Two D.C. firefighters from the fire truck involved in a fatal crash in March could face internal charges, including a fire captain.
Engine 26 was responding to a call in the Brookland neighborhood when it slammed into a 32-year-old Deangelo Green’s car at 12th Street and Rhode Island Avenue NE, killing Green.
Several weeks ago, prosecutors said they would not charge the firefighter who was behind the wheel, but Fire Chief Gregory Dean has informed the captain and the firefighter who were in the truck at the time that they remain under investigation and could face internal charges and discipline.
“We’re preserving our rights for after we get all that information to be able to do the follow up,” Dean said.
Sources said it’s likely at least one of those firefighters will face some internal charges.
After the accident, News 4 reported there are conflicting policies telling firefighters what to do when approaching an intersection during an emergency call.
“One of the things we’re doing as we update our policies is making sure there are no conflicts so it’s very clear to everybody what your responsibilities are and how to manage your rig especially at an uncontrolled intersection,” Dean said.
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News4 also reported the dash cam in Engine 26 wasn’t working, which the chief acknowledges is a widespread problem.
“Last report I saw said that we had a high number of the cameras that were not operating,” he said.
Dean hired a consultant to audit the dash cams on all fire department vehicles. Twenty new fire engines hit the streets this summer, and all of them will have working dash cameras, Dean said.
The captain and the firefighter in the fatal incident remain on active duty but are not permitted to drive any vehicles until the investigation is resolved, a department spokesperson said.
The department has 60 days to charge the firefighters, who could face anything from a reprimand to termination.
