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The Worcester 6

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On December 3, 1999, a five-alarm fire at the Worcester Cold Storage & Warehouse Co. building claimed the lives of six brave firefighters who responded to the call. These six heros, The Worcester 6, sacrificed their lives to try and rescue two individuals who were believed to be trapped inside the inferno. May the Worcester 6 always be remembered; “Fallen Heroes Never Forgotten.”

Firefighter Paul A. Brotherton
Firefighter
Paul A. Brotherton		 Firefighter Timothy P. Jackson
Firefighter
Timothy P. Jackson		 Firefighter Jeremiah M. Lucey
Firefighter
Jeremiah M. Lucey
Firefighter James F. Lyons
Firefighter
James F. Lyons		 Firefighter Joseph T. McGuirk
Firefighter
Joseph T. McGuirk		 Lieutenant Thomas E. Spencer
Lieutenant
Thomas E. Spencer

 

Mission Critical Reports, Links and Reading for the Company and Command Officer:

The Perfect Fire

It started with a candle in an abandoned warehouse. It ended with temperatures above 3,000 degrees and the men of the Worcester Fire De- partment in a fight for their lives.

Read more: http://www.esquire.com/features/perfect-fire-0700#ixzz1fUAOvMsZ

 

Posted by on December 3, 2011 • Filed under: building construction, Buildingsonfire.com, christopher naum, Crew Integrity, Fire Fighter Safety, firefighting-operations, History Repeating Event, leadership, LODD, major-incidents, NIOSH Reports, Reports, Strategy and Tactics, thecompanyofficer.com • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Building Construction and Systems Training for Commanders, Company Officers and Firefighters

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Building Construction and Systems Training for Commanders, Company Officers & Firefighters

New Training Programs Rolling out for 2011

These are an  intense and concentrated series of programs examining trends and methods in building construction for the fire service with an emphasize on construction and occupancy risk assessment, structural and construction systems, and their direct relationship on structural combat firefighting operations, firefighter survivability and the command decision-making process. Understand building systems and occupancy performance under fire conditions is mission critical with new and emerging technical information and data that is redefining tactical and operational models and firefighting protocols with new rules of engagement.

Firefighters and Officers will gain a new understanding of inherent construction features and hazards that directly influence effective risk management and decisive strategic and tactical considerations with a focus on key construction features, inherent occupancy profiles that will influence strategic, tactical and task level operations and crucial assembly systems affected by fire dynamics, extreme fire behavior and combat fire suppression operations.

These programs & seminars examine crucial considerations for Reading the Building, Occupancy Risk Profiling, Adaptive Fireground Management, Tactical Patience, Predicative Occupancy Performance and Construction Resiliency correlating building construction performance toward combat structural fire suppression operations. Case studies will reinforce concepts presented and evoked.

New 2011 Training Program Offerings

  • Building Construction for the Company and Command Officer
  • Tactical Patience and the New Rules of Combat Fire Engagement
  • The New Fireground: Engineered Systems, Construction & Tactics
  • Building Construction and Tactical Operations
  • Reading the Building: Predictive Occupancy Profiling
  • The Doctrine of Combat Fire Operations 2011
  • Dynamic Risk Assessment & Firefighting
  • Tactical Renaissance:Building Construction & Tactical Excellence
  • Extreme Fire Behavior & Fireground Operations
  • Tactical Entertainment and Firefighter Safety
  • Occupancy Risk Profiling and Firefighting Strategy & Tactics
  • Keynotes, Lectures, Special Presentations & Programs Available
  • Other Building Construction, Command, Tactics and Fire Fighter Safety and Operations programs Available

 

Click the image to Download the PDF

 

Posted by on May 7, 2011 • Filed under: building construction, Buildingsonfire.com, christopher naum, Education, firefighting-operations, Professional Development, training, training-development • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Operational Integrity and Command Fortitude

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CR1999 Roger B. Conant

Today December 3, 2010 marks the 11th anniversary of the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire that resulted in the line of duty death of six courages brother firefighters.

For those of you who remember this event, take the time to reflect and honor the sacrifice made this day; to those of you who have not heard about the fire before- take the time to learn about the incident, the firefighters, the building, the operational factors and challenges, the courage, fortitude and convictions that define the American Fire Service, it’s honor, tradition and brotherhood.

The Worcester Six;

  • Firefighter Paul Brotherton Rescue 1
  • Firefighter Jeremiah Lucey Rescue 1
  • Lieutenant Thomas Spencer Ladder 2
  • Firefighter Timothy Jackson Ladder 2
  • Firefighter James Lyons Engine 3
  • Firefighter Joseph McGuirk Engine

Take the time today or over the weekend to read for the first time or review both the USFA report and the NIOSH Report on the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire. Start thinking about or reminding yourself what it is that we do as firefighters, fire officers and commanders.

Reflect upon the incident parameters, the building, the report and conditions upon arrival, command and operational integrity, company level responsibilities and duties, command fortitude and accountability. Think about your understanding of building construction, operational demands and training and skill set competencies.

More importantly, think about the duty, honor, courage, integrity  and sacrifice reflected in all the men and women on that day in 1999 and especially the brother firefighters who will always be known as the Worcester Six, but who were much, much more….

For a detailed overview of the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire, go to Commandsafety.com HERE for a comprehensive posting.

Posted by on December 3, 2010 • Filed under: building construction, Buildingsonfire.com, christopher naum, command-leadership, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, in-the-line-of-duty, NIOSH Reports • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Six Detroit Firefighters Injured at Taxpayer Fire from Wall Collapse

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Detroit News

Six Detroit firefighters were injured during operations at a two alarm fire at a commercial taxpayer fire on the city’s east side. Initial reports indicate a roof collapse and subsequent compromise and further collapse occurred on the alpha side of operations with additional reports of an explosion preceding the collapse. Additional information provided by the Detroit Fire Department indicated the building structure had sustained some degree of damage from fire operations a few hours earlier and that during the suppression operations  at 07:00 hours, while companies were operating, a facade collapse of the perimeter brick wall occured.
The brick facade collapse trapped a number of firefighters under the debris pile requiring extrication and removal. Published report indicate that the following Detroit Firefighters were injured as a result of the collapsing facade wall;

• Lt. Gerald Rutkowski, 46; 23 years with department

• Shane Raxter, 32; 9 years with department.

• Brian Baulch, 31; 9 years with department.

• Jeron Whitehorn 30; 8 years with department.

• Eric Jurmo, 31; 11 years with department.

• Brendan Milewski, 31; 11 years with department

It appears the two story brick structure located at the corner block had commercial occupancies on the number one floor, with the second floor boarded up, evidenced by the coverings over the windows.
The facade collapse of the alpha side in the predominate location of perimeter windows is typically the least stable of areas in buildings of type III ordinary construction. Lacking any significant mass and increased wythe, non-bearing walls have less mass and require stability of the adjacent floor systems and load bearing lintels and beams to maintain structural stability and integrity. Gravity affects unstable brick veneer and in-fill walls greatly as does other imposed loads, hose and master streams impacts.  We’ll post more building construction insights and safety aides to increase your operational awareness on these type of building structures.
 
Here are the links to the lastest information forthcoming;
  • Detroit News, HERE
  • Firegeezer Coverage, HERE
  • Detroit Fox News, HERE
  • Latest news on FireFighter Nation, HERE
  • Statter911.com, Here
  • The Detroit Free Press, Here
  • Photo Gallery, Here
Here’s a link to a PPT program that’s available on the National Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System site on Operational Safety Considerations at Buildings of Ordinary and Heavy Timber Construction; Type III and IV Structures. An accompanying narrative is available on the same NMRS Resource page that I posted in 2009.
 
 
Some recent NIOSH Reports related to Commercial Building Occupancy Fires and their lessons;
  • Career Lieutenant Dies Following Floor Collapse into Basement Fire and a Career Fire Fighter Dies Attempting to Rescue the Career Lieutenant – New York,  HERE
  • Floor Collapse at Commercial Structure Fire Claims the Lives of One Career Lieutenant and One Career Fire Fighter – New York, Here
  • Hardware Store Explosion Claims the Lives of Three Career Fire Fighters-New York, Here
  • Volunteer Fire Chief Killed when Buried by Brick Parapet Wall Collapse – Texas, Here
  • Commercial Structure Fire Claims the Life of One Firefighter-California, Here
  • Partial roof collapse in commercial structure fire claims the lives of two career fire fighters – Tennessee, Here
Additionally here are some images pulled from various online sources depicting the building, it’s construction, layout and configuration.

Detroit New Photo


Posted by on August 13, 2010 • Filed under: building construction, christopher naum, Collapse, company officer, firefighting-operations, mass-casualty-incident, NIOSH Reports, Occupancies, Strategy and Tactics, Structural Collapse • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Knowledge of Building Construction; Are you Prepared?

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Check out the latest posting at our sister site Commandsafety.com for the latest release of Buildingsonfire.com’s Building Construction Training and Lecture Series for 2010. Recently updated with a series of new seminar and training program topics addressing the emerging training and educational needs of the fire service, these programs provide timely and relevant information and insights on Building Construction, Command Risk Management, Dynamic and Extreme Fire Behavior, Occupancy Situational Awareness, Engineered Structural Systems and Fire Fighter Safety.

These programs also present and integrate cutting edge research and emerging concepts on Tactical Patience, Tactical Entertainment, Command Compression, Structural Anatomy of Buildings, Five Star Command Model, Predicative Strategic Process, refined Tactical Deployment Models integrating intelligent Structural Anatomy and Predictive Occupancy Profiling and much more.  You can download the training brochure at the following link also; Building Construction Training Brochure 2010

What’s your level of knowledge, skills and education on Building Construction, Fire Dynamics, Extreme Fire Behavior, Occupancy Profiling and Combat Fire Engagement?

Related Posts with Thumbnails
Posted by on July 2, 2010 • Filed under: BECOME SAFE, building construction, Buildingsonfire.com, christopher naum, Commandsafety.com, company officer, Fire Dynamics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, Professional Development, Situational Awareness, Strategy and Tactics, training, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,