LESSONS LEARNED, LESSONS REINFORCED
- The Hackensack fire provides one more example of the sudden, rapid failure of trusses without warning.
- The presence of bowstring truss construction should be noted during inspections and transferred to prefire plans. At an actual fire incident, the presence of a bowstring truss roof must be relayed to the fireground commander.
- The ceiling attached to the trusses totally obscured the fire from view from the building’s interior.
- Exterior indications of fire severity in this type of construction may not give an accurate picture of the fire’s true extent.
- Storage of materials upon or within structural members (such as bowstring trusses) often places an additional load on the members that they were not designed to support.
- A rapid, complete “rundown” of personnel missing from each company on the fireground after a collapse is imperative. Once the names, companies assigned, and tasks being performed by the missing members are determined, estimations as to where they are trapped can be made. Personal distress alarms will help locate the trapped members. Contact with the trapped firefighters via radio should be attempted.
- Many additional firefighters will be needed after a collapse involving trapped firefighters to help rescue the trapped members, continue normal firefighter operations, and provide relief.
- Rescue of trapped firefighters must be a coordinated, deliberate, and controlled effort.
- Stress and depression among firefighters and families will prevail after the death of firefighters. Rapid intervention by trained critical incident stress debriefers is a necessity.
- At a loss-of-life fire involving several firelighters, a tremendous onslaught of press coverage can be expected. The media will push for answers and specifics. Preparation for press conferences is a necessity. Dispelling unfactual. fragmented, or misinformation is important.
- As in many other fires, the delayed alarm at the Hackensack Ford fire contributed to extensive firefighting problems. Public education in this area is vital.
