NIOSH Report on Chicago (IL) LODDs in Collapse at Abandoned Building

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation site has released a report on the fire and collapse that killed Firefighters Cory Ankum and Edward Stringer in December 2010. View the complete report HERE.

NIOSH Urges New Rules After Chicago (IL) Firefighter's Fall from Fire Escape

From the Chicago Tribune:

The Chicago Fire Department should create and implement standard rules regarding the use of fire escapes and review its safety policies, especially those concerning carrying heavy equipment, a federal report has concluded following an investigation into the falling death of a firefighter from a fire escape 10 months ago.

Christopher Wheatley died Aug. 9 when he fell 53 feet from the the fire escape behind a four-story West Loop building that housed an upscale restaurant.

Dressed in his full firefighting gear and clutching a 63-pound manual hand pump in his right hand, the firefighter/paramedic lost his grip on the metal structure as he tried the climb a vertical fire escape ladder leading to the roof, officials said.

Read it all HERE. Download the NIOSH report HERE.

Chicago (IL) Fire Kills Infant Girl

From the Chicago Tribune breaking news blog:

An infant girl was killed this morning in a house fire on the city's West Side, authorities said.

Firefighters found 2-month-old Tiniya Coleman in a first-floor bedroom during a search of the 1-1/2 story home in the 800 block of North Laramie Avenue in the Austin neighborhood at about 2 a.m., officials said.

The child died at the scene.

Read more HERE.

Court: Chicago (IL) Must Hire 111 Bypassed Black Firefighter Candidates

From The Chicago Sun-Times:

The Chicago Fire Department must hire 111 bypassed black firefighter candidates — and distribute “tens of millions of dollars” in damages to 6,000 others who will never get that chance — a federal appeals court ruled Friday, upholding a landmark ruling.

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in a 9-to-0 decision, that, contrary to the city’s contention, African-American candidates hadn’t waited too long before filing a lawsuit that accused the city of discriminating against them for the way it handled a 1995 firefighter’s entrance exam.

On Friday, the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that ruling and sent the case back to the trial court to implement what it called the “hiring remedy” the city has been stalling.

Read the entire story HERE.

3 Children Die in Chicago (IL) Fire

From the Chicago Tribune:

Three children were killed early this morning in a house fire in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side that was caused by one of them playing with a lighter, fire officials said.

Two boys were rescued and taken to Comer Children's Hospital, but were pronounced dead there. The body of a girl was found on the first floor of the house, according to the Fire Department.

According to the report, the children's father tried to put out the fire himself but it spread too quickly. Other tenants escaped only to realize the three were still inside. Two police officers suffered smoke inhalation during the incident.

Read more HERE.