Columbia firefighter Bruce Britt was walking along the second-floor walkway of Building 707 at University Village last February while responding to a report of a roof collapse when another firefighter on the ground had a sudden realization, reports The Missourian (http://bit.ly/1DH5NNi)
As the firefighter watched Britt, he noticed gravel falling from a walkway and realized that was the real danger.
Just then, other responding personnel heard a “bang” and a crack as the walkway gave way. The firefighter on the ground yelled to warn Britt. But it was too late, and Britt fell out of view with the walkway on top of him.
He was pronounced dead at University Hospital after efforts at the scene failed to revive him. Britt, who was 48, had been with the department for 23 years.
The details about how he died are part of a report released Jan. 26 by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which investigates all firefighter fatalities. The agency conducted interviews and analyzed documents related to the partial collapse of the walkway at the MU-owned University Village apartment complex that killed Britt.
