ATTEMPTED SUICIDE ON A SMOKESTACK: A RESCUE IN BALTIMORE COUNTY
On January 5, 1993, at 1518 hours, a tactical rescue team and the rest of the assignment responded to a call from Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Balticmore County, Maryland, regarding a man who had climbed the side of a smokestack and threatened to jump. The county dispatch center daispatched Engine Co. 101, Truck Co. 1, Special Unit 1 (Truck Company Hose Wagon), Medic 1, Squad 303, the Advanced Tactical Rescue Team, an EMS shift commander, and Battalion 1 to the scene.
Weather conditions were favorable—in fact, abnormal —for the time of year: The rain that had been falling earlier in the day had stopped, the temperature was moderate, winds were light, and skies were partly cloudy.
SIZE-UP
At the time of our arrival, we did not know whether we were dealing with a trapped worker or an attempted suicide. As we approached, however, we saw a man who appeared to weigh about 250 pounds on the smokestack 70 feet above the lot and 85 feet from ground level.
The smokestack involved was approximately 200 feet high and was part of an incinerator complex across the parking lot from the hospital’s emergency room (ER) entrance. The base of the stack was one level — approximately 10 to 15 feet —below the parking lot, which served as the command center of the rescue operation. Metal rungs embedded in the mortar of the smokestack formed a ladder on the side facing the parking area and the ER entrance. Below this makeshift ladder were two metal sheds that abutted the stack. Although the ladder did not extend to the base of the stack, the metal sheds allowed access from the parking area to the roof of the sheds and thus to the ladder.
OPERATIONS
Battalion Chief Richard Yeagle established command. Hospital security reported that at approximately 1515 hours, a man entered the emergency room triage area exclaiming that he was going to climb the stack and jump from it.
Engine Co. 101 and Medic 1 proceeded to the emergency room parking lot to investigate. The additional companies went to Level I staging.
Lt. Stephen Schimpf and members of Truck Co. 1 positioned the aerial unit on Side 1 in the ER parking lot and extended the 100-foot aerial. Fortunately, the subject was within reach of the ladder. Firefighter Bruce Snyder of the Tactical Rescue Team, assigned to Engine Co. 101, began to assemble his rope rescue equipment. Command decided that Snyder would ascend the stack ladder and remain below the subject. Wearing a Class 2 harness around his legs and waist, Snyder was secured with a carabiner to the rung of the smokestack ladder. Snyder was instructed to lock in and to try to initiate a dialogue with the subject. He also was instructed not to get too close in case the subject decided to jump and take company with him.
As Snyder began his ascent, the subject also began to climb; he was now 90 feet above the ground. The aerial, intended to be used as the means of descent should the subject change his mind about jumping, was placed above the subject. The tip of the ladder was positioned at the rungs of the smokestack, further blocking the subject’s ascent. The ladder would serve as a psychological barrier that would not allow the subject to pass. Personnel were directed to use a public address system on an ambulance to reassure the subject until Snyder was in a position where he could talk with the subject on a oneto-one basis.
When the police arrived, a request was made for its Hostage Negotiating Team. Command believed that these personnel would be better suited for long-term crisis intervention with a suicidal subject. It took about 20 minutes for the negotiation team to arrive.
A second member of the Tactical Team, Battalion Chief Lawrence D’Elia, arrived on the scene. He and Firefighter Mark Stith of Truck Co. 1 ascended the aerial to a position where they, too, could speak with the subject and assist Snyder. D’Elia and Stith, on the aerial, were secured to the ladder with a one-half-inch kernmantle line that went up and over one of the rungs of the aerial ladder and to the truck company’s outrigger with a figure 8 carabiner and webbing. A third line later was passed to Snyder for additional safety. All lines were secured to the truck company’s outrigger with a belay system by squad personnel stationed at the base of the ladder.
Agitated, the subject again ascended the smokestack and now was positioned near the tip of the aerial; twice he attempted to push the aerial ladder away from the stack. As rescuers talked with him, he abruptly turned 180° on the ladder and made a threatening motion as if he were about to jump. All three fire department members continued their attempts to calm the individual; after a time, they appeared to be successful. He assured members that he meant them no harm and that he would avoid striking them if he decided to leap.
As command-level officers from the police department arrived, they were apprised of the progress. The little information available was given to the first negotiator. At that time, we did not even know the subject’s name. By this time, Snyder, D’Elia, and Stith had made some progress, and the subject, unsecured, began to descend the ladder.
The police negotiator, Corporal Albert Friedman, elected to stand by and allow the three rescuers to continue the operation. Suddenly, the subject again made a lunging motion. The negotiator, who quickly was placed in a harness and anchored to the belay system on the aerial outrigger, took Stith’s position on the aerial ladder. Stith descended the aerial. The negotiator calmed the subject and assured him that he would remain by his side throughout any postincident intervention. The subject continued to descend.
Since Friedman had promised the subject that no harm would come to him once he reached the ground, the uniformed police officers at the base of the stack remained out of sight. Only fire and rescue personnel were visible to the subject. Snyder, now only three rungs below the subject, helped him to descend the ladder. Friedman repositioned himself atop one of the sheds at the base of the structure. He continued to maintain eye contact with the subject and to reassure him.
Approximately 35 feet from ground level and 20 feet from the parking level, the subject again threatened to jump. As Snyder ascended the three rungs of the ladder to secure the subject, the subject released his hold on the smokestack ladder and was grabbed by Snyder. The subject’s foot now was wedged between the structure wall and a ladder rung. Recognizing the immediacy of the situation, Firefighter Bruce Schwarz of Truck Co. 1 ascended a 20-foot roof ladder that had been attached to the bottom rung of the makeshift ladder on the smokestack. Schwarz, totally unsecured, maneuvered past Snyder and freed the subject’s foot. Snyder now was holding the 250-pound man, who had swung free of the structure, under the arms. Personnel controlling the belay system quickly lowered the two to a point near the parking lot wall. They then were assisted over the wall and to safety.
The police negotiator, as promised, escorted the subject to the hospital emergency room, where the subject was given a complete evaluation. It turned out that the man, who had lost his job and had no medical insurance, recently had been evicted from his home and had been experiencing headaches for two years.
LESSONS LEARNED
The following are observations made during and lessons learned from this incident:
- Since Firefighter Snyder was in a potentially dangerous position, a belay system should have been established earlier in the incident. A kernmantle line could have been taken up the stack ladder and attached to the rungs every 10 feet by carabiners for running protection.
- When responding to a known jumper situation, responders’ apparatus should discontinue the use of the
- emergency warning devices well in advance of arrival to avoid further agitating the subject. In this situation, the use of our warning devices could have caused the subject to jump.
- Using the aerial ladder to prevent the subject from ascending farther worked in this situation. We also acknowledge, however, that the sight of the ladder and the noise it made while being raised could have caused the individual to jump. The command officer must quickly weigh such situations and determine the subject’s condition, position, and state of mind, based on communications with the subject and analysis of visible factors.
- Had the rescue taken place out of the reach of the aerial device, the operation would have been much more complicated. It would not have been possible to use the Maryland State Police helicopter, which is large, because of downwash, which could have frightened the subject and have caused him to lose his grip on the ladder.
- Weather conditions were favorable for this incident. Cooler temperatures or heavier winds would have further complicated the rescue effort by necessitating that the rescuers wear climatic gear, which would have limited their ability to move.
- The use of an aerial platform should have been considered. It would have provided a more stable area from which to negotiate and to employ the rope and rigging systems.
- We did not anticipate the subject’s rapid mood swings. Personnel must remain flexible, anticipate erratic behavior, and be able to adjust to new threats at all times —even when the incident appears to be deescalating.
- Immediately on arrival, the police negotiator should have been placed in a harness, attached to a safety line, and staged at the base of the aerial ladder. In this instance, time was wasted as the situation was deteriorating; we were not prepared to intervene.
- Liaison with law enforcement officials during this type of incident is critical. Call immediately for personnel trained and experienced in dealing with disturbed/suicidal individuals. Fire departments should have preestablished notification systems for such emergencies.
- Had the subject been armed in any way, full responsibility for the incident would have shifted to law enforcement personnel. Many suicides have resulted in secondary homicides as rescuers tried to approach; always exercise caution.
- If at all possible, use a rescuer that has an ethnic background similar to that of the victim. In this case, such a rescuer was utilized, which helped to alleviate an already tense situation — just the sight of a rescuer with a similar ethnic background had a calming effect on the subject.
All fire and rescue and law enforcement personnel present worked quickly and efficiently to conclude this operation. Every operation can be improved, and the lessons learned from this one hopefully will enable you to further refine your strategy and tactics should you encounter a similar incident.
