The emergency response to a house explosion that killed a firefighter last year in Sterling, Virginia, was rife with mistakes that compromised safety, a new report says.
Firefighter Trevor Brown, of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company, was killed and 14 people were hurt last February when a propane tank exploded.
Loudoun County’s fire chief ordered an investigation into the incident response. It found several fire department policies and procedures were not followed.
“We have policies. We need to reinforce those policies and demand action to adhering to those policies to never let this happen again,” Chief Keith Johnson told News4 on Tuesday, after the report’s release.
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When crews responded to the gas leak on Silver Ridge Drive, risk assessment key indicators were ignored, which compromised safety, the report found. Personal protective equipment (PPE) indicators were ignored during that process.
While responding to the gas leak, a member of Brown’s truck asked the officer in charge if they should don full PPE. The officer in charge determined full PPE wasn’t needed, the report says. When the gas tank exploded, debris hit and killed Brown, who was standing in the front yard. There’s no speculation about whether full PPE would have saved Brown, but the report recommends additional training on several department policies, including PPE.
“There were some challenges identified, and we've already taken positive steps to improve our training, to approve our adherence to policies, to improve our awareness to issues,” said Chief Dave Short of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company. “So, I want people to know that it's already been actively actioned."
Before and after the deadly explosion, 136 attempted radio transmissions failed, due to both technology issues and user error, the report says. It also faulted a lack of coordination in the pre-blast phase of the response.
The report also outlined several areas in which crews succeeded, including evacuating the home and ultimately rescuing two of their own, who were trapped in the burning rubble.
The report will serve as a critical benchmark for training and transparency, while both fire chiefs acknowledge it reopens wounds for a community and family still mourning the loss of Brown, who was a husband and father.
The former gas company employee who delivered the propane to the home was criminally charged. Roger Bentley faces charges including involuntary manslaughter. His trial is scheduled for July.