As Firehouse Sees It: The Perfect Storm

April 1, 2015
For the American fire service, “the perfect storm” can and has taken many forms.

On Dec. 7, 1736, Benjamin Franklin formed the first fire company (or fire brigade) called the Union Fire Company in the City of Brotherly Love – Philadelphia, PA. Two hundred and seventy-eight years later, on Dec. 9, 2014, the Philadelphia Fire Department would lose its first female firefighter in the line of duty.

Firefighter Joyce Craig (posthumously promoted to lieutenant), an 11-year veteran of the Philadelphia Fire Department, died while operating at a residential basement fire. The fire in the words of some has been described as “a perfect storm of things that went wrong.”

While I will not point blame or Monday-morning quarterback those involved in this incident, there are many contributing factors that WE (collectively – the nation’s fire service) have an obligation to take note of, not in an in an effort to cast blame, but rather to forecast the potential “perfect storm” that may be developing within our own organization.

The perfect storm that struck Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 2014, was a not a raging, multi-alarm inferno battled by the masses, but rather a “routine” incident in which a chain of unfortunate events rapidly came together and claimed the life of a firefighter in one of our nation’s most experienced and well-established fire departments.

This incident involved one of the most hazardous situations a firefighter will ever encounter throughout their career, a “routine” basement fire with light smoke showing. We’ve all heard it, and many of us have said it, NO fire should ever be considered “routine.” When we approach an incident with a certain expectation (i.e., light smoke showing…no big deal), we subconsciously put on blinders and in many cases we may miss specific cues that may allow us to predict and/or prevent the impending hazard.

In this case, something as simple as a door being left open and while not conclusively determined, recent history (i.e., Cherry Road – Washington DC) and ongoing research suggest that in similar cases this has allowed for an influx of air to be drawn into the basement (typically a ventilation limited environment) and thus cause the fire to rapidly develop and flashover similar to the situation encountered by Firefighter Craig.

For the American fire service, “the perfect storm” can and has taken many forms. It can include an inexperienced or understaffed fireground, a single or multiple incident mechanical failure, missed or ineffective fireground communications, uncoordinated tactics, a weather-induced event or a culmination of all the above.

As we await the results of the investigation to become public, I challenge you to ask yourself, what have you done to prevent the perfect storm from happening within your organization? Do you operate within a company or on a fireground that lacks experience or district familiarity based on flexible leave policies, shift rotations or inconsistent staffing assignments? Have you prepared yourself and your crew for a potential SCBA or other related mechanical emergencies? Do you have an established incident management system that requires routine progress reports, PAR checks and benchmarks? Is your incident commander strategically positioned to listen and coordinate communications amongst those operating inside and outside the hazard zone? Are your tactics coordinated amongst interior and exterior crews via radio or some other form of communication to avoid putting crews at risk? Are you operating with the necessary resources (trained personnel and equipment) to rescue or assist you if the need occurs?

A statement shared by the deputy fire chief conducting the department’s review wrote this in reference to the current training provided by the Philadelphia Fire Department, “The training firefighters receive ends once they leave the academy, and those basic skills are not reinforced until after ‘a negative outcome’ like Craig’s death.”

It goes without saying that the basic training we receive in any academy or introductory program is not sufficient to carry us through our careers. Every day MUST be training day. As firefighters/officers, we know that our days will continue to grow shorter with our ever-growing list of responsibilities. Yet, we can NEVER look beyond the importance of training, nor can we rely solely on those who fill the ranks above us to provide the training for us. WE have an obligation to become a lifelong student who constantly seeks out and pursues the knowledge, skills and abilities that enable us to perform our assigned duties with safety and efficiency. From the day we enter this profession (volunteer or career) to the day we hang up our coat, stow our boots and mount our helmet, training MUST be PRIORITY NO. 1.

The Philadelphia Fire Department has a longstanding history of success; their members have demonstrated courage, professionalism and resilience following previous tragedies. And while the emotional scars of this event will remain forever, we can only hope that the lessons they learn and share from this incident will forever serve as the means to prevent another perfect storm.

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