The DeKalb County Fire Rescue released the report on why the initial crews dispatched to a reported house fire just after 1:00am on January 24, 2010, failed to find the fire, and returned in service. Crews were sent again to the same address at 6:18 am, and found the house well involved. One person died in the fire.
To download the report: Download DeKalb Fire Investigation Report N Houghton Court
To see the video report on the incident CLICK HERE.
Firefighters screw up, civilian dies, Fire Chief resigned. What happened to our fire service leadership under pressure? If he stayed, is there the possibility to avoid this issue in the future? This is an unfortunate teachable moment for all departments. The chief quitting does not solve this issue. Also, we can envision litigation – will the Chief have to cover the costs of defending himself?