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Indiana Department Faces Fine Over Confined Space Close-Call
Firefighter Nation
MUNCIE - Indiana's Star Press reports that two Liberty Township volunteer firefighters injured in a May confined space rescue attempt violated OSHA regulations.
On May 26, firefighters Rick Compton and Brian Buck arrived in their personal vehicles at the scene of plumber and his assistant overcome in the bottom of a 12-foot deep hole. Both Compton and Buck entered the hole without any personal protective equipment and were rendered unconscious due to fumes from a chemical being used to clear a drain.
When properly equipped firefighters from Liberty Township arrived, as well as confined-space trained firefighters from Muncie, all four victims were placed in harnesses and lifted out of the hole.
Both Compton and Buck survived, however the plumber, Eric Dalton and his assistant Justin Benson died.
State officials investigating the incident found the firefighters operated improperly by attempting a rescue that they were not trained for. The Liberty Township fire department faced a fine of $1,500 or take corrective action to prevent a similar tragedy from occuring in the future.
Liberty Township Fire Chief Brett Devine has stated that his department has begun making the necessary changes to prevent members from operating in ways that they have not been trained. Devine also reports that the department has stopped members from responding directly to the scene in their personally owned vehicles as well.
Read more of the Liberty Township well-rescue violations here.
Related
FireEMSBlogs Discussion
Are Today's Demands Too Much For Volunteers?
MUNCIE - Indiana's Star Press reports that two Liberty Township volunteer firefighters injured in a May confined space rescue attempt violated OSHA regulations.
On May 26, firefighters Rick Compton and Brian Buck arrived in their personal vehicles at the scene of plumber and his assistant overcome in the bottom of a 12-foot deep hole. Both Compton and Buck entered the hole without any personal protective equipment and were rendered unconscious due to fumes from a chemical being used to clear a drain.
When properly equipped firefighters from Liberty Township arrived, as well as confined-space trained firefighters from Muncie, all four victims were placed in harnesses and lifted out of the hole.
Both Compton and Buck survived, however the plumber, Eric Dalton and his assistant Justin Benson died.
State officials investigating the incident found the firefighters operated improperly by attempting a rescue that they were not trained for. The Liberty Township fire department faced a fine of $1,500 or take corrective action to prevent a similar tragedy from occuring in the future.
Liberty Township Fire Chief Brett Devine has stated that his department has begun making the necessary changes to prevent members from operating in ways that they have not been trained. Devine also reports that the department has stopped members from responding directly to the scene in their personally owned vehicles as well.
Read more of the Liberty Township well-rescue violations here.
Related
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- Fire department fined after 2 plumbers died during well mishap
- State: Firefighters Weren't Trained For Acid Rescue
FireEMSBlogs Discussion
Are Today's Demands Too Much For Volunteers?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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you should be trained for it to at least the awarness level. Same as what tech rescue awarness. Yes you can teach it in house but it will still comes back on the dept when something goes wrong. If you are certified than it is your fault if you mess up.
Certification is always the best option, but isn't always the most practical, nor does a dept need to certify in every aspect. You seem to be taking a damned if you do, damned if you don't appraoch here and that just isn't the reality of the case. I can not speak for IN certs, but in WI HAZMAT awareness is part of FFII, however not every dept has personnel trained to that level, but still have been able to handle calls outside their scope of training by doing as I stated before, establish command, set a perimeter, call in the experts.
That is the whole point here and that is the reason why this dept is facing fines. They had two members arrive on scene before other members, seeminly never established command, since they both went in, didn't do a proper size up, and went in without special equipment. They should be thankful they are alive and not pushing daises a fine is nothing compared to double LODDs because of a careless act (and the dept still gets fined). Had they arrived on scene, established command, established a perimeter, and called in the experts, they would not be facing fines, it is that simple.
As for whatever you were told in your class I can't really comment because I don't know the facts. However, I have been doing EMS for several years as an EMT and Paramedic and been on numerous calls and countless refreshers and CMEs and the "walking into HAZMAT incidents" can simply mean blood/body fluids. Point is though, if something is beyond the scope of training you back out and wait. In EMS you don't go running into a scene where a shooting/stabbing took place until police secure it.....and just like here, you don't go into a confined space if not trained.
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Permalink Reply by John Dobson on
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Yes yes they messed up, But there is a problem that needs to be fixed. Why are they not trained to know what may kill them. Were they the kind of guys that want to go on runs but could careless about training. Maybe the training was never offered to them. Maybe the dept has no one to train them on this.
Alot of times I am the senior FF on scene and have no idea who to call on these kind of runs. When I ask all I get is the run around about how I don't need to know " Because if everybody knows we may call them when there not needed". Crock of crap I know.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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"We have no Haz-Mat equip." John, if you have SCBA and turnout gear, you have hazmat equipment. If you have a pumper with water and hoselines, you have hazmat decon equipment. If you have a pair of pliers and a few golf tees, you have hazmat equipment.
In other words, you may not have hazmat technician equipment, but you have hazmat equipment.
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Why are they not trained to know what may kill them
Who is to say they weren't trained?
Were they the kind of guys that want to go on runs but could careless about training
It is possible
Maybe the training was never offered to them.
Quite possible too...then again there doesn't have to be a lot to train on....just looking from similar NIOSH reports would be enough to learn from
Maybe the dept has no one to train them on this
Possibel too....but again no reason not to learn from NIOSH reports
Alot of times I am the senior FF on scene and have no idea who to call on these kind of runs. When I ask all I get is the run around about how I don't need to know " Because if everybody knows we may call them when there not needed". Crock of crap I know.
I agree it is a crock of crap. However, what did you learn on this thread alone? If you encountered a similar situation and you were the senior guy, do you think you would know what to do now?
This is something ALL departments can learn from. Those who do not have specialized teams or certified members can discuss this incident and similar others to address how they would go about mitigating a similar emergency. There will always be those drill nights where one may want to stay inside....this would be a good discussion topic, as well as the HAZMAT ERG book. There is no reason everyone should know how to make the right call, if the upper ranks are concerned about giving that information, then perhaps they do not belong in the position of leadership.
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Ben your right that is the haz-mat Equipment but not for everything. We also carry plugndike and oil dry, shovels ect.
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Remember that hazmat equipment doesn't have to be Technician-level stuff with offensive capability. If you can do some defensive actions like diking, damming, diverting, diluting, decontamination...well, they all start with a "D", they're hazmat responses, and they don't require Technician-level training or equipment.
If your department can't afford its own team, look around. Lots of places have started county-wide or regional teams with each department contributing a little money and effort, getting a grant for the training, and voila, a hazmat team.
The nice thing about hazmat equipment is that you usually only have to buy it once.
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The dept that borders the north and west has a full hazmat trailer some of are guys are techs on there dept. Thats another reason I am ops level for manpower at decon if they need us. I could go to tech level, But I don't like the Idea of the green goo on my boots.
We have a gas station that sets next to a levee everytime the river raises we are called for fuel spill (water runs in the ground tank floats the fuel out). On one call there I found a nine volt battery stuck in the vapor return to hold it open on the gasoline fill. Talk about asking for it wow.
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