A training incident in which two Baltimore city firefighters were injured the day before a fatal training accident is raising new questions about the death of fire recruit Racheal Wilson.
Former Fire Training Chief Kenneth Hyde has taken the brunt of the blame for the incident in which Wilson died. On Tuesday, the fire department added some more blame.
The two firefighters were injured during a training exercise in vacant rowhomes in northeast Baltimore on Feb. 8. The injuries weren't serious, but the incident did cause the fire department's chief safety officer to go the scene and investigate.
According to a department spokesman, Hyde was questioned and disclosed to the safety chief that he planned to do another live burn exercise the following day.
On Feb. 9, Wilson died in a flawed exercise that included more than three dozen violations of safety rules. The vacant rowhouse in southwest Baltimore that was used in the exercise wasn't authorized in the first place.
How that particular house was selected and the oversight of Hyde's training practices remain contentious questions in the investigation of Wilson's death.
A department spokesman said on Tuesday that Hyde told the safety chief after the Feb. 8 incident that the exercise the following day would be in the same location in northeast Baltimore, not a different one in a different part of town.
Asked if the safety chief raised any flags because of the Feb. 8 incident, the spokesman said, "Given that the injuries related to the Feb. 8 incident are fairly common and after discussions with Hyde, the safety chief was satisfied safety standards were being adhered to."
Since Wilson's death, Fire Chief William Goodwin has said he was unaware that Hyde was using live burns in vacant houses to train recruits.
Hyde apparently included that element of his training program in a Power Point presentation, but a department spokesman said it was never shown to department commanders.
The department has discontinued live burn exercises and a safety officer is now permanently assigned to the training academy.
Hyde was fired by Mayor Sheila Dixon two weeks ago.
