Long after the smoke had cleared and the apparatus had left the scene, I had the opportunity to visit with a relative of a local resident who had passed away in a recent residential fire. As one might imagine, it was a somber moment. Not unlike any other fire I had gone to in the past, there was a story that led up to this tragic event–a story that illustrates the reality of the world we live in and the challenges we face as firefighters, public educators and leaders of the fire service.
In a modest residential neighborhood just removed from downtown, an elderly woman who lives alone hears a ruckus outside her bedroom window. She peeks through the blinds just in time to witness the armed robbery of her next-door neighbor. Over the next few months, the woman begins to consider the risk she bears as an elderly resident living alone. Fearing for her safety, she decides to purchase a firearm and install security shutters for all the doors and windows of her single-story home.
As the years go by, and life returns to normal, she begins to settle down and enjoy her daily routine. Although she uses low-dose oxygen to combat the effects of her long-term smoking habit, the woman is able to get around and considers herself moderately independent.
On a calm summer night in June, a 911 call is received for a smell of smoke in a residential neighborhood. With limited information available, the dispatcher, following local protocol, sends a single engine to investigate. Upon arrival, the engine crew sees smoke coming from the chimney of a single-story residential structure (an odd sight, considering it’s summer in the southwest). Any potential signs of an occupant are limited by the all-weather security shutters that cover every accessible door and window of the residence.
After a quick size-up, the first-arriving company officer requests a full response, assuming the probability of a working fire. As crewmembers stretch their initial-attack lines, others attempt to force entry via the front door. Limited space makes the use of the traditional irons all but useless, so crews turn their attention to the more accessible roll-down shutter that covers the garage door. After several attempts, they’re able to force their way through the shutter and the garage door and make access into the garage itself. Much to their surprise, they’re met with a second roll-down shutter covering the interior door leading into the residence.
Additional crews arrive and force the roll-down shutters covering both the interior garage door and the front door. Crews advance the primary attack line and the smoldering fire is quickly extinguished without further incident. In the aftermath, however, the elderly female is found deceased, barricaded in her residence behind the security shutters installed to ensure her safety.
Prior to this tragic event, the elderly woman witnessed a criminal act that sent her on a mission to ensure her safety. She purchased a firearm and secured her home to defend herself. In short, the perceived threat of a potential intruder overshadowed the risks associated with long-term smoking, as well as the increased fire risks associated with smoking while using low-dose oxygen.
As I walked away from the burnt debris that laid in the yard, I thought about the many lessons that should be learned from this incident. How is it that a mother, a friend and a citizen of our community could be placed in such a vulnerable position–protected from an intruder, yet left vulnerable to the hazards of smoke and fire?
Traditionally, we place our greatest attention on suppression, but could this fire (like all fires) have been better fought through prevention? Were there clues that had been missed along the way that could have helped prevent this tragedy? Was there a public education program that could have heightened the woman’s awareness of the risks imposed by security bars/shutters, as well as smoking while using medical oxygen?
These are questions that will likely never be answered, yet they are questions that we must ask ourselves, preferably before, but certainly after, every incident. Our mission is to save lives and protect property, and the only way we can effectively do that is to constantly be critical of our performance.
The firefighters who responded to this incident performed admirably under difficult circumstances. Yet this incident is a reminder that no incident is ever routine–we must always expect the unexpected and never allow ourselves to become dangerously secure.
Throughout our careers, each of us will run hundreds if not thousands of calls for seemingly minor or routine problems. Like the woman in her house, we need to ensure that we’re not endangering our own lives by overlooking the less-obvious threats. The key is to remain ever-ready and ever-diligent. Anything less represents a risk we can’t afford.
