r/Firefighting • u/The_Road_is_Calling NH FF • Nov 25 '24

News Ohio fire department confronted about response to double fatal fire

https://chroniclet.com/news/411559/wakeman-fire-board-meeting-ends-in-shouting-match-over-fatal-fire/
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u/Froggynoch Nov 25 '24

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.

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u/Ok_Buddy_9087 Edit to create your own flair Nov 25 '24

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.

9

u/Froggynoch Nov 25 '24

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.