Incident Command faulted in blaze that killed firefighter

[x635 4,066]

Fire officials faulted in blaze that killed Wharton firefighter

By CINDY HORSWELL

Copyright 2011 Houston Chronicle

June 27, 2011,

The state fire marshal's investigation into the death of Wharton firefighter Thomas Araguz has found that command staff erred in sending him into an egg farm warehouse inferno last summer since no lives were being threatened.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/7629025.html#ixzz1Qai39fWF

[firecapt32 282]

I guess we have to go over this one more time---risk a lot ---to save a lot. Incident commanders must have the knowledge/skills and ability to make split second decisions, wether your in Texas--New York or Alasks, its the same. Read the NIOSH report from this event and you will get an eyeopening.

Be safe brothers lets make sure our fire service leaders have the necessary tools to preform. This is a serious job, firefighters die.

How many departments have a bigger parade/convention budget then training budget?? more money invested in uniforms then turn out gear. All the bells and whistles and gagdets on 900k apparatus but not enough air packs.

sorry for sounding off but this death like many every year was preventable.

[Dudley 7]

Can you post a link to the NIOSH report, please? I can only find it listed as "pending" on the NIOSH site.

Thanks.

[16fire5 693]

The Texas Fire Marshall Investigates LODD in Texas in addition to NIOSH. I have read a few and think they are a learning tool. Here's the link and there are others that are have good info.

http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/fire/fmloddinvesti.html

I try to read every NIOSH report for LODD that are fire ground and not cardiac. The same things come up in every one. NIOSH expects someone to do a 360 and guess what it seems that at almost all these fatal fires no one does one. While they are in a technical format and some parts are dry I'm sure when you read them you will find parts where you say wow that could have been me or us. The reports are done for use to learn from others mistakes. I wonder how many chiefs have read even one in the last year.