On January 26, 2014, two Toledo (OH) firefighters were killed in the line of duty while battling a fire in a two-story structure. The fire that claimed the lives of Firefighters Steve Machcinski and Jamie Dickman was arson and consumed the first floor of the building.
Per the U.S. Fire Administration, Firefighter Machcinski, 42, and Firefighter Dickman, 31, were assigned as a part of a four-person crew on Engine 3. At 1445hrs, Engine 3 and other units were dispatched to a report of a structure fire in an apartment building. A responding command officer reported smoke showing during his response. Engine 3 was the first to arrive and reported smoke and fire showing from the second floor of the structure.
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Engine 3 arrived at 1453hrs. Firefighter Machcinski and Firefighter Dickman were ordered to advance a handline and attack the fire. They gained access to the second floor over a ground ladder and entered the structure. Firefighters reported applying water to the fire at 1502hrs.
Shortly thereafter, fire conditions changed dramatically. At 1503hrs, Firefighter Machcinski called a Mayday and the officer of Engine 3 also called a Mayday. The incident commander ordered an evacuation of the structure. A Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) was activated to search for the missing firefighters.
Firefighters discovered Firefighter Dickman at 1520hrs and removed him from the structure. He was transported to the hospital but was pronounced dead at 1540hrs. Firefighter Machcinski was also discovered a short time later by firefighters and transported to the hospital. He was pronounced dead at 1545hrs. Both firefighters died as the result of exposure to carbon monoxide and thermal burns.
In the podcast above, host Joe Pronesti reviews lessons learned from past fires and looks at applying these lessons to your downtown. Joe interviews Toledo (OH) Fire Chief Mike Benadum about the tragic double line-of-duty death.
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