On November 12, 2014, the Baltimore City Fire Department experienced the line of duty death of Safety Officer, Lieutenant James E. Bethea. Lieutenant Bethea went missing while operating at the scene of a fire in a vacant rowhouse. It was not until approximately eight hours after the fire that his department vehicle was reported to be still at the scene, unattended.
FRM/FFN: Baltimore Safety Officer Found Dead Near Fire Scene
A search was initiated and Bethea’s body was located in the basement of a vacant home next to the on that had been on fire. The department launched an investigation of the incident and has now released their findings.
An eight-person Board of Inquiry was formed by Dr. Niles Ford, Chief of Fire Department, Baltimore City Fire Department, to investigate the tragic line-of-duty death of Lieutenant James Bethea. At the Board’s first meeting, Chief Ford directed the members to “Seek the truth and report it.” Those were the watchwords for everything the Board undertook over the ensuing months. From the beginning, the Board members were unanimous in their desire to honor Lieutenant Bethea’s life by conducting the most comprehensive and thorough investigation they were capable of. The Board was dedicated to ascertaining what caused Lieutenant Bethea’s death and, just as importantly, making recommendations to prevent future losses of life.
The Board included one senior chief officer from Anne Arundel County (Maryland) and one from Howard County (Maryland). These members proved to be particularly valuable because they provided fresh eyes to evaluate the operations of the Baltimore City Fire Department.
From the outset, the Board worked to thoroughly and fully document the events of November 12, 2014. During the course of the investigation, the Board conducted 74 interviews, reviewed many hours of video and audio tape, and considered many dozens of pieces of other evidence. Some of the most valuable evidence came in the form of photos taken by an off-duty Washington, DC fire officer who happened by the scene and stopped to document it.
The Board also cooperated with representatives from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH), who came to Baltimore and conducted independent investigations.
The Board sought help from internal (BCFD) subject matter experts, three federal agencies and two equipment manufacturers. NIOSH oversaw tests performed by the manufacturers of Lieutenant Bethea’s portable radio and fire helmet. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) performed airflow path tests in the fire buildings, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provided information on weather conditions at the time of the E. North Avenue fire.
While the Board of Inquiry was confident that it had a pretty clear understanding of the sequence of events, in the end several questions, including why Lieutenant Bethea entered the dwelling where he died, could not be definitively answered. Nonetheless, this investigation revealed some operational deficiencies that the Board of Inquiry worked to remedy through its recommendations for improvements.
Read the Report
Line of Duty Death – Board of Inquiry Report – Lieutenant James E. Bethea
Final Appendices, Timeline with Photos
Final Report Into Baltimore City Firefighter Death Complete
