NFPA Journal - November/December 2019 - 34

building collapse or an explosion-the Worcester firefighters
were simply overwhelmed by an immensely powerful fire.
Two of the firefighters died as a result of severe thermal
injuries and exposure to heat and noxious gases. Four died of
inhalation of smoke and hot gases.
Six counts of involuntary manslaughter were brought
against the two homeless people who started the fire, but
were dismissed. The charges were reinstated on appeal and
dismissed again in 2010.

A NATIONWIDE RESPONSE
In 2000, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) released a detailed report on the Worcester
cold storage fire. The report included a set of 13 sweeping
recommendations-see "Game Changers," below-aimed at
improving safety for the nation's firefighters, ranging from

new approaches to mitigate the fire hazards of abandoned
buildings to evaluating the use of thermal imaging cameras
to locate lost firefighters. While many of the recommendations were regarded as highly ambitious, they nevertheless
helped launch a series of programs and innovations that continue to impact modern fire safety-and would also influence
my life and career.
In 2011, I enrolled at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
(WPI), an engineering college located about a mile from the
old cold storage site. By then, 266 Franklin Street had been
transformed: a new state-of-the-art fire station had been
constructed there in 2008, and included a memorial dedicated to the Worcester Six. I studied civil engineering at WPI,
but wasn't very enthusiastic about it. My sophomore year,
I saw a position posted in the fire protection engineering
(FPE) department for a laboratory assistant. The project was

Game Changers
THE 13 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE 2000 NIOSH REPORT
ON THE WORCESTER COLD STORAGE FIRE

» Ensure that inspections of vacant buildings and pre-fire

planning are conducted that cover all potential hazards, structural
building materials (type and age), and renovations that may be
encountered during a fire so that the incident commander will
have the necessary structural information to make informed
decisions and implement an appropriate plan of attack.

» Ensure that the incident command system is fully implemented at
the fire scene.

» Ensure that a separate incident safety officer, independent from

the incident commander, is appointed when activities, size of fire,
or need occurs-such as during multiple alarm fires-and responds
automatically to pre-designated fires.

» Ensure that standard operating procedures and equipment are

adequate and sufficient to support the volume of radio traffic at
multiple-alarm fires.

» Ensure that incident command always maintains close
accountability for all personnel at the fire scene.

» Use guide ropes/tag lines securely attached to permanent objects

at entry portals and place high-intensity floodlights at entry portals
to assist lost or disoriented firefighters in emergency escape.

» Ensure that a rapid intervention team is established and in position
upon their arrival at the fire scene.

» Implement an overall health and safety program, such as the

one recommended in NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department
Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellness Program.

» Consider using a marking system when conducting searches.
» Identify dangerous vacant buildings by affixing warning placards to
entrance doorways or other openings where firefighters may enter.

» Ensure that officers enforce and firefighters follow the

» Explore the use of thermal imaging cameras to locate lost or
downed firefighters and civilians in fire environments.

» Manufacturers and research organizations should conduct

research to refine existing technology, and develop new
technology, to track the fireground movements of firefighters.

34 | NFPA JOURNAL * N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9

Firefighter safety advancements with links to the Worcester fire

include tracking systems to monitor firefighters inside buildings
(top) and more accessible thermal imaging technology.

GETT Y IMAGES

mandatory mask rule per administrative guidelines established
by the department.

NFPA Journal - November/December 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - November/December 2019