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NC department is cited in deadly mill fire
The Charlotte Observer, N.C. (August 7, 2008)Aug. 7--Salisbury Fire Department supervisors allowed Justin Monroe to exit and re-enter a burning building alone, a violation of state rules that may have contributed to the firefighter's death March 7, a state regulator told the Observer on Wednesday.
The N.C. Department of Labor cited the department Wednesday for three "serious" violations of state regulations during the blaze at Salisbury Millwork. Firefighters Monroe, 19, and Victor Isler, 40, died in the fire after it spread from an office to a warehouse they were trying to protect.
Despite the violations, Paul Sullivan, a compliance district supervisor with the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Division, praised the department for its handling of the fire.
"They did much more right than wrong," he said.
The citations, which resulted in a $6,563 fine, included a finding that on four occasions, the fire department did not ensure that firefighters remained in "visual and voice contact" when entering conditions that investigators described as "Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health."
Two of those occasions involved Monroe, Sullivan said.
Inspectors found that in the minutes before the fire spread, Monroe was sent out of the warehouse to inform command personnel that his team, whose radios were not working, were otherwise doing OK. Monroe traveled alone about 75 feet to the exit, without being in visual or voice contact with another firefighter -- a violation of state rules.
Monroe then re-entered the building alone to rejoin his team.
Sullivan said Wednesday that "multiple people were aware" that Monroe exited and re-entered the building by himself. "Ultimately, our regulations fall upon the employer to ensure the people stay in pairs," Sullivan said.
He added: "It may have played a part in his death. We're not saying it was the cause."
Salisbury Fire Chief Bob Parnell did not return messages from the Observer late Wednesday.
The fire department also was cited for not making sure respirators used by firefighters fit properly. An additional violation involved firefighters entering the building at the beginning of the fire before establishing that at least two firefighters were outside monitoring conditions.
In a letter accompanying the Salisbury citations, Sullivan praised the department for its safety program, as well as for procedures followed at the fire. "They did a very good job with their incident command structure," Sullivan told the Observer. "With a lot of fires, it will be a mess, and in this fire, it was not."
Regulators, however, are recommending that Salisbury re-train all firefighters on survival skills, including the use of a "mayday" call at the first sign of life-threatening danger. Also, the department was urged to investigate and take action on radio problems during the fire. "There were several radio issues," Sullivan said. "They attempted to call for maydays, and people didn't hear them."
The Locke Township Fire Department, which had firefighters injured in the blaze, was also fined $700 for firefighters using respirators without proper testing for fit or medical clearance.
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