This month we remember two firefighters from the Kansas City (MO) Fire Department (KCFD) killed in 2015. Firefighters Larry Leggio and John Mesh were crushed in the collapse of a three-story apartment building. When firefighters arrived, they were faced with an occupied apartment building and smoke conditions indicating a working fire. Immediately, fire crews began rescuing occupants and searching for the fire. Finding the fire was difficult and 20 minutes into the firefight, the incident commander (IC) ordered an evacuation of the building and switched strategy to defensive. As operations transitioned to the exterior, a “loose” collapse zone was established. The IC recognized members operating in the zone on the D-side of the structure. An announcement was issued ordering units out of the collapse zone. Six minutes later, the Delta-side wall collapsed into the alley, trapping four firefighters. Two members were removed and taken to the hospital. Unfortunately, two others, Fire Apparatus Operator Larry Leggio and Firefighter John Mesh, would not survive.
RELATED FIREFIGHTER TRAINING
The fire building was a Type 3 Ordinary Construction, a mixed-use structure built in 1925. These types of buildings can be a tough scenario for fires as they may contain void spaces that can conceal the fire until it begins to attack the structure. This incident had several red flags indicating fire in these void spaces.
Once outside in defensive operations, remember that safety is not guaranteed. We must not let our guard down. This quote from the KCFD internal report drives this point well:
“The increased sense of safety on the exterior of the structure was a factor at this incident. This flawed safety sense allowed for the tactical decision to perform and maintain operations within the alley on D-side of the structure.”
To learn more about the fire, check out these reports:
- NIOSH: Two Fire Fighters Die and Two Fire Fighters are Injured at Multioccupancy Fire with Structural Collapse—Missouri
- Kansas City (MO) Fire Department internal report
Skill/Drill
This month, please take a walk! Get out of the firehouse and into your area. Check out the buildings. Do you have any Type III Ordinary structures like the one in this fire? Please send any pictures/videos of you and your crew inspecting your buildings to tcarroll@louisa.org.
Never forget FAO Larry Leggio and Firefighter John Mesh. See you next month.
Tony Carroll is deputy chief of operations with the Louisa County (VA) Fire & EMS Department.
