Double Mayday Deployments at Three Alarm FDNY Fire

2 Firefighters Escape Close Call in Belle Harbor: MyFoxNY.com

Published reports from various NYC eMedia outlets indicated that two FDNY firefighters battling a three-alarm fire on Saturday April 9th in the Rockaways section of the Borough of Queens (NY) transmitted Maydays signals during fire suppression operations after a fire officer was partially trapped in a compromised floor collapse and in another area of the occupancy a firefighter route was blocked due to fire extension resulting in the need to deploy this personal safety system (PSS) to bail from a window. Reports indicated that FDNY Fire Lt. Richard Barnes fell through the second floor of the three-story Rockaways taxpayer building, but managed to hang on by his armpits until FAST firefighters could pull the 22-year veteran to safety, officials stated.

FDNY Firefighter Evan Davis transmitted a mayday signal when he was trapped by flames in another part of the building’s second floor, resulting in the eight-year veteran deploying his personal escape rope to lower himself out a window, unaware there was an adjacent roof less than 10 feet below.

• The first mayday was transmitted 27 minutes into the operations, the second mayday was transmitted 43 minutes elapsed time into the operations
• 10:36 hours – Duration 27 minutes elapsed incident time: First Mayday, Trapped firefighter due to partial floor collapse
• Sixteen minutes later;
• 10:54 hours – Duration 43 minutes elapsed incident time: Second Mayday, Firefighter bailout of window

A dozen of the 138 firefighters who responded to the fire suffered minor injuries.

Fire Officials reported the fire started about 10:oo hours near an oil burner in the basement of the building.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/close_call_for_qns_bravest_v120FHtVrYnSOlvMeile1L#ixzz1JAPLC1c6

The building (Fire Building) consisting of a single story commerical occupancy on the Alpha (street side) that was attached to a three story wood frame multiple occupancy (MO) structure 30 x 100 (ft)

From FirefighterSpot.com

Aerial From Bing Maps

Alpha Side Street View from GoogleStreets

Surrounding Properties consisted of the following based upon radio transmissions;

• Exposure #1: Is a street
• Exposure #2: Is a 2 Story Similar attach (structure)
• Exposure #3: Is a Rear Yard
• Exposure #4: Is an Alleyway

All – Hands transmitted:
7 – 5 – 1407 @ 10:19
Batt. 47 reports: Box 1407, All – Hands on arrival.
Extra Engine & truck. We have a heavy fire condition in a 3 Story Commercial.
Engine 309 & Lad. 134 are s/c

2nd Alarm:
2 – 2 – 1407 @ 10:21
Engs. 264, 328, 323
T. Lad. 153
Eng. 284 w / Satellite 4
Batt. 39 “Safety Officer”
Batt. 43 “Resource Unit Leader”
Rescue Battalion / Safety Battalion
Fieldcom 1 / Tactical Support Unit #2

Links and coverage;

• Take a look at Bill Carey’s the post at BackStepFirefighter.com, HERE
• Take a good look at Safefirefighter.com for some suburban issues related to mayday, RIT and FAST; HERE
• Related RIT posting from Dave LeBlanc , HERE
• DCFD and GARY (IN) FD Maydays and collapse conditions from last week, HERE
• 2 Firefighters Escape Close Call in Belle Harbor, HERE
• “13 firefighters hurt battling Queens blaze”, WABC
• “Explosion In Nail Salon Sparks Fire In Queens”, NY1
• “Close Call For NY’s Bravest In Queens Three-Alarm Fire”, CBS New York
• “Close call for 2 Bravest in Qns. fire”, New York Post

Here’s the incident particulars based upon radio transmssions and transcript : From the Nassau FD Rant (HERE) NassauFDrant.com

• FDNY Belle Harbor, Queens, New York April 9th, 2011
  Address: 424 Beach 129 st between Cronston and Newport Aves10:10 hours
  Phone Box 1407 – Report of fire in a restaurant
  Engs. 268, 329, 266
  L137, TL121
  Battalion 4710-75-1407 – 10:13 hours
  E265
  TL159 (FAST Truck)
  Battalion 33
  Division 13
  Squad 270
  Rescue 4

CIDS for 420 Beach 129 st:
Restaurant 1 story 30×100 class 3. Partial sprinkler siamese on exposure 1 for cellar and kitchen areas

7-5-1407 – 10:19 hours
Battalion 47: We have a heavy fire condition, extra engine and truck. All-Hands on Arrival.
E309, L134 S/C
RAC2

2-2-1407 – 10:19 hours
Engs. 264, 328, 323
E284 w/ Satellite 3
TL153
Battalion 39 (Safety Officer)
Battalion 43 (Resource Unit Leader)
Safety, Rescue Battalions
Tactical Support 2
FieldCom 1

10:23 hours – Duration 14 minutes
BC47: Box 1407, the address 424 Beach 129 st, we have fire on the 1st and 2nd floor extended to the 3rd floor, check the basement for extension. Exposure 1 is a street, 2 is a similar attached, 3 is a rear yard, 4 is an alley, k.

10:27 hours
TL157 S/C

10:29 hours
The staging area is Cronston Ave and Beach 131 st

10:29 hours – Duration 22 minutes
Division 13: 2nd Alarm Box 1407, we’ve got 4 lines stretched, 2 in operation, we have heavy fire on the 2nd floor of a 2 1/2 story commercial. You’ve got a 30×100, fire on the 2nd floor. 1st floor commercial occupancy, 2nd floor multiple dwelling, 3rd floor possibly apartments also.

10:31 hours – Duration 23 minutes
DC13: 2nd Alarm Box Box 1407, we have 4 lines stretched, 2 in operation. We’re going to change it from a 2 1/2 story to a 3 story building. Fire’s Doubtful, searches in progress, trucks are opening up, the 2nd Alarm is still Doubtful.

10:36 hours – Duration 27 minutes
DC13: 2nd Alarm Box 1407, a MAYDAY has been transmitted, the MAYDAY has been recovered and removed from the building. We put the FAST Truck to work, special call another FAST Truck. We’re Doubtful on the 2nd Alarm.
L173 (FAST Truck) S/C

10:38 hours – Duration 30 minutes
E321 S/C

3-3-1407 – 10:40 hours
Division 13 to Queens, URGENT, 3rd Alarm, as soon as you get the companies give me a rundown.
Engs. 254, 331, 225
Battalion 50
Battalion 58 (Staging Manager)
Battalion 42 (Air-Recon Chief)
Mask Service Unit
Car 4A( AC James Manahan, Assistant Chief of Operations)

10:41 hours
Car 1E (Commissioner’s Liaison) is responding

10:52 hours
Car 36A (Department Chaplain) is responding

10:54 hours – Duration 43 minutes
DC13: 3rd Alarm Box 1407, we had a 2nd MAYDAY, he used his PSS to escape the building.

10:55 hours
Car 11A (BC Thomas J. Richardson, Chief of Rescue Operations) is responding

11:00 hours – Duration 52 minutes
FieldCom: Progress report on the Queens 3rd Alarm Box 1407, the address 424 Beach 129 st near Cronston Ave, fire on the 2nd and 3rd floor of a 3 story commercial 30×100. Division 13 reports he has 6 handlines stretched in operation, truck companies continuing to open up and they’re in the process of setting up the tower ladder operation. Fire is Doubtful.

11:14 hours – Duration 1 hour 5 minutes
FC: Special call 1 additional truck, have them respond to the staging area.
TL107 S/C

11:18 hours – Duration 1 hour 9 minutes
FC: Progress report on the 3rd Alarm Box 1407, at this time Car 4A, Assistant Chief Manahan reports: a roll call has been conducted and all members are accounted for. Members have been backed out of the building and a tower ladder operation is in progress, and the fire remains Doubtful.

11:20 hours – Duration 1 hour 11 minutes
FC: Notify the Buildings Dept. to respond, they want to check the stability of the building.

11:25 hours
FC: By authority of the Incident Commander you can 10-2 the Air-Recon Chief.

11:27 hours – Duration 1 hour 18 minutes
FieldCom requests mixer-off message

11:33 hours – Duration 1 hour 24 minutes
FC: Progress report on the 3rd Alarm Box 1407, at this time Car 4A, Chief Manahan reports that they have 4 handlines in operation, they have 1 tower ladder in operation on exposure 1. Conditions remain the same and searches will be delayed. Fire remains Doubtful.

11:58 hours – Duration 1 hour 49 minutes
FC: Progress report on the 3rd Alarm Box 1407, at this time Car 4A, Chief Manahan reports that the safety chief is going to enter the building to assess the stability, searches are delayed, and the fire is now Probably Will Hold.

12:02 hours
Car 14C (Fire Marshal) is 10-84

12:09 hours
Car 14 (Chief Fire Marshal Robert Byrnes) is 10-84

12:11 hours
Car 4A is 10-8, Division 13 is Incident Commander.

12:32 hours – Duration 2 hours 23 minutes
FC: Progress report on Box 1407, primary searches on the 2nd and 3rd floors are complete and negative, k, the secondaries are in progress.

12:36 hours – Duration 2 hours 27 minutes
FC: Progress report on the 3rd Alarm Box 1407, Division 13 reports: The primary searches throughout the fire building are complete and negative, the secondaries are underway, and the fire is Under Control.

Relocations
Engines: 275/265, 319/266, 233/329, 259/331
Ladders: 155/121, 135/155, 150/134, 120/137, 125/173
Battalions: 48/43, 51/47, 52/51

FDNY Radio Codes HERE