Ohio fire department confronted about response to double fatal fire

[u/The_Road_is_Calling]

https://chroniclet.com/news/411559/wakeman-fire-board-meeting-ends-in-shouting-match-over-fatal-fire/

[u/Froggynoch]

Sounds like two people tragically died and the family is trying to find a way to cope. Unfortunately, they are taking it out on the very people who tried to help.

The family is upset because they were very close to the fire department and feel like the fire department failed them. They seem to be in the “anger” stage of grief.

The fire department is upset because they are being directly blamed for the deaths despite doing everything they could. They arrived in 3.5 minutes and did their best to save the victims. Unfortunately, they were faced with a fully-involved structure fire and didn’t couldn’t rescue the victims in time.

Sounds like it was a mistake to put everyone in the same room together so soon after the incident.

[u/ArcticLarmer → u/Froggynoch]

Seriously, in what universe is it a wise idea to put everyone together like this, without an investigation even complete?

That’s a failure at the leadership level, there’s no way line firefighters should be subjected to a victim’s family like that. There’s no way victims family’s should be put in a spot where there’s no formal investigative process and only a yelling match.

What a mess.

[u/Froggynoch → u/ArcticLarmer]

Exactly. I’m sure those firefighters are dealing with their own guilt and trauma from not being able to save the victims. They don’t need the family telling them it’s their fault.

[u/scumbagstaceysEx → u/ArcticLarmer]

It sounds like this was just a regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the VFD. They were probably hoping nobody else showed up but those meetings are public, so, yeah.

[u/-TheWidowsSon- → u/ArcticLarmer]

I wonder if it has anything to do with being a volunteer department where the father was a volunteer firefighter for years.

Seems hard to believe it would be standard procedure.

[u/Ok_Buddy_9087 → u/Froggynoch]

Unfortunately, they are taking it out on the very people who tried to help.

Unless they didn’t. The the father is saying on Facebook that the room the victims were in wasn’t touched by the fire.

The fire department is upset because they are being directly blamed for the deaths despite doing everything they could. They arrived in 3.5 minutes and did their best to save the victims.

Did they? If the father is right that room should’ve been VES’d immediately.

Unfortunately, they were faced with a fully-involved structure fire and didn’t couldn’t rescue the victims in time.

Which we don’t know for sure.

[u/[deleted] → u/Ok_Buddy_9087]

The father stated to the media that firefighters tried to make entry and search from the back of the house but were unable to because of the conditions.

So while maybe they didn't try every single thing a mroe experieced or capable dept might have they did try.

The first arriving crew was there in 3.5 minutes. Their station is 2 minutes from the affected property. So I'm guessing they either had some sort of duty crew or event going on at station that yielded the rapid response time.

As for what happened after their stellar response time? I don't understand that. Major training failure? Overweight unfit ffs? Exterior only guys? Who knows. Based on the house and fire situation, this should have been an easy grab.

Looking through pictures on their facebook it doesn't look like a grossly unkept FD so all I can think is either the first responding crew was somehow all or mostly exterior only or just had incredibly poor training.

[u/Ok_Buddy_9087 → u/[deleted]]

I’m not convinced that response time was actually Firefighters. I’ve seen a story that says PD and EMS were there first. Three and a half minutes for “a” response is great, but if it’s not a response by people who can help, it doesn’t mean anything.

[u/Froggynoch → u/Ok_Buddy_9087]

I think theres a lot of information we don’t know, which will hopefully come out as they complete an investigation. I’m just giving my observations of each side’s perspectives based on the info we do have.

Considering it’s a volunteer department, it’s possible that the 3.5 minute response time is just in reference to the first volunteer firefighter showing up with bunks and nothing else. I haven’t seen any information on what the response looked like.

I didn’t see the part about the room being untouched by fire, thats crazy.

Either way, it’s a tragedy. I hope the truth will bring accountability to the appropriate people.