Published: Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Painful lessons in fire in Carolina
EVERETT - Two Everett firefighters returned home this weekend from an emotional memorial service for nine fallen firefighters in Charleston, S.C.
Everett Fire Capt. Ken Dammand and firefighter Tim Hogan were among thousands of fire professionals from all over the country who honored the firefighters, who were killed last week in a furniture warehouse blaze.
Dammand recalls the crippling grief that came when Everett firefighter Gary Parks was killed in an arson fire in 1987.
"It's hard enough to lose one firefighter," Dammand said. "To lose nine people? Their entire station was wiped out."
The blaze on Monday that started on the loading dock of a furniture warehouse ended as one of nation's worst recorded firefighting tragedies.
The disaster marks the largest single loss of firefighters since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Unlike Sept. 11, the South Carolina fire seemed more real to Dammand, because it's the type of emergency firefighters could respond to as part of the routine in Snohomish County.
Dammand, 59, skipped 40 hours of sleep after his shift ended Tuesday in order to make it to the ceremony in Charleston, a seaside community that is roughly the size of Everett.
Dressed in a crisp dress uniform, the 26-year veteran of the Everett Fire Department teared up as the families of the dead firefighters filed past him on their way to the memorial service.
An Associated Press reporter who covered the ceremony captured that moment in a story that ran in newspapers all over the country.
Dammand told the reporter that he was there to show respect for the dead and support for the ones they left behind.
"That brought a lump to my throat," he said of the somber procession of mourning family members walking through a long corridor formed by the honor guard. "These people were deep in grief and their lives were changed forever."
As a captain, Dammand is often one of the first leaders in the fire department to arrive when buildings are ablaze.
In those crucial early moments, he decides whether firefighters should enter a burning building.
While he follows safety procedures, the decisions become tougher when firefighters believe someone's life is in immediate danger.
Dammand said the deaths in South Carolina last week are a sober reminder of the job's dangers.
But tragedies can serve as safety lessons for combating fires, said Hogan, the other Everett firefighter who traveled to the memorial service.
For example, when four Seattle firefighters were killed in a food warehouse fire in 1995, the National Fire Protection Association issued a widely circulated report that found confusion about the physical layout of the building contributed to the deaths.
Hogan is certain fire investigations of last week's fire will also help enhance firefighter safety.
"All fire departments around the country will go over this with a fine-toothed comb," he said.
Reporter David Chircop: 425-339-3429 or dchircop@heraldnet.com.
Worst firefighting tragedies in U.S.
Dec. 21, 1910: 13 firefighters and one police officer killed in leather remnants factory, Philadelphia.
Dec. 22, 1910: 21 firefighters killed at stockyard and cold storage warehouse, Chicago.
March 10, 1946: 13 firefighters killed in roof collapse at Strand Theatre, Brockton, Mass.
April 16 and 17, 1947: 27 firefighters killed following fires and ammonium nitrate explosions aboard two ships docked at Texas City, Texas.
Aug. 4, 1949: 13 firefighters killed in forest fire at Gates of the Mountain, Mont.
July 9, 1953: 15 firefighters killed in wildfire in Mendocino National Forest, California.
July 29, 1956: 19 firefighters killed at Shamrock Oil and Gas Corp. refinery, Sun Ray, Texas.
Oct. 16, 1966: 12 firefighters killed when floor collapses in drugstore, New York City.
June 17, 1972: Nine firefighters killed in collapse at Hotel Vendome, Boston.
July 5, 1973: 12 firefighters killed at Doxol Gas Co., Kingman, Ariz.
July 6, 1994: 14 firefighters killed in wildfire on South Canyon Mountain, Glenwood Springs, Colo.
Sept. 11, 2001: 343 firefighters killed in New York City following terrorist attacks on World Trade Center.
June 18: Nine firefighters killed in furniture warehouse fire, Charleston, S.C.
Source: National Fire Protection Association
Everett Fire Capt. Ken Dammand and firefighter Tim Hogan were among thousands of fire professionals from all over the country who honored the firefighters, who were killed last week in a furniture warehouse blaze.
Dammand recalls the crippling grief that came when Everett firefighter Gary Parks was killed in an arson fire in 1987.
"It's hard enough to lose one firefighter," Dammand said. "To lose nine people? Their entire station was wiped out."
The blaze on Monday that started on the loading dock of a furniture warehouse ended as one of nation's worst recorded firefighting tragedies.
The disaster marks the largest single loss of firefighters since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Unlike Sept. 11, the South Carolina fire seemed more real to Dammand, because it's the type of emergency firefighters could respond to as part of the routine in Snohomish County.
Dammand, 59, skipped 40 hours of sleep after his shift ended Tuesday in order to make it to the ceremony in Charleston, a seaside community that is roughly the size of Everett.
Dressed in a crisp dress uniform, the 26-year veteran of the Everett Fire Department teared up as the families of the dead firefighters filed past him on their way to the memorial service.
An Associated Press reporter who covered the ceremony captured that moment in a story that ran in newspapers all over the country.
Dammand told the reporter that he was there to show respect for the dead and support for the ones they left behind.
"That brought a lump to my throat," he said of the somber procession of mourning family members walking through a long corridor formed by the honor guard. "These people were deep in grief and their lives were changed forever."
As a captain, Dammand is often one of the first leaders in the fire department to arrive when buildings are ablaze.
In those crucial early moments, he decides whether firefighters should enter a burning building.
While he follows safety procedures, the decisions become tougher when firefighters believe someone's life is in immediate danger.
Dammand said the deaths in South Carolina last week are a sober reminder of the job's dangers.
But tragedies can serve as safety lessons for combating fires, said Hogan, the other Everett firefighter who traveled to the memorial service.
For example, when four Seattle firefighters were killed in a food warehouse fire in 1995, the National Fire Protection Association issued a widely circulated report that found confusion about the physical layout of the building contributed to the deaths.
Hogan is certain fire investigations of last week's fire will also help enhance firefighter safety.
"All fire departments around the country will go over this with a fine-toothed comb," he said.
Reporter David Chircop: 425-339-3429 or dchircop@heraldnet.com.
Worst firefighting tragedies in U.S.
Dec. 21, 1910: 13 firefighters and one police officer killed in leather remnants factory, Philadelphia.
Dec. 22, 1910: 21 firefighters killed at stockyard and cold storage warehouse, Chicago.
March 10, 1946: 13 firefighters killed in roof collapse at Strand Theatre, Brockton, Mass.
April 16 and 17, 1947: 27 firefighters killed following fires and ammonium nitrate explosions aboard two ships docked at Texas City, Texas.
Aug. 4, 1949: 13 firefighters killed in forest fire at Gates of the Mountain, Mont.
July 9, 1953: 15 firefighters killed in wildfire in Mendocino National Forest, California.
July 29, 1956: 19 firefighters killed at Shamrock Oil and Gas Corp. refinery, Sun Ray, Texas.
Oct. 16, 1966: 12 firefighters killed when floor collapses in drugstore, New York City.
June 17, 1972: Nine firefighters killed in collapse at Hotel Vendome, Boston.
July 5, 1973: 12 firefighters killed at Doxol Gas Co., Kingman, Ariz.
July 6, 1994: 14 firefighters killed in wildfire on South Canyon Mountain, Glenwood Springs, Colo.
Sept. 11, 2001: 343 firefighters killed in New York City following terrorist attacks on World Trade Center.
June 18: Nine firefighters killed in furniture warehouse fire, Charleston, S.C.
Source: National Fire Protection Association
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