From the Chicago Tribune: NIOSH's report on the line-of-duty death of a rookie Homewood (Ill.) firefighter indicated the fire department was ill-prepared to handle a fire of the magnitude that killed two people and seriously injured another in March.



An investigation into the extra-alarm house fire on March 30 that killed firefighter Brian Carey, 28, determined the Homewood Fire Department used "ineffective" fire control methods; failed to "recognize, understand and react" to quickly deteriorating conditions; and was short-staffed and ill-equipped to take on such an intense blaze.



According to the report, the crew witnessed "fire rolling across the ceiling within the smoke." They immediately yelled, "Get out!" Some were able to exit safely, but Carey and Firefighter Karra Kopas remained inside.

Kopas survived but sustained first- and second-degree burns. Carey was found "wrapped inside the 2.5-inch hose line that had ruptured." The report said he was not wearing the breathing apparatus firefighters are required to wear. A medical examiner determined Carey died of smoke inhalation.

The report criticizes officials at the scene for not fully understanding the size, scope and intensity of the fire. It recommends that incident commanders take a "360-degree situational size-up" of the home and the fire before putting firefighters at risk. The report noted that Carey, Kopas and the unnamed incident commander had combined for just 24 hours of "fire behavior training" out of more than 5,654 total training hours in the department.



Homewood Fire Chief Robert Grabowski did not return messages left for him by the Tribune.