMBER 1 PRIORITY OF EVERY DEPARTMENT. Training has and will continue to save the lives of the public and the lives of our brothers and sisters.
Everyone be safe and remember,
"LET ANY MAN'S GHOST RETURN TO SAY HIS TRAINING LET HIM DOWN".
Asst. Chief Ron Brehmer
South Haven Fire Department
Valparaiso, Indiana
"The media has always had the reputation of finding a way to make the decisions made by public safety personnel the wrong decisions when something goes wrong."
This was the point I was trying to make. I know these reporters personally, and while I know they have a job to do, I thought they were trying to point fingers at HFD. I presume they thought that by interviewing Chief B, they would be able to add credence to their report. I think it's safe to say it back fired on them.
Yes, HFD is probably one of the most aggressive interior departments in the country. And I didn't imply any right or wrong doing on the part of HFD, officers, or firefighters. But it does make me laugh when the media ends up looking silly.