MAYDAY in Baltimore: #cityincrisis

MAYDAY in Baltimore: #cityincrisis

While still freshly mourning a lone Baltimore police officer, Keona Holley, who was ambushed and executed while sitting in her patrol car, now this…

Baltimore has lost three of the bravest among us: Lt. Paul Butrim, Firefighter/Paramedic Kelsey Sadler, and EMT/Firefighter Kenny Lacayo. All made the ultimate sacrifice. For that, Baltimore owes them the deepest gratitude and respect. These heroes of the Baltimore City Fire Department were responding to a two-alarm fire in a vacant home in the 200 block of South Stricker Street at 6:00am when the structure collapsed. A fourth EMT/Firefighter, John McMaster, remains at the hospital in critical but stable condition. This is a gut wrenching tragedy for our city, the Baltimore City Fire Department, and most importantly the families of our firefighters. There are no words to describe the pain and the severity of the losses we have suffered today. My heart is with the Firefighters, their families, and the entire Baltimore City Fire Department who put their lives and safety of others before their own wellbeing each and every day. I ask that all of Baltimore keep them in our prayers during this extremely difficult time. – Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott

Baltimore City Fire Department Chief Niles Ford: “Every day our Firefighters, our first responders put their lives on the line for the sake of others. Three Firefighters lost their lives in service to our city, and another remains in critical condition. From this moment, we will honor those we lost, for their bravery, their courage, their love for helping others and the respect they had for the Baltimore City Fire Department."

As they were working a structure fire at an abandoned three-story row house in southwest Baltimore, the crew manning Engine 14 declared a “mayday” during the fire after a collapse within the structure. Three firefighters were ultimately reported as line of duty deaths and one firefighter was transported to University of Maryland Hospital’s Shock Trauma unit with second- and third-degree burns in critical condition.

I confess I am no expert on firefighting or suppression but conversations with some trained firefighters have opened thoughts on questions that remain. Was this a preventable tragedy as an after-action review might show? Were best practices utilized? Were those on the scene aware that a previous fire at the exact same dwelling in 2015 resulted in firefighter injury?  Was this “bread and butter” vacant house fire taken too lightly as being a somewhat routine assignment, as about 15% of all structure fire calls in the city are at vacated buildings? What, if anything, could have been done differently to prevent tragedy?

It wouldn’t be a surprise if the abandoned vacant dwelling was being used as a drug house or clandestine housing for homeless. If trespassers sheltered there from the January cold, did a makeshift heat source get out of control? Of course, if law enforcement had found trespassers in advance of the fire, Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s office would have rejected prosecution of any trespassing or drug charge. Too, is no one held responsible for compliance with securing, removal or renovation of vacant properties?

We often hear about the police department and how the city mismanages the budget for it. But the fire department is in the same boat and perhaps has it worse than the police department on any given day.

So talk is cheap, as it has been said. In the coming days and weeks there will be time to evaluate and implement corrective actions as necessary for safer tomorrows.

Reduced staffing, overworked personnel with police attrition rates that exceed retention and new hires, closed fire stations and heftier workloads for law enforcement, fire and EMS crews are a liability for governments who are open to lawsuits for culpability for employee injury and death resulting from the city’s negligence. More importantly, the city of Baltimore and all government jurisdictions owe their first responder heroes as safe of a work environment as is possible. Any policy or practice that runs contrary to that primary goal of safety leaves our first responders vulnerable to unnecessary harm and government morally and financially responsible for tragic consequences.

The ludicrous defund mentality must cease. The Fraternal Order of Police and Firefighters Union must insist that it instead is necessary to fund training and ensure adequate staffing and equipment procurement and availability to facilitate first response to emergencies that are as safe as possible with each and every call for service and alarm sounded. Nothing less is acceptable to our first responders, their families, and our communities who rely on these brave women and men each and every day and night.

May our heroes be protected; our families comforted, and may those paying the ultimate sacrifice rest in everlasting and eternal peace.

Joel E. Gordon is a former Field Training Officer with the Baltimore City Police Department and is a past Chief of Police for the city of Kingwood, West Virginia. He has also served as vice-chair of a multi-jurisdictional regional narcotics task force. An award winning journalist, he is author of the book Still Seeking Justice: One Officer's Story and founded the Facebook group Police Authors Seeking Justice. Look him up at stillseekingjustice.com