The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommends mutual aid departments have fully developed attack plans and that firefighters be trained on different structural hazards.
Wis. volunteer firefighter Jamison Kampmeyer, 34, died in early March while battling a theater fire. The roof of the theater collapsed and trapped him, along with two other firefighters, according to the NIOSH report.
The first responding fire department arrived and started attacking the blaze from the front of the building while directing the incoming department to attack the fire from the back. Both departments set up an incident commander for both sides of the attack.
Firefighter Kampmeyer and two other firefighters were inside the building, advancing a hose line to the theater’s lobby, where the seat of the fire is believed to have been.
Crews directed a master stream at the interior of the building, then to the roof when conditions started to deteriorate and the roof collapsed, trapping the firefighters.
The two firefighters recalled speaking to Firefighter Kampmeyer but, after his PASS activated, they heard nothing.
All three were found and removed from the structure, but Firefighter Kampmeyer was already dead. A medical report says he died from smoke inhalation, thermal injuries, and other bodily injuries.
Recommendations
Investigators are recommending that fire departments have a clear and defined incident management system, especially when multiple departments are involved in an attack.
In this incident, the mutual aid department that arrived was directed to fight the blaze through the back of the structure without being told what the conditions or action plan was.
There was no clear communication structure and NIOSH encourages that departments designate an incident commander that is not fully involved with fire suppression activities.
NIOSH also recommends that firefighters not only train, but be aware of certain structural hazards that may exist in buildings—especially those that are older and may not be up to present-day code.
The theater in which Firefighter Kampmeyer was fighting had a bowstring truss, which, in earlier constructions, lacked vital tensile strength.
The roof in this incident may have been weakened by heavy snowfall and by the master stream being aimed at the roof. Firefighters were not aware of the theaters roof as it had not received a due department inspection.
Investigators recommend that not only should firefighters be aware of such potential hazards but continually train on these different structures.