On the Job: Kansas - Pre-Plan, Walk-Through Pay Off As Senior Residence Arson Challenges 5 Departments

OLATHE FIRE DEPARTMENT
Chief: George Bentley
PersonneL: 94 career firefighters
Apparatus: Four 75-foot quints, three engines, one aerial, two brush rigs, two hazmat units, one heavy rescue, one bomb unit, one tanker, three ambulances, two boats, three reserve engines
Population: 105,000
Area: 55 square miles

For a medium-size city and its fire department, a serial arsonist can be a real challenge. In the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, KS, on March 11-12, 2004, an arsonist put the city and several fire departments to the test and showed how destructive one man can be.

The first fire on March 11 came in as a regular alarm at 10:11 P.M. at a building under construction, the Senior Residence. The building had been pre-planned by the crews from the first-due Station 4. The pre-planning of large buildings under construction is new in Olathe and the Senior Residence was the first one to be done. Firefighters knew the building's type of construction and the problems to be encountered if it were to catch on fire. The building had a basement, truss floors and rafters, and was of unprotected light construction. The four-story structure measured 600 by 90 feet.

The first fire was contained to an outside wall and caused $100 in damage. All other units were cleared with the exception of Quint 54 and Engine 53, and an investigator was requested. Because this fire was determined to be arson, firefighters from both units performed a walk-through of the building to check for any other fire sets. This was the seventh fire that the arsonist had set in Olathe, so far. The walk-through proved valuable later in the evening, as firefighters took note that many areas in the building had not been Sheetrocked and the sprinkler system was not completed. It was, for the most part, just a lumberyard standing up. Inspector Cody Henning watched the building from a distance, in case the arsonist returned. He remained on the scene from 11:05 P.M. until about 1:30 A.M. on March 12. He believed the area was secure and cleared the scene.

At 1:59 A.M., Olathe units were dispatched to a reported building fire at 115th and Ridgeview, a bank. This response brought Battalion Chief Ken Keiter, two engines, one quint, Heavy Rescue 52 and a Lenexa Fire Department battalion chief on mutual aid. This bank had experienced an arson fire earlier in the week. This time, there was a fire on the wood roof, and fire department units quickly had it under control. There was $30,000 in damage to the bank on this fire.

At 2:22 A.M., while the units were still on scene of the first arson fire, Olathe and Overland Park Fire Department units were dispatched to a reported building fire at the same address as earlier, the Senior Residence under construction. This time, the response was Med-Act Unit 1151 for standby, Overland Park Battalion Chief Tim Gibbs and Quint 43. Olathe units responding on the initial dispatch were Quint 54, Quint 51, Engine 53 and Henning.

On arrival, Quint 54, under the command of Captain Dave Diehl, advised that heavy fire was issuing from the front of the building, in the same area as the earlier fire. Quint 54 was placed in the front of the building and command was established. A 2.5-inch line was to cool a 1,000-gallon propane tank in the front of the building that was taking heavy heat. Engine 53, under Acting Captain Jim Romano, arrived on scene and assisted with laying in a supply line and setting up the quint for aerial operations.

A second alarm was requested five minutes into the fire and command announced the fire would be defensive. Quint 51, under Captain John Myers, and Quint 43 were requested to lay in a line and set up for operations on the west side of the building. The front of the building was the only access, so all operations had to be from one side. Lenexa Quint 91 arrived on scene and was ordered to set up operations on the east side. The crew used a portable deck gun to help stop the fire to the east. Fire Chief George Bentley arrived on scene and assisted Diehl with command operations. Gibbs, the battalion chief from Overland Park, also assisted command and his vehicle was used as the command post.

Engine 55, led by Captain Steve Blackwell, checked side 3 and told command that there was another 1,000-gallon propane tank in the back, at side 3-4. If the fire traveled to the east, as the command staff projected, that tank would soon be an exposure in extreme danger. The fire had to be held to the center part of the building, but with Sheetrock not being installed completely, and no sprinklers, this seemed out of the question.

Keiter arrived on scene and took over command operations. The west side was held in check, as the wind was out of the west, but the east side was showing signs of involvement. Heavy smoke was issuing from the roof and it appeared that another large section of building would also be lost. Smoke conditions became so bad that the only way to see the building and monitor the effectiveness of the deck guns was by using the thermal imaging cameras.

Even though no one knew it earlier in the evening, there was a factor that would be in the firefighters' favor and would help to stop the spread of fire: the fire walls dividing the center section from each end were completed. The hallways were open, but with the fire walls and master streams, the fire was contained to the center part and a small amount of spread to the fourth floor to the east. Companies went to every floor and overhauled the east side. The fire was under control at 7:05 A.M.

Twenty-five fire units and 60 firefighters from Olathe, Overland Park, Shawnee, Lenexa and Johnson County Fire District 2 responded. Rehab was handled by Med-Act 1154. The damage was $8 million, as the insurance company decided to tear down all of the building. The arsonist was apprehended in California on March 17.

Lessons learned included:

The pre-plan was helpful, but just as helpful was the walk-through earlier in the night. Thermal imaging cameras can be beneficial on exterior operations, as they allow firefighters to see heat spread and help in placing water where it will do the most good. Command may be the first-in captain or a chief officer, who must be ready to take and keep command if needed. A good relay from the first commander to the next one is vital. Give a good account of everything; don't rush through it.

Dave Diehl is a 15-year veteran of the Olathe, KS, Fire Department. He is a station captain running a quint. Previously, Diehl worked for the Great Bend, KS, Fire Department.