To kick off 2024, let’s have a history lesson. January 23, 2005, is a day that rocked the fire service. It would become known as “Black Sunday.” The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) experienced two fires that killed three firefighters and injured four more. Firefighter Richard Sclafani died while fighting a basement fire in Brooklyn. In the Bronx, companies were faced with a difficult fire in a four-story apartment building. Fighting illegal building modifications and a rapidly, extending fire, members from Ladder 27 and Rescue 3 were forced to jump from the top floor of the building. Lieutenant Curtis Meyran and Firefighter (posthumously promoted to Lieutenant) John Bellew were killed. Firefighters Joseph DiBernardo, Jeff Cool, Eugene Stolowski, and Brendan Cawley sustained critical, life-threatening injuries.
Check out the NIOSH reports for the fires here:
This fire resulted in New York State mandating escape equipment for most firefighters. Here is an excerpt from the regulation:
Should the risk assessment establish that firefighters employed by the department performing interior structural firefighting are reasonably expected to be exposed to the risk of entrapment at elevations, the employer shall provide to each interior structural firefighter in its employ a properly fitted escape rope and those system components which meet the specifications.
New York Department of Labor 12 NYCRR Part 800.7
Does your department provide escape systems? What if you don’t have a system? Do you have a plan? This month’s skill/drill is to practice escape techniques. Here are options for you to practice:
- Window hang. No ladder, no problem.
- Ladder slide. Reinforce the need to properly place ladders.
- Personal escape system. Get it out and exercise it.
Here is a link to the July 2020 Mayday Monday with more on escape practice. See the September 2022 Mayday Monday for more discussion on escape systems. Get out there and practice!! See you next month.
- Training Minutes: Low Bailout Prop
- Bailout: A Technique We Need to Know But Hope We Never Have to Use
For more information on the Bronx fire, check out the Mayday Monday podcast featuring FDNY Firefighter Brendan Cawley.
Tony Carroll is deputy chief of operations with the Louisa County (VA) Fire & EMS Department.
