NIOSH FFFIP Report

2014 19 January 24, 2017 Career Fire Fighter Dies From an Out-of-air Emergency in an Apartment Building Fire—Connecticut Executive Summary On October 7, 2014, a 48-year-old male career fire fighter died while conducting interior fire-fighting operations in a two- story residential apartment fire. At 1830 hours, Engine 16 was dispatched to a structure fire reported with smoke showing. The lieutenant from Engine 16 conducted a scene size-up and reported heavy fire showing from the second floor on Side Bravo. The lieutenant and right jumpseat fire fighter made entry into the front door with a 1¾-inch hoseline and started up the stairs to the second-floor apartment. The Ladder 4 crew went by them, went to the top of the stairs, and forced the door to the apartment. The Engine 16 crew entered the apartment, and Sides Alpha and Bravo of the fire building the lieutenant had the hoseline charged. (NIOSH photo.) The apartment was hot with zero visibility. The lieutenant had his fire fighter pencil the ceiling. Minutes later, the fire fighter’s vibra-alert activated, and the lieutenant told him to exit the building. The lieutenant started to exit the apartment but couldn’t find the fire fighter behind him. The lieutenant continued to search for the Engine 16 fire fighter and stated that he called a Mayday, but it was not acknowledged by Command. He then tried to radio the fire fighter. A fire fighter from Ladder 4 vented the picture window on Side Alpha of the second-floor apartment. The heat conditions increased in the apartment. Two fire fighters from Tactical Unit 1 were in the living room of the apartment, and due to the heat conditions, they got separated. One of the fire fighters from Tactical Unit 1 had been hit by a hose stream and momentarily lost consciousness, eventually causing him to fall out the Side Alpha picture window. He was transported to the hospital with burns and lacerations. The Engine 16 lieutenant came out of the building and the Engine 16 fire fighter was still not located. Command activated the rapid intervention crew and ordered Engine 5 and Tactical Unit 1 into the apartment. Engine 5 made entry to the apartment and heard a PASS alarm going off to the right of the door. The Engine 16 fire fighter was found lying on his right side near the door with his foot caught in a piece of furniture. The Engine 5 crew brought the fire fighter out of the building, and he was transported to the hospital but pronounced Page i Report # F2014-19 Career Fire Fighter Dies From an Out-of-air Emergency in an Apartment Building Fire—Connecticut dead upon arrival. The Engine 16 lieutenant sustained injuries but was treated and released. The Tactical Unit 1 fire fighter who had fallen out the window remained in the hospital for 23 days. Contributing Factors • Fireground tactics • Crew integrity • Personnel accountability • Air management • Mayday procedures • Fireground communications • Ventilation • Personal protective equipment use • Live fire training • Unsprinklered occupancy Key Recommendations • Fire departments should ensure that risk assessments are conducted prior to initial operations and throughout the incident and that the strategy and tactics match the assessment. • Fire departments should ensure that crew integrity is properly maintained by voice or radio contact when operating in an immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) atmosphere. • Fire departments should ensure that fire fighters and officers are properly trained in air management including out-of-air emergencies. • Fire departments should use a personnel accountability system that accounts for all resources assigned to an incident. • Fire departments should ensure that incident commanders incorporate the principles of command safety into the incident management system. • Fire departments should ensure fire fighters are properly trained in Mayday procedures. • Fire departments should provide the incident commander with a Mayday tactical checklist for use in the event of a Mayday. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), an institute within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. In 1998, Congress appropriated funds to NIOSH to conduct a fire fighter initiative that resulted in the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, which examines line-of-duty deaths or on-duty deaths of fire fighters to assist fire departments, fire fighters, the fire service and others to prevent similar fire fighter deaths in the future. The agency does not enforce compliance with state or federal occupational safety and health standards and does not determine fault or assign blame. Participation of fire departments and individuals in NIOSH investigations is voluntary. Under its program, NIOSH investigators interview persons with knowledge of the incident who agree to be interviewed and review available records to develop a description of the conditions and circumstances leading to the death(s). Interviewees are not asked to sign sworn statements and interviews are not recorded. The agency's reports do not name the victim, the fire department, or those interviewed. The NIOSH report's summary of the conditions and circumstances surrounding the fatality is intended to provide context to the agency's recommendations and is not intended to be definitive for purposes of determining any claim or benefit. For further information, visit the program website at www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire or call toll free 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636). Page ii 2014 19 January 24, 2017 Career Fire Fighter Dies From an Out-of-air Emergency in an Apartment Building Fire—Connecticut Introduction On October 7, 2014, a 48-year-old male career fire fighter died while conducting interior operations in a two-story residential apartment. On October 9, 2014, the U.S. Fire Administration notified the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of this incident. On October 14–24, 2014, a general engineer, an occupational safety and health specialist, and an investigator from the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP) traveled to Connecticut to investigate this incident. The NIOSH FFFIPP investigators met with members of the career fire department, International Association of Fire Fighters local union, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Division of Occupational Safety and Health, and the city dispatch center. NIOSH FFFIPP investigators interviewed the incident commander and fire fighters who were on-scene at the time of the incident. The NIOSH FFFIPP investigators visited the incident site, took photographs, and collected and reviewed training records, standard operating procedures, and medical records. The self- contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) from the Engine 16 fire fighter (Engine 16B) and Tactical Unit 1 fire fighter were evaluated by the NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory. Fire Department The career fire department involved in this incident serves a city with a population of over 125,000 and has a total area of 17.38 square miles. The fire department employs 395 personnel and averages about 23,053 response calls annually. The fire department is subdivided into two main fields of operation: Emergency Services and Support Services. The Support Services is comprised of the Fire Administration staff and the Employee Assistance Program. Under command of the Support Services Division are the Fire Marshal’s Office, Equipment Maintenance Division, Fire Alarm Communications Technology Division, Fire Training Division, and Special Events Unit. The Emergency Services Division is comprised of 12 fire stations, which are divided into 2 districts. Each district is commanded by a district chief. Each shift is commanded by a deputy fire chief. The apparatus fleet consists of 11 engines, 5 ladders, 1 tactical unit (Heavy Rescue), and numerous special, support, and reserve units. All front-line apparatus are staffed with a minimum crew of three fire fighters and an officer (captain or lieutenant). The fire department uses the following designations for riding assignments on the fire apparatus: Officer is “A,” right jumpseat is “B,” left jumpseat is “C,” and the engineer operator is “D.” Emergency medical service is provided by two separate ambulance companies. Each ambulance company is assigned a response area within one of the two districts in the city. Page 1 Report # F2014-19 Career Fire Fighter Dies From an Out-of-air Emergency in an Apartment Building Fire—Connecticut Training and Experience The fire department involved in this incident requires potential candidates for employment as a fire fighter to have a high school diploma or GED and a valid state driver’s license and to successfully pass a background check and an entry-level civil service test. Once selected as a candidate, the initial step is to attend the 16-week recruit training program at the department’s fire academy. The curriculum covers all of the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) qualifications for NFPA 1001 Standard on Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications. This includes Fire Fighter I, Fire Fighter II, Hazardous Materials Awareness, Hazardous Materials Operations, and emergency medical care [NFPA 2013a]. Upon completion of recruit school, the fire chief assigns the recruit to a station where they become a probationary fire fighter for 1 year. Upon completion of probation, the fire fighter trainee becomes a fire fighter. After 5 years of experience, a fire fighter can take the lieutenant test. A fire fighter can test for an apparatus operator after 3 years in-grade. After being promoted to the lieutenant rank, the officer can test for the next rank of captain, district chief, and deputy chief after 3 years in-grade. The department’s training academy has a full complement of staff. However, due to budgetary constraints, the staff is not authorized overtime and the facilities are in need of repairs.

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