One year ago, we lost two of our brother firefighters in a fire at the Knights of Columbus Hall in downtown Bryan, Tex. Lt. Greg Pickard was a 32-year veteran of the Bryan Fire Department, and Lt. Eric Wallace was a nearly 13-year veteran of BPD. Also injured were Firefighter Ricky Mantey and Probationary Firefighter Mitch Moran.
On February 15, 2013, Lt. Pickard and Lt. Wallace responded to the report of a structure fire at the Knights of Columbus hall located in Bryan, Texas. During interior operations Lt. Wallace became separated from his crew and radioed for help. Lt. Pickard, along with Firefighter Ricky Mantey and Firefighter Mitch Moran, responded to rescue Lt. Wallace, whereupon the fire progressed to flashover conditions and enveloped all four firefighters. Lt. Wallace was reported to have died from conflagration injuries and Lt. Pickard from thermal injuries and smoke inhalation.
The cause of the fire at the Knights of Columbus Hall was later determined to be a faulty electrical cord running from the kitchen to a fan in the dining area. Investigators reported that the fire started when the cord ignited items in the kitchen, one of which was a first aid kit.
Lt. Wallace was well-regarded for his bravery as a firefighter, most notably in 2009, when he performed an off-duty rescue of a homeowner whose house was on fire. The homeowner was too weak to get out on his own, but Wallace pulled him to safety.
A NIOSH report on this incident has not yet been released, however the incident brings to mind two areas that we should drill on to ensure our best chances of survival when confronted with an unexpected fireground event: calling a mayday and self-rescue. The following are some articles to consider:
Responding to Maydays on the Fireground
Firefighter Training: Review of Real-Life Mayday Incidents
A Closer Look at LUNAR
