A series of tragic fires occurred across the country before, during and after the recent holiday season. Multiple-fatality fires killed four firefighters and 40 civilians in a six-day period in Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Tennessee and Virginia.
The United States Fire Administration has released a special report titled Winter Fire Tragedies ARE Preventable. It reminds us that about one-third of all house fires occur between December and February. Several of the dwellings involved in the fires above apparently did not have working smoke detectors.
Speaking of firefighter fatalities, on page 60 Firehouse® Contributing Editor Charles Werner reports on the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial and Foundation. Chief Werner represented Firehouse® at last year's memorial ceremony. He also reports on future plans for the expansion of the memorial site and increased assistance to firefighters' families.
The time to seek changes in legislation and fire safety issues is following major disasters. In New York City, consideration is again being focused on the installation of automatic sprinklers in high-rise multiple dwellings. The issue has been raised before, but was defeated by the real estate lobby. The multiple dwelling in which three FDNY firefighters died in December 1998 was equipped with sprinklers, but the sprinklers in the section where the fire occurred were turned off. Any extra fire protection is better than having none, but the systems must be properly maintained. A tough lesson, and we've heard it many times. Seems like more times than not, when our firefighters are killed, many problems contribute to the tragedy.
Firefighters, EMS and rescue workers had to endure severe weather as well as the recent barrage of tragic fires. Freezing temperatures, a blizzard and heavy snow wreaked havoc in the Midwest. Ice crippled the Northeast and portions of Virginia and North Carolina. Some residents were without power for at least two weeks.
As the military action in the Middle East continues, emphasis is being placed on some of our worst domestic fears: nuclear, biological and chemical terrorism. On page 54 we present a must-read article on preparedness by Deputy Chief Ted Jarboe and District Chief Bob Stephan of the Montgomery County, MD, Fire and Rescue Department. On a related topic, on page 48 we present a timely article by Barry Furey on the emergency dispatcher's role in terrorist attacks as well as other potentially life-threatening situations.
Correspondent Bill Keith, our Kansas City connection, reports on a serious fire close to the downtown area and the Missouri-Kansas border. Having been given a tour of the site by Bill the last time I visited the city, the old congested warehouse neighborhood has been the scene of many serious and deadly fires over the years. This recent large-scale fire provided a real battle for the Kansas City Fire Department; see page 34. Bill also recounts many of the city's most historic fires.
