The latest from Firefighter Close Calls/ The Secret List
WDIV-TV raw video from chopper
Report from WDIV-TV
Cell phone video from scene
As soon as we got back into cell phone/Internet from one of our stops in California we learn from many of regular readers of this morning’s collapse in Detroit that left 6 firefighters injured.
The latest from WDIV-TV on the injured has some grim news from the Detroit Fire Department:
Detroit Fire Commissioner James Mack said three were in critical condition and three were in fair condition, with one firefighter having been paralyzed from the waist down and another needing to be intubated.
Picture on left from Bill Eisner, The Detroit News. On the right is the before picture from Google Maps StreetView. Click the image to tour the neighborhood.
Here is the latest on those injured from The Detroit News:
• Lt. Gerald Rutkowski, 46, fair condition at St. John, headed to Troy Beaumont Hospital; 23 years with department
• Shane Raxter, 32, fair condition at St. John; 9 years with department.
• Brian Baulch, 31, critical at St. John, headed to Detroit Receiving; 9 years with department.
• Jeron Whitehorn, 30, treated at St. John and released; 8 years with department.
• Eric Jurmo, 31, critical at Detroit Receiving; 11 years with department.
• Brendan Milewski, 31, critical at Detroit Receiving; 11 years with department.
Excerpts from Detroit Free Press article by Matt Helms, Peggy Walsh-Sarnecki, Zlati Meyer:
When a wall collapsed on Detroit firefighter Gerald (Razzy) Rutkowski as he fought a blaze on the city’s east side this morning, his older brother Tom was one of the people who dug him out from under the pile of bricks.
He then rode with him in the Detroit Fire Department squad car that raced him to St. John Hospital for treatment, as he bled profusely from his head.
Gerald Rutkowski, 46, is one of six firefighters seriously injured this morning, while battling a fire this morning that has devastated a retail building on East Jefferson on Detroit’s east side across from the Golightly Career and Technical School near Drexel
“I thought he was done,” Tom Rutkowski, 53, said, adding that his kid brother, a 26-year veteran of the DFD, apparently had broken his hip, pelvis and left foot.
Four firefighters are at St. John Hospital — three in critical but stable condition and one in intensive care – according to Jeffrey Pegg, a firefighter with Ladder 28 on the city’s west side and secretary of the Detroit Firefighters Association Local 344. Another two firefighters being treated at Detroit Receiving Hospital are “pretty seriously injured,” he said.
The firefighters were initially at the site on Jefferson near Drexel around 5:30 a.m., but left shortly before 7 a.m., believing they’d extinguished the blaze, Pegg said. However, they returned to the retail building around 7 a.m., because the fire had rekindled.
Squad 2’s Lt. Robert Tucker, who said the injured firefighters had “a long road ahead of them,” explained that the decision to leave the scene after the first blaze didn’t indicate a miscalculation. They’d been under the impression that the fire was out and something else happened to restart the fire
A brick façade collapsed on the firefighters around 7:20 a.m., Pegg said.
After the blaze started in the commercial strip, firefighters worked to prevent it from spreading to the vacant apartment building next door, according to Tom Rutkowski.
Several of them were pulling boards off the windows of the building, which may have been undergoing renovation, and then suddenly, several stories worth of exterior bricks rained down on the six firefighters.
Also on STATter911 …
- UPDATE: Chicago Fire Department now confirms the deaths of two firefighters in building collapse. 19 others injured. Fireground audio from this morning’s mayday. – December 22, 2010
- UPDATE: Detroit burning. Almost 100 fires. Most blamed on downed wires from high winds. Watch videos & listen live. Union calls closed companies ‘a major embarrassment’. – September 7, 2010
- UPDATE – Audio from Philadelphia house fire with rescues. Three firefighters & four civilians hurt. Lt. critical but stable. – February 5, 2012
- Must see video: Determined Detroit firefighter makes roof despite fall from ladder & almost losing it on the second attempt. – August 12, 2011
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First,as a Chief Officer I wish the brothers of Detroit all the best in the road to their recovery, some which will be quite lengthy. Now to the leadership, where was the IC and Safety Officer?? located and whom if any was watching the building(s) on the fire ground that allowed these firefighters to be working under and within the collapse zone. As Chief Bruno used to quote for stuff!! no rescue. I am greatly disappointed we have 6 brothers injured for what, bricks and mortar. In the heat of battle the personnel up front and engaged need someone watching their backs. This didn’t have to happen and sadly this one falls on the shoulders of complacent or ineffective fire ground management not grasping the gravity of once more a working fire in an already fire damaged building, anyone else hear warning flags. May the brothers all heal well and be able to safely return to the profession we all love. The lessons of past mistakes will always be repeated if we do not learn and adapt. Be Safe in act as well as word. Everyone Should Come Home.
I hope the brothers all are OK.
Let’s hope all of these brave Firefighters make a speedy recovery.
May God grant them all quick and complete healing.
We had a “rekindle” in a house fire once. Investigation showed that it actually was the arsonist who returned to finish the job after we left. Could this be the same scenario??
Am trying to contact any family member of Gerald Rutkowski. I grew up with this family. Please forward my address to any one in the family. I live in Alabama now. Terry_348@yahoo.com
We shall continue to hold Gerald and the family in our prayers.
Probably an unpopular opinion and I say with all hopes of a quick and speedy recovery for all involved, but it seems kind of foolish to rush into a building for a fire that you were just at 2 hours ago for a fire. Its obvious that the building had to be in some sort of distressed state especially after the first fire.
Couple that with again responding back to the same building you just came from (thinking arson anyone) and the second time should have been a defensive op from the start.
I know I know everyone (especially in detroit) always thinks we have to go in every burning building everytime becuase SOMEONE MIGHT BE IN THERE!!!!!!!!!! Do yourself a favor and read “Survivability Profiling” in this months Fire Engineering by FDNY Capt Marsar. Simply put fires are hotter and more toxic then ever before the human body can not withstand the temp. or toxicity of a bulding on fire for very long (Seconds not minutes) Its a fact that most victims that can get out do, and those that cant die long before we arrive or before thermally challanged.
Again I hope all involved are OK…but instead of preaching aggressive search ops on every vacant, derilict, or fully involved structure preach a little more size up, and comprehensive building assesment.
Good luck brothers…..stay safe
Survivability Profiling was not written for Cowards to have another excuse NOT to go in for the rescue. It was written to enlighten the Bravest on the neccesity in quick primary search and egress. Do not take well written articles and twist them to say some bull**** message that isnt there.
These Detroit firemen were hurt, some severely and “brothers” on here just want to come on here and say “i wouldnt have done that”. You want to MMQB this, fine. Training is great. Take it to fireengineering.com. How about just paying your respects and waiting to prey on these guys til later?
He then rode with him in the Detroit Fire Department squad car that raced him to St. John Hospital for treatment, as he bled profusely from his head.
What the hell?
Well I have read both articles on survivability profiling and taken the FDIC class. Capt. Marsar even describes some of the buildings he has gone into in his fire dept. career as dumb and not worth the risk.
It has nothing to do with cowardice, it has everything to do with being educated, and making good decisions. Primary search is very important however in this instance it was not warranted (at least the second time around when the brothers were hurt)
Speaking of brotherhood why do we always use that as an excuse to not tell the truth….real brotherhood means having the guts to tell someone what he is doing is wrong.
what about press reports that there were no City (fire dept.) EMS units available to treat and transport the injured firefighters? Reports indicate that at least some were transported in police cars to local hospitals.
Makes one wonder why bother extinguishing fires in vacant buildings when there are no exposures to protect. Seems you will simply go back time and time again until you finally have nothing but a pile of ashes.
The firefighters in Detroit are really doing a lot with so little in the way of resources, financial support, etc. that it is amazing that they still want to work there.
I wish a speedy recovery to all of the injured firefighters!
They did not get injured in the building. The second story wall collapsed outward on they as they were still on the sidewalk.