LODD Line of Duty Death Paper Example

Introduction

A line of duty death is death that occurs to a fire serviceman as they are in the course of their job. It is announced by a series of five bells commonly named as the four fives. When a fire department loses its member to such a death, it shows its respect by placing a mourning badge on top of their badges. They also raise the flag at half-mast to show that they are in a mourning period. The deaths are not very common in the United States with the death toll ranging around 100 deaths per year. The fatalities related to this kind of accidents, however, are alarming with a range of about 80000 injured (Kunadharaju, Smith, & DeJoy, 2011). It is this statistics that make it essential to curb with the deaths and the injuries that occur. The effect of the deaths are felt by the people close to the deceased and the workers, and some of the effects include, trauma among others.

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Several ways can be used in preparation for such an event. To begin with, the departments should obtain information about the family members who may need to be informed about the case of death or severe injury to their relative who is in the fire department. One of the most challenging tasks to most leaders is delivering the news that a comrade has passed away in the course of the job. Many department leaders have stated their pain in delivering such news and the effects that the family reacts by. The messengers explain that one of the most common reactions is the sudden outburst of pain from the recipient to the news. The family members also start blaming the departments for the death especially if it was an avoidable one. This is a description of a fire given in a case study giving detailed information about the incident.

Synopsis of the Fire

The first response that is noted is when Engine 2 is sent to the incident, and it calls back claiming that the building has a six instead of five-storey and it is exhibiting heavy fire, especially on the first and second floors. A minute later, they report the second alarm since the fire had spread all the way to the roof and told the department to prepare for a third alarm. FCC then discharged the case as a high rise alarm box for the and later calls it an all hands assignment which implies that the situation should be dealt with more critically. This response affects showing that the fire is at a significant impact and was spreading quickly around the building. It shows the urgency of the situation. By 0440 hours, the teams respond and claim that they found fire in the furniture showroom that was next to the store. They also claim an extension of the fire hose into the store to cope with the spread of the fire. A rescue one officer notes an interior collapse zone and asks his team members to avoid it as they bounce water off the wall. The observation by the fire officer is essential in saving the lives of the officers since moving close to the area would have been an enormous risk. The wall collapses, and the crews from L10 move in to help the Division A members. They move into the store for every 10 to 15 minutes to try and find possible extensions in the store which may be helpful in cutting down the spread of the fire. After the fifth alarm, the department increases the material with four engines per extra alarm. In the incident of the death, the case was a box 361 which grew to a 5-5-5 alarm fire. It began at around 0312hrs. The first engine is sent immediately, and it reported that the building was immediately affected by the fire especially around the second and third floors. The fire engine reported that the fire was all the way to the roof and told the department to prepare for a third alarm. By 4.00pm, the situation had gone to a fifth alarm and the box 361. The crew 1 enters the furniture store tries to find out the possible fire extensions after the collapse of the building wall into the room and continue entering and exiting the store for the next 60 to 70 minutes. At around 0555 hours, the safety battalion 9 reports that there are officers trapped in the store and request a medic to the area that has been affected. Two of the officers are removed from the room at around 0706 hours and 0725 hours, and the accident is terminated at around 1631 hours.

Standard Operating Guidelines

In the incidence of a fire, the fire department looks at the level of fire outbreak that is there and depending on this, it decides the number of equipment and personnel to send to the incidence. In a case where the affected area is a single family dwelling, two engines, two ladders, and one battalion chief are sent to work. In the case where a commercial building, factory, warehouse, educational building or multiple family dwelling catches fire, four engines, two ladders, and two battalion chiefs are assigned to it. In the case when the high rise box assignment is reported, three engines are sent with three ladders and two battalion chiefs with a rescue and a medic team. In a situation when the situation is out of hand, the company classifies it as an all-hands assignment which requires an additional unit, a squad company, and a rescue and medic unit.

If the fire is very severe, the battalion leaders may send a signal known as a 2-2-2 which is the second alarm. It calls for five engines from which one is a logistics engine, two ladder, and four battalion chiefs. As the situation worsens, several alarms are sent to the department with the highest incidence being a level 9 alarm.

It is clear that the building had been vacant for some time when it caught fire. The house was also unsecured which allowed the access to the house by any person who wanted to. The access may have led to the interior features to be destroyed over the 15-20 years that the building had been left unoccupied. The building was also located in a congested place which may have made the activity of the firefighters ("CDC - Directory of Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program: Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation Report F2012-13", 2018).

Effects of the Fire Response

The first response was the sending of Engine 2 is to the incident, and it called back claiming that the building has a six instead of five-storey and it is exhibiting heavy fire, especially on the first and second floors. A minute later, they report the second alarm since the fire had spread all the way to the roof and told the department to prepare for a third alarm. FCC then discharged the case as a high rise alarm box for the and later calls it an all hands assignment which implies that the situation should be dealt with more critically. This response affects showing that the fire is at a significant impact and was spreading quickly around the building. It shows the urgency of the situation. By 0440 hours, the teams respond and claim that they found fire in the furniture showroom that was next to the store. They also claim an extension of the fire hose into the store to cope with the spread of the fire. A rescue one officer notes an interior collapse zone and asks his team members to avoid it as they bounce water off the wall. The observation by the fire officer is essential in saving the lives of the officers since moving close to the area would have been an enormous risk. The wall collapses, and the crews from L10 move in to help the Division A members. They move into the store for every 10 to 15 minutes to try and find possible extensions in the store which may be helpful in cutting down the spread of the fire. The wall of the main building collapses later and traps the members in the debris, and later two officers are pulled out of the rumble.

Critique of the response

The first response of sending the first engine to the site is beneficial considering that it is done immediately. This could have been essential if the fire was small as it would have been coped with by the one engine. The urgency with which the issue is treated is excellent for many situations. In addition to that, the engine called back to the station and reported that the fire was heavy and required a second alarm. This shows that the team had analyzed the chances that they had and asked for more personnel. It shows the general organization of the crew. They also call for the department to await a third alarm which showed that they could predict that the situation was only bound to get worse. In this response, the department should have been ready in case the fire spread to other areas. The station also displays a lot of skill and general preparedness by sending in teams as the situation worsens. It, however, seems unwise that the officers remain in the furniture despite the officer noting that there was a wall that was bound to collapse. Under the levels that are used in analyzing a situation, the wall could be classified as a catastrophic one since it could have led to the deaths, destruction of property inside the store and exposed the officers in the store to even more dangerous conditions. This is one of the most crucial factors that the teams missed in, and it led to the LODD occurrence.

Lessons Learned

The first lesson learned is the importance of proper preparedness for any incident. The station had a lot of equipment that was ready for use any time there was a fire. It is mainly seen in the first response when they send the first engine to the site of the fire. The department also displays this by having a team that is ready as the fire incidence heightens. As the teams on the ground increase the alarm level, there are sufficient machinery and people to address the situation. The engines and ladders are increased as the advances are made. This is proof that the team is very professional. It is also evident in the rescue of the trapped personnel. They are immediately rushed to a hospital after they are removed from the debris.

Moreover, the incident teaches about the importance of organization. The organization of the crew is perfect. There are those who are meant as medics, others to hold the hoses, others are to send signals back to the station among many other responsibilities. It is this organization that makes it possible to curb the spread of the fire. Each battalion also has a leader whose main job is to decide and guide the rest of the crew. They are also supposed to send the signals to the station about the advancements in the fire incidence. The division of labor is good as it helps in avoiding chaos and points out those in charge of particular responsibility. The appointed people strive to excel in all their responsibilities which in overall increases the performance of the squad (Durkheim, 2018).

However, the team that was in the store made a mistake that proved to be very costly to them; assuming an apparent danger. The wall of the store showed signs of collapse as noted by one of the officers. The team should have taken more caution in attempting to find a file extension. A wall that has the signs of collapse should be avoided with as much distance as possible. The best option would have been to find an alternative fire extension. The store was also directly under the five-storey building that was the initial source of the fire. Basing on the analysis carried out on the walls of the building, it is essential to avoid being in the room. The wall could also have collapsed on the store which on consideration would have been covered in debris. It was therefore stupid to be in the store during the fire incident. Instantly, the lack of functioning sprinklers was somewhat negative in helping solve the fire. The buildings had sprinkler systems, but they did not work at the time of the fire (Cooper, 2003). This crippled down the first efforts of controlling the fire incident. The departments should also provide death benefit information to the people who are related. Such information includes the insurance policies that the perso...