Elisa A. Glushefski
The Manassa Journal Messenger
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — The death of firefighter Kyle R. Wilson and the investigation that followed have resulted in more than 250 recommendations to improve the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue’s service. Increased staffing is among the top of the list of needs that will have to be met, fire department officials said Tuesday.
In the fire department’s presentation of the findings of its line of duty death report Tuesday afternoon, Battalion Chief Jennie Collins told the Prince William Board of County Supervisors that limited resources and outdated staffing standards meant there was one incident commander at the scene who was responsible for 15 crews, and who was working under intense circumstances.
That, she said, meant critical information, including Wilson’s mayday call for help, were missed.
Additionally, she said, there were radio system failures that resulted from a heavy traffic load and only one dispatcher monitoring multiple channels for a massive incident.
“That’s not a manner we can operate in, because critical information is going to get lost,” Collins said at the meeting.
Also, she said, personnel have reported problems with their portable radios and subsequent testing has shown that they do not work well when they get wet.
Fire and Rescue Chief Kevin McGee also addressed the board, saying that larger houses built of lightweight materials have led to riskier conditions when fighting fires and that there is an urgent need to address these changing factors.
“I feel the next risky incident won’t be waiting on me,” McGee said.
On April 16, Wilson died fighting a wind-fueled three-alarm blaze at 15474 Marsh Overlook Drive in Woodbridge.
The 24-year-old was one of the first to respond and was part of a two-man search and rescue operation inside the burning house.
Conditions inside the house rapidly changed while Wilson and the other firefighter were searching the master
bedroom.
The two began to evacuate the room, but lost physical contact when the officer became entangled with a table in the hallway and fell down the stairwell.
After the officer was pulled from the house, two mayday calls were transmitted, one from a worker outside and the other from Wilson.
Attempts to rescue the trapped Wilson were made, but firefighters were forced to evacuate when the house began to collapse.
Wilson’s death marked the first line of duty fatality in the department’s 41-year history.
Of the 19 911 calls that came in that day about the fire, none provided any information about the whereabouts of the family, who unbeknownst to fire and rescue workers had escaped to a nearby house, officials said.
This aspect of the incident has raised the issue that families should have a plan for notifying firefighters if they escape.
Virginia Occupational Safety and Health completed its independent investigation of the fire incident and issued no citations or corrective orders, fire officials said.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health also conducted an independent investigation, but the results of that investigation are still pending.
A committee headed by Collins was formed afterward to analyze what happened that morning and to find ways to improve future responses.
According to standards set by the National Fire Protection Association, a fire suppression force of 17 or more firefighters should respond to a single-family house that is 2,000 square feet or less and has no basement or neighboring residences.
In contrast, 16 Prince William firefighters were dispatched to battle a blaze at an approximately 6,000 square foot house that had a basement and a neighboring house, Collins said.
The fire department has estimated that 31 or more firefighters will be necessary to respond to a similar house fire.
Other changes the report outlines focus on training, standardization of equipment and prevention.
In addition to hearing recommendations, supervisors were shown a computer-
generated model of the Marsh Overlook fire that included radio communications made during the incident.
The county executive and supervisors stressed the importance of addressing issues that the Marsh Overlook fire has raised.
“We cannot ignore your needs,” Supervisor Maureen Caddigan, R-Dumfries, said of the funding it will take to implement the improvements the report calls for. “Illegal immigration is important, but you are more important to us.”