By Tony Carroll
This week the Mayday Monday staff has been enjoying the coverage of the Summer Olympics from Rio. It is an inspiration to see the athletes compete in the games that they have put so much time, energy, and training into.
Recently, the fire service received the second report on the line-of-duty death (LODD) of a veteran firefighter. This report is from the Cincinnati (OH) Fire Department. To refresh your memory: on March 26, 2015, Fire Apparatus Operator Daryl Gordon (FAO) of Rescue 14 died after falling down an unsecured elevator shaft. The report details FAO Gordon’s actions at the fire and reveals the challenges faced by other units involved in the firefighting operations. In addition to operations on the fireground, this internal review of the Cincinnati Fire Department uncovers several areas that could use attention and may need change. Here is a quote from the report:
“The focus of this investigation shall be to identify the facts pertaining to the Line of Duty Death of Daryl Gordon and to recommend actions to reduce the risk of similar events.”
CFD Internal report NIOSH report
Today’s Mayday Monday drill is to read these reports on the LODD of FAO Daryl Gordon. There is no better way to honor a fallen firefighter than to learn from their tragedy. Here are the links to the CFD Report and the NIOSH report. Please take this hot Monday and honor FAO Daryl Gordon.
Tony Carroll is a captain with the safety office of the District of Columbia Fire & EMS Department.
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