Update: video added, scroll down
Update #2: Link to the report added.
THE GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, FIRE CHIEF BARRY McKAY announced his retirement yesterday (Thursday) just minutes after the city released the results of the investigation into the fire department’s actions during a fatal fire in December, 2007.
Firegeezer readers will recall the apartment fire that took place directly across the street from the Central fire station that killed one of the residents. We followed it extensively HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
Boston Globe
Firefighters world-wide were taken aback when they learned that the victim was at his window, talking to people below when the aerial truck arrived with only the driver on board. Sickening photos and videos were then seen as the firefighter was seen attempting to teach a police officer on how to help him raise a ground ladder.
The report issued yesterday covers thoroughly the other problems within the FD that complicated the fire including the lack of inspections prior and the lack of effective command and control during the fire. The report says, in part:
“The lack of a command structure during the peak of the incident was an important factor in the final outcome. There was also a lack of leadership. The issue of leadership by the fire chief appears to have been an ongoing situation with the command staff and the officers in the department.”
Some highlights from the report as listed by the Daily Times:
“There was no formal incident command.”
“Companies were operating on the interior without adequate communications.”
“No safety officer was assigned or even found to be included in the operating procedures of the department.”
“Scene security was inadequate to nonexistent.”
“Interagency organization and the liaison to outside agencies was nonexistent …”
“Crews were operating unsafely above the fire floor without access to charged hose lines.”
“The Fire Department was unprepared to battle a fire of this size”; report also indicates that personnel had not been sufficiently trained.
“Since the incident, neither the fire chief nor the department had initiated any changes to the department’s standard operating procedures.”
Chief McKay has been on the department for 35 years, the past 26 years as chief.
Read the latest report on this development in the Gloucester Daily Times HERE.
Update: Our friends at FireVideo.net sent along this raw video of the infamous upside-down ladder raise.
After clicking the Start button, wait 40 seconds before it starts running. The video runs for 14 minutes.
Find more videos like this on firevideo.net
Firevideo.net are the distributors of the well-known “Helmet Cam” video device. CLICK HERE to learn more about it.
Update: Report available online
Dave Statter at STATter911 has acquired the 93-page After Action Report (AAR) and posted it online in .pdf format HERE.
