A technical review of the 1999 Worcester,
Mass., fire that claimed six firefighters is being released
by the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) today. According to the review,
abandoned buildings are a serious threat to firefighters
and fire departments must make a concerted effort to use
technology to maintain data on buildings in their response
districts.
"This report offers valuable insights that will help
prevent deaths and property loss in the future," said
Michael D. Brown, Homeland Security Under Secretary for
emergency preparedness and response. "This review for
'lessons learned' is particularly important for the fire
service, which can use the information to better safeguard
firefighters."
The review, compiled by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA),
also notes that delayed reporting contributed to the warehouse
fire's spread and that fire services should initiate rapid
intervention teams earlier in a structure fire response
and use a strict system of personnel tracking on the scene.
Other lessons learned cited in the report include:
Fire prevention efforts should target abandoned and even
temporarily vacated building to avoid fires;
Proper permitting and on-going building inspections for
construction changes within businesses can help reduce non-compliant
interior finishes that contribute to combustion;
Large buildings such as warehouses and high rises require
special search techniques and tools, including additional
air tanks;
Better techniques must be developed to better track the
movements of firefighters within a structure;
Alternative radio channels should be explored as radio channels
can be overloaded at multiple alarm fires;
Thermal imaging cameras, while expensive, are invaluable
equipment for all fire departments.
"The Worcester fire dealt a serious blow to the nation's
fire service," said US Fire Administrator R. David
Paulison. "It was one of the largest firefighter death
tolls for a single event before the World Trade Center tragedy.
It merited our study and resulted in findings relevant to
every department in the nation."
USFA develops reports on selected major fires, usually
involving multiple deaths or a large loss of property. The
objective reviews are intended to uncover significant "lessons
learned" or new knowledge about firefighting or to
underscore ongoing issues in fire service. USFA, which has
no regulatory authority, sends an experienced fire investigator
to the community after a major incident only after conferring
with local fire authorities.
At the time of the fire, the Worcester Fire Department
had 469 uniformed personnel, 15 engine companies and seven
ladder companies operating out of 12 stations. The year
before the fire, the department responded to more than 20,000
emergency calls and fought 459 structure fires. The six-story
warehouse building was in the heart of the town's former
warehousing and cold storage district. It had been abandoned
for a decade before the fire but was frequented by homeless
individuals.
The fatal fire was started when homeless individuals overturned
a candle inside the warehouse. It was reported to fire officials
by an off-duty police officer who saw smoke coming from
the warehouse roof. Eventually going to five alarms, the
fire took more than 20 hours to extinguish. It also took
more than six days to recover all the bodies of the deceased
firefighters
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