Editor’s note: Chief Adam K. Thiel offers his condolences to those touched by the plant explosion in West, Texas and recognizes the firefighters for putting themselves in harms way to save others.
Perhaps like many other FireRescue1 readers, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the impact of last Wednesday’s horrific explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas.
The loss of (at least) 10 firefighters and EMS personnel, along with other victims, is hard to comprehend anywhere, and I know you all join me in sending our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to West, and all the other affected communities in Texas.
We’re a long way from knowing all the details of this terrible incident, but it seems clear, even at this early point, that the first responders saved countless lives by recognizing the potential magnitude of the initial fire and placing themselves in harm’s way to evacuate and warn adjacent residents before the explosion occurred.
Tragically, many of our brothers and sisters perished while serving others, but who knows what the death toll might have been without their selfless efforts.
It’s too early to identify, much less discuss, any lessons learned from this event. But the outcome certainly reinforces the importance of knowing your department’s service area, especially any target hazards or facilities where bulk quantities of hazardous chemicals are manufactured, stored or encountered during transport.
Stay safe!
