BOSTONS BLAZE 1

BOSTONS 9- ALARM BLAZE

Bostons 9 Alarm Blaze That Killed To !ire"i#hters
Marietta $rai#
!ire $hemistr% &111
'ro"essor (all
BOSTONS BLAZE &
Bostons 9-Alarm Blaze That Killed Two Firefighters.
BOSTONS BLAZE )
Table of Contents
*istor% o" !ire Ser+i,e--.---------------------------/
!ire"i#hter 0o1 2es,ri3tion...--------------------------.../
Boston !ire 2e3artment---------------------------..-.4
'ossi1l% $a5se o" !ire E63losion-----------------------...-.7
Re"eren,es-----------------..--------..--------8
BOSTONS BLAZE /
The "ire ser+i,e histor% and ,5lt5re started 1a,9 in the last :5arter o" the ei#hteen ,ent5r%
1% the ;nd5strial Re+ol5tion the% ere the ones to introd5,e "i#htin# tools< e:5i3ment< and 3lans.
The ;nd5strial Re+ol5tion had an e""e,t on so,iet% es3e,iall% the steel and te6tile man5"a,t5res.
The te6tiles mills 1e#an to ,lim1 in North Ameri,a 3re,isel% in states o" Ne En#land< t%3i,all%
1e,a5se the% started 3rod5,in# a lot o" linen ,lothin#< ,otton and a lot o" ele+ated "lamma1le lint
and other materials that 3iled 53 and 5nder the oiled ooden "loors o" these #i#anti, 15ildin#s.
25e to the "a,t that these 15ildin#s ere lit 1% oil lam3s then e+ent5all% #as lam3s< these i#nition
so5r,es ere man%. Altho5#h these mills ere ,onstr5,ted o" 1ri,9 and hea+% tim1er< there ere
"re:5ent "ires that ere a #reat disaster at times. The iron and steel ind5str% re+ol5tion 1e#an to
1irth "ire"i#htin# tools and e:5i3ment li9e the 35m3in# a33arat5s. These modern "ire a33arat5s
that are ,5rrent toda%< started "rom the earl% da%s hen ladder tr5,9s and 35m3er r e+ent5all%
1e,ame an e+ol5tion.
The ,hoi,e to 1e,ome a "ire"i#hter hether it is +ol5nteer or ,areer is ti,e ,hallen#in#
and reardin#. !ire"i#hters =o1 re:5ires stron# 3h%si,al la1or ith the e63os5re o" hi#h le+el o"
mental and emotional stress and orse sometimes "atal dan#er. To 3er"orm as a "ire"i#hter ta9es
a #reat sense o" 3ersonal dedi,ation< a lot o" ,om3assion to hel3 3eo3le and their ,omm5nit%.
>hile 1ein# a "i#hter is +er% ,hallen#in#. !or indi+id5als ho lo+e the 3h%si,al and
3s%,holo#i,al tas9< this ,areer is one o" the most reardin# =o1s in ,om3arison to other =o1s o5t
there.
>hene+er there is an emer#en,% o" an% sort "or e6am3le< motor +ehi,le a,,ident< air ,ra"t
,rashes< o,ean res,5es< 15ildin# ,olla3se< nat5ral disasters< and e63losions. $itizens aro5nd the
?nited States "irst res3onse are to dial o5r aro5nd the ,lo,9 911-,omm5ni,ation s%stem in
res3onse to emer#en,ies and not =5st hen there is a "ire. !ire"i#hters in di""erent states or9
train and li+e to#ether at the "ire station d5rin# a series o" &/ho5rs shi"ts< ith to or three da%s
BOSTONS BLAZE 4
o"" in-1eteen shi"ts< 1@ to 1& ho5rs a da% or 1/ ho5r ni#ht shi"ts. Other "ire"i#hter li9e the
ildland "ire"i#hters are 9non to or9 &/ho5rs ,onse,5ti+e shi"ts d5rin# "ire season.
!ire"i#hter s or9 as team or9ers< there is no indi+id5alit% ithin their =o1 3er"orman,e. >hen
%o5re a team e+er%one loo9s o5t "or e+er%one. E+er% "ire"i#hter mission is to sa+e li+es and
3rote,tion o" 3ro3ert% and most o" all that e+er%one ret5rns sa"el% 1a,9 home to their "amilies.
?n"ort5natel%< sometimes the orst ha33en and the last thin# that an% "ire de3artment or "amilies
ant to #o thro5#h is hen a line o" d5t% death o,,5rs.
Boston !ire de3artment is a "ort%-to ho5rs a ee9 de3artment ith a ten ho5r s,hed5le
ha+in# a da% shi"t startin# at 8am-73m and ni#ht shi"t 73m-8am.The de3artment has
1/7A5ni"ormed 3ersonnel< thirt%-"i+e "ire stations< ei#hteen ladder ,om3anies< thirt%-three en#ine
,om3anies< "o5r toer ,om3anies and one s3e,ial 5nit. Bostons "ire de3artment En#ine )) and
ladder 14 anser the ,all that o5ld ,laim the li+es o" to ,areer 1rotherhood "ire"i#hters ho
died in the line o" d5t%.
On Mar,h &7< &@1/< a "ire 1e#an aro5nd &B)@3m in the a"ternoon at a "o5r-stor%
1ronstone 15ildin# on Bea,on Street. ;t as a 9-alarm "ire a1o5t &@-)@ tr5,9s res3onded to the
"ire alarm in,ident. !irst< "ire"i#hter Lie5tenant Edard >alsh /) %ears o" a#e h5s1and and a
"ather o" three ,hildren as a ten %ear +eteran on the de3artment "rom en#ine )) Se,ond
"ire"i#hter as Mi,hael Kenned% "ire"i#hter o" si6 and a hal" %ears "rom ladder 14 ho as also
a Marine $or3s ,om1at +eteran 1oth ere "rom the Bo%lston street station. >alsh and Kenned%
1oth entered the 1ronstone and sometime later ,alled a ma%da%< also at another 3arti,5lar time
hile other "ire"i#hters ere in the 15ildin# there as an e63losion o" some 9ind that sent other
"ire"i#hters 9no,9ed don the stairs. 'ossi1le s3e,5lations a"ter the ,as5alties that ,ontri15ted to
these "ire"i#hters death ere the "a,t that the 1ronstone 15ildin# hi,h as 15ilt in the
nineteen nineties had no s3rin9ler s%stem and as not re:5ired d5e to the 15ildin#s a#e and t%3e.
BOSTONS BLAZE 7
;n addition< the ind #5st that da% as hi#her than e63e,ted )@-/4 miles 3er ho5r dri+en 1%
inds ,omin# "rom a near1% ri+er. This in,ident in=5red thirteen other "ire"i#hters se+eral 3oli,e
o""i,ers ho ere ta9en to the hos3ital ith 15rns and 1ro9en 1ones< some residents "rom the
533er "loor had to 1e e+a,5ated 15t none o" the residents s5stained an% li"e threatenin# in=5ries.
>hen 3otential 1a,9dra"t ,onditions e6ist in a ,om3artment< the s3a,e is "illed ith
5n15rned "5elCsmo9e that is a1o+e its i#nition tem3erat5re la,9in# onl% the s5""i,ient o6%#en to
15rn. ;n an instan,e e63losion or ra3id 15rnin# o" e6tremel% heated #ases that o,,5r hen
o6%#en is 1ro5#ht into an o6%#en de3ri+ed en+ironment. This e63losion ,an also o,,5r ith
im3ro3er +entilation and str5,t5ral "ail5re. A "ire in+esti#ation normall% ta9es se+eral months
hoe+er a5thorities are sa%in# that 1oth "ire"i#hters mi#ht ha+e s5,,5m1ed to a 1a,9dra"t "rom
1asement.
A,,ordin# to the medi,al e6aminers re3ort the Lie5tenant >alsh and "ire"i#hter Kenned%
1oth died o" smo9e inhalation and thermal in=5ries.
BOSTONS BLAZE A
>hile the demand "or "ire"i#hter ,ontin5es to 1e on the rise in the 351li, ser+i,e< the =o1
o3enin#s in "ire de3artment are limited. The 5na+aila1ilit% o" =o1 o3enin# doesnt seem to
,han#e indi+id5als mind "rom 35rs5in# to the most ,hallen#in#< all %ear ro5nd or9 s,hed5le<
3ersonal dedi,ation %et still the orlds 1est reardin# ,areer ,hoi,e that an%one ,an e63erien,e.
Lastl%< des3ite #reat e""orts to 3re+ent medi,al emer#en,ies and "ires the% are ine+ita1le. And
5n"ort5nate "ire"i#hter ,as5alties ill ha33en "rom time to time.
BOSTONS BLAZE 8
References
www.foxsnews.com
www.cnn.com
www.cityofboston.gov/fire/about/
Essentials of fire fighting and fire department operations,5th edition. Brady/Prentice all
ealth.