FDNY Black Sunday Fire

FDNY Black Sunday Fire

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Author Note

FDNY Black Sunday Fire

In January 2005, a three-alarm fire was recorded in a four-portion building. Two male career firefighters, including a Lieutenant and a senior firefighter, died, and four firefighters were severely injured. The victims were looking for any trapped people on the fourth floor. The fire started in an apartment on the third floor and rapidly reached the fourth floor. The advancing fire trapped the firefighters for approximately 30 minutes. The intensity of heat continued to increase with time and forced the victims to jump from the windows of the fourth floor on the ground. After the incident, the victims were transported to the nearby hospitals immediately, where the two victims (Lieutenant and a firefighter) were later declared dead. (Berardinelli & Romano, 2007)

Cause of Fire

Faulty and improper electrical wiring in the reception of an apartment on the 3rd floor was the fundamental cause of the fire. Due to the cold weather on the day of the incident, all hydrants were frozen, and the response time of rescue services was delayed due to bad road conditions. (Berardinelli & Romano, 2007)

What happened to the firefighters?

A total of 150 firefighters were involved in the incident. The victims of the fire were searching for any trapped people on the fourth floor. The apartment was filled with heavy smoke. A hose line operating on the fourth floor was replaced by another hose line that had water pressure problems. After some time, no water was being supplied on the fourth floor. With the passage of time, the intensity of smoke, flames and heat increased and fire covered the hallway, trapping the six victims within the two bedrooms of the 4th-floor apartment. Both the bedrooms were adjacent. As the fire extended to the bedrooms, the Lieutenant made multiple mayday calls, which is a sign only used by the firefighters when they are in trouble. The windows in the bedrooms were blocked by the metal gates. The lieutenant tried climbing over the gate and the two firefighters supported him, as they thought that he (Lieutenant) was trying to make room for them to escape. But as he climbed over the gate, he fell on to the ground. The increasing intensity of fire then forced the other three firefighters to jump from the window as well after some time. Two firefighters were left, trapped in separate bedrooms. One of them got a rope and they tried to use it in order to land safely on to the ground. But unfortunately, the rope broke and both firefighters fell on the ground and had severe injuries. (Berardinelli & Romano, 2007)

What resulted from the incident?

In March 2005, the NIOSH team investigated the whole incident. The team asked questions from the involved firefighters, looked into the photographs of the site, and reviewed other relevant documents. The investigators at NIOSH, after investigating the incident, gave some recommendations in order to avoid similar incidents in the future. Some of those recommendations are (Ridenour, 2010):

Ensuring the compliance of their (firefighters’) actions with the standard procedures for firefighting which would ensure the availability of hose lines in precarious areas. 

Providing the firefighters with the special training of operating on the floor which is above the fire without a charged hose line. 

Ensuring effective communication between the officers working on internal operations and their commanders.

Perform each and every interior operation with the help of teamwork.  

Reviewing and following the standard procedures (SOPs) for the commanders to split up their functions while facing complicated incidents.

Ensuring the priority of mayday calls and providing the firefighters with special training on initiating mayday radio calls whenever they find themselves trapped inside any structure.

Modifying or developing the Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for carrying out rescue operations during bad or unpleasant weather conditions. 

Ensuring that every firefighter carries the safety equipment with him all the time and providing them with the associated special training in the areas that have increased the chance of high-rising fires.

References

BERARDINELLI, S., GRIFFIN, C., LUTZ, V., MCFALL, M., & ROMANO, N. (2007). Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report: Career Lieutenant and Career Fire Fighter Die and Four Career Fire Fighters are Seriously Injured During a Three Alarm Apartment Fire in New York.

Ridenour, M. (2010). Leading recommendations for preventing fire fighter fatalities, 1998-2005. DIANE Publishing.

Gala Jr, M. F., Harlow, T. D., & Lombardo, W. B. (2013). Firefighting strategies and tactics. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.