Squatters rescued from one fire, tenants from a second.
On Friday, 31 December, Chicago firefighters rescued two squatters during the still-and-box alarm at 4322 West Jackson Boulevard. Firefighters found the two on the second floor of the vacant building and removed them without incurring any injuries.
“2 Rescued from Fire in West Side Building”, WLS-TV
“Squatters Rescued from Fire in West Side Building”, MyFoxChicago
(WLS-TV image)
On Saturday, 1 January, firefighters responded to 4315 West 25th Place where the rescue of a mother and daughter were done. Three firefighters were among the six persons injured during this fire in a multiple-dwelling. One firefighter suffered a cut to his face; another a leg injury during a stairway collapse; and the third from fatigue.
Click for Tim Olk’s Fireground Photos
“Fire Injures Six on SW Side”, WLS-TV
“Mom, Daughter Rescued from Apartment Fire”, MyFoxChicago
“Mother, Child Rescued in Blaze that Injured Three Firefighters”, Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times Gallery: Little Village Fire
Also on Backstep Firefighter …
- Why We Search:
Jumper and Rescue at Chicago Abandoned Building Fire – January 9, 2013 - Why We Search:
Rescue at Colorado Springs Church Fire – November 10, 2012 - Why We Search: Australian Squatters – November 6, 2012
- Why We Search: Columbus Firefighters Rescue Child in Vacant House Fire – June 7, 2013
Comments
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Shame on any firefighters who equate vacant with unoccupied. The fire service needs to work harder on defining vacant vs. unoccupied. The cultural movement of being safer is somehow being understood by some that vacant structures are not worth searching. We have to be diligent in searching when conditions warrant. Whether it is vacant or not, it can still be occupied.
The only way to rule a structure unoccupied is to search!
I’m not sure if we actually need to work on the definition rather than allowing us to decide it within our respective departments. I’ve seen that some throw out “unoccupied” into the mix as well. I even saw one lengthy discourse that included height of unmown grass and news papers on the porch to be included in determining if a structure is “unoccupied” versus “vacant” or “abandoned”. I suppose that in 2011 will see more grant applications requesting crystal balls and Ouija boards. The problem that needs to be heavily challenged – as supported by examples in ‘Why We Search’ – is that knee-jerk safety and cookie-cutter tactics do not work. Chicago could have easily, and probably without great repercussion, gone extremely cautious in the first fire, and maybe recovered two burnt bodies. Then again, in these two fires, the injuries occurred in the properly occupied dwelling.
Bill
Well stated. What’s funny about the many internet discussions lately, is that most keep missing the main points…size-up based decisions, and the difficulty of making a static policy work in a dynamic environment. Our people need to be a) trained to recognize those dynamics, and b) given the leeway to adjust their tactics based on the infomation on hand. I parallel it to football. The coach calls the plays, but the quarterback is given authority to change it on the line, based on what he sees the defense doing.
I’m also not a big believer in labels, especially since I (in my single days) used to be the guy on the street with unmowed grass and a driveway full of those “pennysaver” newspapers. I do believe that you own your size-up and decisions, and that everyone is entitled to do it their own way, but I have a hard time in applying the mentioned “cookie-cutter” tactics to every situation. As with anything else in life, it is seldom black and white…there is always going to be that gray area. Keep reading, keep training, and base your tactics on what you’ve got in front of you. Search/don’t search because conditions will/won’t allow it, not because of a label or a standard profile.
Good on Chicago. After losing 2 brothers it’d be easy for them to shy away from going into vacant buildings, but they still did and they rescued two people. Good to see there are still Fire Departments that are staffed by Firemen
This is great to see, Last night I posted some of my thoughts relating to this subject and the Chicago LODD’s. These are the fires I referenced. Good to see support on this side of the topic. Keep up the good work.
-Ryan