A state safety report states that two fire departments on the scene of a fire in a theatre in March were not communicating as well as they needed. Jamison Kampyere, 34, died fighting that fire, reports My Fox Wausau.
The report from Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services said crews at the scene had a communication breakdown, which caused problems for both the Colby and Abbotsford fire departments.
The report said the efforts by the two crews weren’t as coordinated as they should have been. For example, while Abbotsford fire fighters were spraying water on the roof outside, Colby fire fighters were trying to fight the fire from inside. The Colby fire chief said as his crew was heading out of the theater, the roof collapsed, killing Kampmeyer, who was trapped inside.
From the U.S. Fire Administration: Lieutenant Jamison Kampmeyer and the members of the Colby Fire Department were dispatched to a mutual aid structure fire in a movie theatre. When they arrived on-scene, Lieutenant Kampmeyer and other firefighters from his department were directed to the rear of the structure. Lieutenant Kampmeyer and three other firefighters advanced an attack line into the rear of the theatre. A ladder pipe master stream was flowed onto the structure from the front of the building. A roof collapse occurred, trapping Lieutenant Kampmeyer and two other firefighters in the debris. When Lieutenant Kampmeyer was located in the structure, he had died of smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. This incident involves a number of issues including command, building construction, accountability, and coordination. The incident is more fully explained in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program report F2012-08 (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/pdfs/face201208.pdf) Incident Location: Abby Theatre, 216 North 1st Street, Abbotsford, WI 54405 (USNG: 15T YK 1146 8061)
