The Natonal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently released a report on the line-of-duty deaths of Lieutenant Charles “Chip” McCarthy and Firefighter Jonathan Croom of the Buffalo (NY) Fire Department, who were killed while searching a burning taxpayer on August 24, 2010. The firefighters entered the building looking to rescue a victim they believed was trapped there, however there was no one trapped in the structure.
The report made several recommendations to avoid a repeat of the tragedy, including that fire departments should make personnel aware of the dangers of working above a fire; that incident commanders (ICs) should receive reports on the status of firefighters in the building and evaulate risk-versus-gain; that crew integrity should be maintained during fire incidents; and several others.
Read the complete report at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200923.html
