DC Fire & EMS Department photographer Vito Maggiolo shot the video above during a fire at 1444 Rhode Island Avenue, NW. The fire was reported around 4:45 this afternoon and trapped some residents on the upper floors. Three civilians and two firefighters were hurt.
WUSA9.com’s Bruce Leshan reports the fire started on the 9th floor of the Windsor House. It trapped residents on the 10th floor who came to their windows signaling firefighters of their distress. Fire department spokesman Pete Piringer says firefighters brought residents to safety through the interior of the building and down ladders.
Also on STATter911 …
- Raw video: ZBT house burns at GWU in Washington, DC. – May 18, 2011
- UPDATE: Raw video from a pair of two-alarm fires in the Nation’s Capital. Plus, other fires & a special event today for the DC Fire & EMS Department. – January 25, 2011
- Chopper video: Prince George’s County apartment fire with rescues on 85th Avenue in New Carrollton. – June 8, 2011
- Raw video: DC firefighters rescue man from Potomac River in Georgetown. – May 25, 2011
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I understand Channel 9 wanting to have their logo on the video, but a smaller logo in one of the lower corners would be better than the big logo almost in the center.
There is a technical problem and that was not intentional. I am told it will be fixed in the morning. I am just glad they uploaded Vito’s video promptly so we could share it with you.
Statter
Question for everyone…
At 1:02 of the audio, Engine 9 is instructed to do a basement check prior to heading to the 10th floor.
My question is, why check the basement prior to heading up?
I’m the first to admit I don’t know everything, and the answer may be basic firefighting 101 that I just plum forgot, or never learned. I have a couple ideas as to why the basement might be checked, but I’m really not sure.
Either way, thanks and good job to DCFD on extinguishing with no loss of life
Because in the DCFD a basement check is completed EVERY time by the second due (in the rear) Engine Company on the Box Alarm. Whether its a two-story row house or in this case a ten-story high rise apartment building. Then the company will check each of the floors below until they reach the fire floor. This is done in-case the fire starts at the lowest level and isn’t visible until it breaks out on an upper floor.
In the DCFD SOPs, the 2nd due engine is to lay out from a hydrant, go to the rear, and then check the basement. No matter if the fire is on an upper floor, the 2nd due engine’s initial job is to check the basement. If they find the basement to be clear, they will then be assigned to another task.
Other units when going up to the fire floor will stop and make a quick check on all floors while they ascend the stairs, and with the 2nd due engine checking the basement, this will help to make sure all of the floors are checked below the fire floor. Other companies will then be assigned to check the floors above the fire.
There are instances of multiple fires being set, and there are fires in the trash chute (which sometimes start or the products on fire fall to the basement level where the trash is collected). Thus, it is very important as you can have smoke/fire on an upper floor and find a fire in the basement.
I wouldn’t mind at all if you DON’T fix that logo problem.
Nice Job by DCFD!
Great job by the firemen – In the day of city cuts, no contract, and being the backstop for a failed healthcare system, they manage to put out a high-rise fire with people trapped at the cost of only three minor injuries. Kudos. This citizen recognizes your accomplishment.
For the City: Boo! for not having a tower truck or two available for this fire. Boo! for not meeting NFPA response standards by having 5 firefighters per fire engine. Boo! for not giving the firemen more time and access to high-rise training. Boo! for not negotiating a contract with the firemen. Boo! for not developing an adequate line of duty disability program.
No safety book thumping, DC hating, fireman bashing rants about how unsafe our fire ground was? I can’t believe it!
Great job brothers
Hats off to The Dude running the fireground, “T-9, if you have to push vehicles, DO IT.” That’s what I’m talkin’ about, los cohonnes grandes. Once again, nice work DCFD.
“Ohhh Thank Heaven for Engine 11!!”
While not actively involved inside the structure as my current job description duties deem me to be near the rescue squad, I must say….Great Job Fellas!!! I know of atleast one citizen who was soooo incredibly thankful words can’t describe it. We got the chance to spend about 30 minutes with her, and she could not even get the words to come out of her mouth.
For all of the people out there that say fires are down, that are in support of cutbacks, layoffs, hiring and promotional freezes….THESE ARE THE TIMES WHERE WE SHOW THEM HOW WRONG THEY ARE!!! These are the times when we stand as ONE department admist all of the other BULL that is going on and DO OUR JOB!!!!
GREAT JOB BROTHERS!!!!!
in the highest traditions of the fire service, I’m glad not everyone on the job is too scared to think outside the box! A tip of the hat to my brothers who overcome fear for their fellow man!
nice job by DCFD companies. They had quite a lot of work to do for the limited resources and it looked good (from the camera POV).
Hats off to Jake Speed for his question about the company assigned to the basement and to Jake Speed and Mr. Knowitall for their clear and informative answers — and to all three for refraining from the sarcastic comments that so frequently diminish the value of otherwise good comments!!
In cities with trash/rubbish chutes and that also experience multiple areas of origin the basement check is Firefighting 101.
Also for those who aren’t familiar with DCFD practices, on a standard response the 1st and 3rd due engines take the front and the 2nd and 4th take the rear unless the fire is reported in the rear (virtually all blocks in DC have rear alleys). The assignments can also be reversed if the first due wants the rear after the initial size-up.
Where was the “Bube?” No face time on this one? Just goes to show that it’s the Men and Women of the DCFD that make this Department what it is and NOT the UPPER MANAGEMENT who try to take all the credit!!!
Despite being slapped in the face at every turn, the members came through and did their jobs!!!! Way to go.
Don’t tut your horns but so loud… Didn’t see the aggressive old DCFD that I was use to. More like DC FEMS, if you know what I mean. To sum it up, that was some poor firefighting and I don’t care how you look at it. Thank god no one got seriously hurt.
The DCFD I knew would have pluck those civilians out in an heart beat with a quick knock down. And not to mention all of the firemen running around with no gear. One guy in a window eaten smoke for no reason, I guess because his conditioning is too low to keep his mask on in a fire. Gentlemen this is a nightmare waiting to happen. Maybe the failure of an aggressive attack is a byproduct of this so called Paramedic Engine Company. Another one of Dennis Rubin’s pet peeves.
Oh shut up BACK IN THE DAY. You are probably one of those guys from PA that has never fought a fire until coming to DC. You tobacco chewing people think you know it all and have seen it all. Go back to PA where there are no jobs and you lived in a trailer park before coming to the DCFD for the good life.
Hmmmm, MAJOR fire in a large occupied apartment building, difficulty getting to the seat of the fire, obstacles and major difficulties placing apparatus for multiple rescues on upper floors, still managed to make ALL the rescues AND put the fire out in ten minutes after arrival on the scene. Listen to the audio and note the time. Can’t get much better than that Back in the Day. And all I’ve seen here is brothers complimenting each other on a job well done, no horn blowing, no trash talk, at least not yet. Look at the interviews with the Lt., Sgt., and the Firemen, all of ‘em low key and humble. Pull your head out Back in the Day.
Well, it was like 20+ minutes to get water on the fire wasn’t it? This isn’t a pizza…lives are at stake. It seems like the truck work was as good as one could hope for, but then engine work….. (1 guy at the pump, 1 guy in charge, 1 Paramedic who’d rather be on an ambulance, and 1 fireman who works with the rest of the crew only twice a month).
Maybe if we didn’t have EMS guys on the firetruck, and make-up crews like a sandlot baseball team, the fire would have gone out before the lady had to think about jumping.
Just FYI, when listening to the audio alot of dead air is taken out of it!! Not that there was much but after listening to it LIVE then listening to it now, I can tell. So if you want to get technical more like 12-14 minutes, but still one hell of a job by all involved in the firefighting and rescue efforts. And great job by the IC, The Dude for BFC!!!! One of the calmest fireground IC’s I’ve heard in awhile especially considering all that HE was facing!!!
Great job gentlemen keeping up the tradition of the DCFD!!!
Why in the eff is it ALWAYS 20 minutes?!? Is that some sort of worldwide standard? It took those Firemen 20 minutes to get here! It took 20 minutes to get water! Those Firemen took 20 minutes to get here, then it took 20 minutes for them to do their job! WTF?! REALLY?! I listened to the fire live too and I’ll give DC Questions 5 minutes of dead air taken out of the above audio, but it didn’t take no 20+ minutes to get water on the fire, stop blaming EVERYTHING on our screwed up EMS, I’ve seen plenty of Firemen on the job who also happen to be Fire/Medics. When you take into account that the fire was on the 9th floor, the brave Firemen had to hustle up there with their lines and equipment, flake out their lines, then crawl down the hallway through HIGH heat, zero visibility with HEAVY black smoke, and then get to the seat of the fire to put it out, they did a HELL of a job, even if it did take 15 minutes. Again, GREAT work DCFD.
Hey DC Questions, sound like oldhead got his panties all in a bunch. Even more, it sound like much of what he says take place in a fire, is what he has been told.
One thing to say about that, Ha Ha!
Let me guess oldhead, you’re one of those fire buff standing on the curb, either the guy who carries around the boom box recording the sounds on the fire ground or the guy who shot this video. No disrespect intended, do what you do and enjoy doing it. Just need to know where you are coming from.
Lets leave the critiquing to the professional.
RE: im tired, Go back to PA where there are no jobs and you lived in a trailer park before coming to the DCFD for the good life.
No not by far am I from PA buddy. If you must know, I come straight from the streets of DC, East of the river. souuff_eassst – souuff_souuff_eassst… The side where they tell folk like you not to come.
I can walk through the hood without a fire truck or portable mhz radio on my side, with my finger preset on the button, in fear of having to call in a 1033. Not a trailer park, but ‘The Projects’… Now tell us how you really feel.
I remember plenty of nights I used my brother card to keep folks in the hood off some pretty decent people just trying to do their job and probably were misunderstood. Even chumps like you with misconceptions of the hood or a trailer park.
I can tell you are one of those guys who after typing your somewhat insulting post, creamed on himself. And then ran got the fellas (firemen actually doing something) to come to the watchdesk, talking about- looky what I just did!
You probably felt a big old smack right across the back of your neck for being such a F-ing wanker. A little something something from back in the day.
And I still can’t figure out why all these firemen are running around with no gear on. Could it be cause one of the assistants does not have his gear on himself? Great leadership…
Hahaha, firebuff, panties in a bunch, that’s funny! Back in the Day bad ass, I’m working Saturday in Marshall Heights, come on out and we’ll talk, I like talking to the old guys. And a good job is a good job, no matter how it gets done…
The Firefighters of District of Columbia Fire and EMS, again proved they are still and will continue to be one of the Top rated Fire Suppression Departments in the Nation. OK when the first arriving units visually saw Heavy Fire Conditions issuing from upper Floor. The initial Command with the ICS was
in place without delay. Who among us can Honestly say with any degree of certainty, how long it took to get water on the Fire, or whether or which unit(s) were or should have checked
Basement or lower Floors. People hanging out of windows, the first and only thoughts were priority to Effect a safe Rescue of those people. The DCFD did just that. The Total Professionalism and quick actions by the DCFD one can only believe was an outstanding effort by everyone.
To the Professional Dedicated Men and Women of the District of Columbia Fire and EMS Department, “JOB WELL DONE”
I Salute each and everyone of you.
Thank You
Trying to squash the no gear thing here, in the pics, the only ones I see without gear are those of us that were on the Ambo….myself included. Well, correction to that, the wagon drivers from the First due wagon and the Water Supply are in some of the pics too.
Remember there were a total of 7 Ambulances on this Fire due to the amount of possible people that needed to be transported. To the best of my knowledge 1 fireman, and 1 civilian were all that were transported. That just proves that the guys on the inside were indeed doing their JOB!!!
Now, if you want to say that some of us that were on the Ambo were a little too close to the building without gear, I will give you that. Again, myself included. However, we were assisting in a VERY vital role in running a 3″ line to the 1st floor standpipe as we thought there was an issue with water on the number 9 floor. We thought there may have been an issue with the standpipe connections outside of the building…..thinking outside of the box!!! So, yes we pitched in to help our BROTHERS and all of the CIVILIANS on the inside. If it meant doing it without the protection of bunker gear, that is a chance I am willing to take. There wasn’t time to go back up the street to get gear, this needed to be done AT THAT VERY MOMENT!!!
All in all I stand by my original post GREAT WORK BROTHERS!!!! And back in the day, dude I am not trying to pick a fight or anything like that man, just want you to know why those that you see in the pics without gear, didn’t have it!!!
Stay Safe you all!!!!
The 6th Chief was nothing but wonderful !! Great job of maintaining “cool” Makes me proud to have been in the DCFD.To all the naysayers its never perfect,anyone who says otherwise has never been there for real.Your comments only demean yourself !
Going back to the comment about fire/Medic’s.
Why is it that when I get detailed around the department the #1 thing I am wondering is if we catch a fire “Am I going in ALONE?”
Dont try to pin cowardice on fire/medic’s. Anyone who works for the dept. knows there is an overwhelming number of “firefighters” that DONT fight fire.
I know from first hand knowledge that there was a non paramedic engine company on scene where one of its crew memebers faked an injury so he didnt have to go to the fire floor.
Aside from that the crews working on Rhode Island Ave did a great job!
for clarification, 2 firemen, 1 civilian transported.