IN ENGLAND, THREE FIRE OFFICERS of the Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service were arrested Wednesday, but not charged, in connection with a fire in November 2007 that killed four firefighters.  They are being questioned on suspicion of gross negligence, manslaughter and offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Press Association photo

The fire occurred on November 2, 2007, at a food packing plant near Stratford-on-Avon and fully-engulfed the structure.  Early on, firefighters were inside searching for victims knowing that there were often people in there during the night.  The roof collapsed trapping four of them.  Four of the firefighters were buried alive under the roof and debris.  All of them were “retained firefighters,” similar to what we refer to as Paid-on-Call firefighters.

Initial search for the four men was delayed by more than a day because of the lack of structural integrity of the building.  After structural engineers were brought in and equipment able to move the heavy steel, the search began for the victims.  Firegeezer covered the tragedy HERE and HERE.

Two days later, working under dangerous conditions with the building still shifting, USAR teams located three of the firefighters.  Four days later the final FF was located and retrieved.  (Firegeezer report HERE and HERE.)  One of them was the son of the first-due company’s station commander.

On November 28, 2007, we reported (HERE) on a press conference held by the police:

(The) police superintendant in charge said that they will be searching the destroyed building possibly as late as the end of January.  When one of the journalists asked him if the Fire Brigade could possibly be facing criminal charges,  Det Supt Ken Lawrence made the bizarre statement that: “It is possible. We are exploring every single possibility and ruling nothing out.”  He added: “I still don’t know what started it. I am erring on the side of caution, treating it as if it was arson, but clearly I would add that I am open-minded about that.”

On January 16, 2008,  the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) office has issued an “improvement order” to the Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service.  The Press Association news agency reported:

Speaking at a press conference, Alan Craddock, head of operations for HSE in the Midlands, said: “As a result of our work on this investigation, HSE has formed the opinion, based on the evidence we have seen, that the current arrangements employed by the authority do not comply with the statutory duties to provide its firefighters with all the information they should have to assist them in making the appropriate decisions when attending a fire.”

Mr Craddock said the fire service had four months to improve their arrangements for providing information on aspects such as locality of the incident, particular hazards of the buildings involved and where a water supply can be found.

Eighteen months later, in May 2009 four migrant workers from Poland were arrested and charged with arson with intent to endanger life.  The three men and one woman were suspected of being disgruntled after one of them was fired from his job.  (Firegeezer HERE.)

While the three officers who were arrested Wednesday were not identified by name or rank by the police, they have been described as being managers who played a commanding and organizational role in operating at the fire.

The national Fire Brigades Union (FBU) issued a statement saying,  “We are concerned at the move to arrest these individuals at this stage when all other key players have not even been interviewed. Evidence from our own investigation suggests there may be systemic failings.”

The FBU also identified the three officers, all members of the union, as “managers who were involved in the incident command process.”