Nasty Scene

[PFD109NFD107]

Something I hope I never have to pull up on. I watched the news on this and Chief Bell was giving his guys props for doing all they could do for the kids.

http://www.nbc24.com/Global/story.as...5&nav=1aI4SKxs

[firenresq77]

Definitely bad....... One of the chiefs that was there came up to the AO and said it's the worst thing he's ever seen....... Seems like everytime a crew came out, they were bringing out another child......

[firenresq77]

Sorry for the second post, but had to move at work......

First crews on scene reported heavy fire and smoke in a 2 story Garden Apts..... Immediately called for a 2nd alarm.... At some point, not sure if before or after got on scene, had report of 7 children still inside...... They ended up calling in at least 2 additional Engines, not sure if more..... Had 6 Lifesquads there, plus a couple of private EMS units.......

[firenresq77]

Here's another article from www.wtol.com


TOLEDO -- A massive apartment fire in South Toledo killed at least five children and seriously hurt two others Sunday afternoon. Toledo Fire Chief Mike Bell said the fire broke out around 2:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Norwich Apartments on Norwich Road near Airport and Reynolds.

Chief Bell said firefighters responded within one minute of the 911 call made by witnesses. He said firefighters were able to pull children out of the apartment and tried to revive them. Bell said the department does not know yet how the fire started but they are still investigating.

News 11 has learned four families have been affected by the fire and the American Red Cross is helping those displaced by the blaze. Counselors are also on hand to lend their support and comfort to loved ones. The victims names have not yet been released.

Posted at 6:45 p.m., Sunday, October 24, 2004 by jcook

[firenresq77]

And another from www.13abc.com

Apartment Fire Claims 5 Children
All the Children were said to be under the age of seven.
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - A Lucas County coroner's official says five children are dead and two critically injured after an apartment fire in Toledo this afternoon.

Robert Hannon is a senior investigator with the Lucas County Coroner's Office. He says the five children died at area hospitals and two other people were in critical condition late today.

Toledo Fire Chief Michael Bell says they got a call at two-38 p-m to respond to the fire.

Bell says firefighters pulled seven children all under the age of seven out of the building. He says the fire was quickly put out.

Bell says no adults or firefighters were injured in the blaze.


(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[WTFD10]

News is also reporting that the first engine responded within 1 minute. Also reporting that there were no adults in the apt. with the kids.

Good job to our Toledo brothers and sisters, they did all they could at this very tough scene.

[firenresq77]

They also called in Rossford, Sylvania, and Maumee Fire Departments to fill in at some of the stations........

And no, Weruj didn't make it this time, either. I even gave him a heads up!

[firenresq77]

Here's another one from www.toledoblade.com

I'm sure they'll have a bigger one in tomorrow's paper......




Article published Sunday, October 24, 2004

Apartment fire in South Toledo leaves five children dead, two others seriously injured


Five children were killed in an afternoon apartment fire today in South Toledo that also left two other children in critical condition.

All of the victims were under 7 years old, Toledo fire Chief Mike Bell said.

Toledo firefighters responded about 2:40 p.m. to the fire just east of Reynolds Road, and about a quarter-mile north of Airport Highway.

The children were transported to local hospitals as they were taken from the unit in the Norwich Apartments.

When firefighters arrived, no adults were in the unit, authorities said. It was unclear the cause of the fire, which is under investigation.

Read more in later editions of The Blade and toledoblade.com

[WTFD10]

www.wtol.com now reporting that one of the two injured children has died. What a tragic day...

[WTFD10]

Originally posted by firenresq77
[B]Here's another one from www.toledoblade.com

I'm sure they'll have a bigger one in tomorrow's paper......

True to their reputation, the local rag engages in some yellow jounalism:

Chief Bell said firefighters arrived on the scene within a minute after the blaze was reported and were in "rescue mode" trying to get the children out of the apartment. "[The firefighters] did whatever they had to do as quickly as they could," the chief said.

But some onlookers at the scene expressed anger at what they said was a slow response by emergency crews.

Roland Yates, a friend of Terry Sanders - who is the father of Terri, Talia, and Tanija Sanders - said he saw some of the first firefighters on the scene talking on radios and unrolling hoses.

"I just don't understand why those kids were not being gotten to after 15 minutes," said Mr. Yates, a former resident at the complex who was visiting friends in another building when the fire started. "People were losing it. I was losing it, because those are my friend's kids."

Johnny Johnson, who lives in the building next to the one that burned, said he was cited for obstructing official business while trying to help one of three children who had been carried outside by firefighters.

"I was holding this little girl, rubbing her hands, whatever I could do," he said. "A firefighter picked her up and ran with her to an ambulance. They couldn't do it all themselves."

[ff7134]

Sorry to hear of a cal like this. Good work from the brothers from the northwest.


A note: Typical crap from people who do not know anything they are trying to comment on. Sad that the papers actually print that stuff.

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Rough call. My heart goes out to them.

Is it true no adults were home? 7 kiddies under 7 yrs old and no adults?? *sigh*

As for the "concerned bystanders" ..... grrrrrrrrrrr

revised: I just read this morning's update, the 7th child has died

[firenresq77]

I know when PD got there, they were reporting civilians out of control, almost to "riot" status......... And that was their wor, riot, not mine........

[Weruj1]

Seven Children Dead in Toledo, Ohio Apartment Fire


JOHN SEEWER
Associated Press

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- Joe Jaramillo climbed the staircase with smoke searing his eyes and the cries of seven trapped children ringing in his ears. But he couldn't get any closer.

``They were yelling 'Help us,' but I couldn't do anything. I had to come back for air,'' he said.

Seven children died after a fire broke out in a Toledo apartment Sunday afternoon, authorities said. The victims were five sisters, their brother and a girl cousin, ages six months to 7 years old, relatives said.

``They were the sweetest kids,'' said Denise Sanders, grandmother of three of the children.

Five of the children died at area hospitals soon after the blaze, a sixth died several hours later and the seventh died early Monday morning, said a spokeswoman for St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center.

The Lucas County coroner's office said Monday it had not completed identifying the victims.

Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire, which started in one of the rear bedrooms on the second floor, said Deputy Fire Chief Robert Metzger. They did not know if the two smoke detectors were working, he said.

People placed teddy bears, balloons and burning candles in a memorial outside Monday.

The children were always outside playing tag, hide-and-seek or ``any game their imagination would give them,'' said their uncle, Kevin McGowan.

Jaramillo said he ran into the two-story apartment and tried to get upstairs where the children were trapped, as the mother of the six siblings stood outside screaming that her babies were inside. Jaramillo, 36, said he had been visiting his daughter in the area.

Five to six people tried to get inside but also were repelled by smoke, said Hardy Thornton, a family friend.

Firefighters arrived about a minute after receiving an emergency call but met heavy flames on a staircase as they fought to reach the children, said Chief Michael Bell. They contained the fire quickly after pulling six of the children out of a front bedroom upstairs and a baby from a crib in another room, authorities said.

No adults were injured. Bell said no adults were in the building when firefighters arrived, but he wasn't sure whether adults were inside when the blaze broke out.

Jaramillo said the father of one of the children had tried to go upstairs with a fire extinguisher, ``but it didn't work.'' He and the father tried to go up the stairs a second time, but the smoke and flames were too thick.

``Then it was just quiet,'' said Jaramillo.

Neighbors said the woman who lived in the apartment with her children also had two sisters who live in the apartment complex.

Three of the children were students at Reynolds Elementary School, said school district spokeswoman Jane Bruss.

Nearly all the fire damage was limited to one apartment and the roof of the two-story brick apartment building with five units, said Battalion Chief Mark Klein.




Make NO DOUBT aobut it............these poor brothers worked a very very hectic scene, the end was bad and I am willling to bet this could have all been prevented. Although '77 did give me the heads up, I waited for almost 45 mins ...........but they called for the fill about 10 mins after I left for a kiddie Halloween function........I will make it back ther someday.I hope no one EVER has to see this kind of thing in a career again.

[firenresq77]

For those who haven't seen it, www.13abc.com has video footage of it and also a slide show of clips from the video......... You can see in there how the PD had to step in to keep people back..........

[WTFD10]

Ch. 11 at 6 PM had an interview with some of the brothers that were there...what a tough, tough call. As Josh said I hope none of us ever have to go through this.

Jeff, you're right...it is a shame that our "newspaper" has to print inflammatory stuff like they did.

Obviously emotions were very high and a bystander would have no idea that the "fireman talking on the radio" was probably striking the 2nd and getting Life Squads coming and the "fireman unrolling hose" was attempting to give those kids a fighting chance by getting water on the fire.

It's simply irresponsible journalism to print stuff like this and I for one will not be giving them any of my money by purchasing their rag anymore. I only hope that they did not imflame this situation to the point that it was in Prarie Twp. near Columbus a few weeks ago.

The media is also reporting that some residents of that apt. complex are complaining that there have been problems with the electric baseboard heaters arcing and the civilians who went in after the kids as well as the first brothers in did not hear smoke detectors. If this turns out to be true, the management of that complex should be prosecuted.

It's also being reported that the mother initially stated that she was at the store when the fire broke out and later stated that she was on the front porch. TPD is investigating to determine if criminal charges will be filed. Irregardless, I doubt that any punishment from a court of law could come close to the punishment she's going through now.

Just a horrible situation all around and my thoughts are with all of those effected. Rest in peace little ones.

To my TFRD brothers and sisters: FTM-KTF

[firenresq77]

Moe, wish I could have seen the interviews....... Went to the website and they just had the story. Hopefully they will add the video later......

[Weruj1]

Tonight we are hearing more media smut ...........Someone said that the first due Engine arrived and the "firefighters 'weren't dressed'"when they got off the apparatus.........

[WTFD10]

Originally posted by WTFD10
Ch. 11 at 6 PM had an interview with some of the brothers that were there...

Here's the story from www.wtol.com

Firefighters Feel the Loss of the Fatal Fire

SOUTH TOLEDO -- Toledo firefighters are searching for the cause of a fire that killed seven children in a south Toledo apartment building. The fire broke out around 2:30 on Sunday in Norwich Apartments near Reynolds and Airport Highway.

The victims were five sisters: Tanija Sanders, 7 months; Talia Sanders, 1; Terri Sanders, 6; Brionna McCullough 2; Teairia McCullough, 7; their brother, Brian McCullough, 5, and a girl cousin, Quanisha Kirk, 7, family members said. Six were found in an upstairs bedroom and the baby was found in a crib in another room. At least three neighbors went up the staircase, trying to reach the children. "The smoke was coming at me," said Anthony Osley, who was visiting his sister nearby. "You couldn't save those kids."

The case is as bad as it gets for Toledo firefighters, who say this is a loss they won't get over anytime soon. "When they woke up that morning, they had no idea what was going to happen," said firefighter Mike Ignatowski. And neither did the firefighters reporting for work that day. But this would be the shift where paramedics like Ignatowski got the call he dreaded most. "Dispatch got on and said there was heavy smoke and up to 7 kids trapped. Instantly, everyone knew going into it that we had kids in there," said Ignatowski.

Paramedic Dan O'Leary has been on the force for 5 years. "I have 20 years left, and I never want to have another run like that," said O'Leary. Rick Easler had gone 11 years without having to face a day like that. "That is the worst, 7 children dying like that is very hard," he said.

Trying to save them took all the resources they had. Not the least of which was faith. "I prayed all the way to the hospital. I prayed all the time that I was performing CPR, I was praying constantly," said O'Leary. All say they will never look at runs the same way again. "We found the 7-month-old in a crib. We've gone on many fires and we've gone in cribs and we've felt in them. Never pulled a child out of them. This time we pulled out a 7-month-old," said Ignatowski.

The loss of that 7-month-old is shared by the crews who tried to save the children. "I just want to hold my own children. Keep them close to me and make sure that they are protected," said Ignatowski. "I can't imagine how much [the mother of the victims] misses her children. I know she wants to hug them one more time. So love your kids and hug your kids," said O'Leary.

The firefighters say everyone worked as hard as they could to save these children. They especially pointed out Mark Frankfurther and Dexter Baker who were on the scene first. They also tell us to use this as a reason to sit down with your kids and go over your safety plans, with two ways out of each room.

[WTFD10]

Originally posted by Weruj1
Tonight we are hearing more media smut ...........Someone said that the first due Engine arrived and the "firefighters 'weren't dressed'"when they got off the apparatus.........

Who's "reporting" this?