A report from the Illinois Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) was released that examined the March 5, 2019, Bethalto fire in which Godfrey (IL) Fire Capt. Jake Ringering was killed and three others were injured.
The Telegraph, which reported on the findings, characterized it as detailing failures in leadership during fireground operations. Members were working on the side of a home that burned, cutting through a walkout garage, when the peaked 21-foot wall above them collapsed.
“On ground chiefs failed to perform 360 (degree) walk around to obtain situational assessment, each department maintained its own accountability, no established unified command post with unified task and purpose was created nor passed along to teams attacking the fire, it was determined through employee interviews that IC (incident command) could not be easily located,” the report states. The report also cited issues with water supply on scene, and that Godfrey firefighters purportedly took the unnecessary step of cutting through a garage door rather that proceeding through an unlocked standard door.
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