Atlanta Crews Respond to Parking Deck Collapse
Incident becomes longest rescue in department history
Story & Photos by Greg Simpson

On Monday, June 29 at approximately 1230 HRS, the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department responded to a reported parking deck collapse at 5th St. and Spring St. NE.

Firefighters arrived to find an eight-story parking deck with four floors collapsed to the ground in the center section. The Georgia Mutual Aid Group (GMAG) was activated and Georgia Search and Rescue (SAR) teams from across the state responded. Crews were divided into SAR, shoring or extinguishment. The early operations were mainly shoring and SAR. By Monday night, there were more than 300 firefighters on the scene.

Firefighters worked in 30-minute shifts followed by one hour rehab due to the hot temperatures. By Tuesday afternoon, shoring was complete and vehicles were being removed. Since the concrete and vehicles were wedged into areas of collapse, operations would stop periodically to allow firefighters to check shoring.

The operation continued until Thursday, July 2. As vehicles were removed by crane, there were placed in a staging area where firefighters performed a final search on them. The last vehicle was removed at 1310 HRS on July 2. Mutual aid and GSAR teams began to be released and command was terminated Thursday night.

This was the longest rescue operation in the history of the AFRD. There were no injuries or fatalities.

Below are more photos from the incident.



Greg Simpson has been involved in firefighting photography for more than 30 years. His Web site, www.gregsimpsonphotos.com, is under construction and will be relaunched later this fall.