April 18--A Philadelphia firefighter experienced equipment failure and the first-due ladder crew was late to arrive on scene when she died during a house fire in December 2014, according to a report released Monday by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Philly.com reports that several factors contributed to the death of firefighter Joyce Craig, a mother of two who was an 11-year veteran of the Philadelphia Fire Department and the first woman firefighter to die in the line of duty in the city's history. The NIOSH report cites multiple reasons for her death, including outdated and broken breathing equipment, becoming separated from her crew members, unrestricted air flow in the house, and a ladder crew that took 21 minutes to arrive.
Craig made five "Mayday" transmissions as she became trapped in the dining room of the burning West Oak Lane home on Dec. 9, 2014. “Engine 73 can’t breathe, I can’t breathe,” the 37-year-old said in her final transmission. Nine minutes later, Craig was found with her left hand still near the nozzle of her fire hose, according to the report.
She was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital, and the Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the cause was suffocation. The NIOSH report says she had no signs of smoke inhalation and her burns were not fatal.
The report also found that although Craig's 2013 face piece for her self-contained breathing apparatus worked properly, her 2002-edition buddy breather hose “suffered a catastrophic thermal degradation resulting in a very large and quick air loss.”
While Craig was able to call for help, “the response seemed delayed,” according to the report. Firefighters were not able to “establish verbal communication” with Craig, which could have helped them find her, and although her radio worked, Craig’s older-model personal alert safety system did not sound, the report says.
According to the report, firefighters should always enter a burning building in teams of at least two, “and no firefighter is allowed to be alone at any time while entering, operating in, or exiting a building.” But Craig became separated from her team in the smoke and heat, and her two team members left the house without her, believing she already had escaped, the report says.
The NIOSH report was also highly critical of a “brownout” policy that temporarily took engines or ladders out of service and a firefighter rotation policy, both of which were in effect at the time of Craig’s death but have since been discontinued. The report says these policies “may impact effective firefighting teams and removes firefighting expertise from neighborhoods and the family culture. An important aspect of being a firefighter is being able to work as a member of a team.”
Among the report’s 10 recommendations were improved tactical training, crews sticking together when fighting fires, training in Mayday techniques, and department-wide upgrades to breathing apparatus.
Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel said in a statement Monday that the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office had reached many of the same conclusions about training, communication, and equipment. He said breathing equipment already had been updated and more firefighter positions added this year, with more expected in 2018.
“Joyce Craig’s death was devastating to her family and to the Department,” Thiel wrote. “We hope the lessons learned from these reports will prevent such tragedies in the future.”
The lawyers representing Craig's estate -- Robert J. Mongeluzzi, David L. Kwass and David J. Langsam -- issued a statement saying the report aids their case in a pending suit against the city.
“This report appears to advance our arguments regarding the liability of the equipment manufacturer and affiliated defendants,” they said, adding that the report is silent on how those responsible should be held accountable.
“Those questions will ultimately be answered at trial by a jury,” the statement said.
