Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon on Thursday dismissed the Baltimore City Fire Department?s director of training after a fire cadet died when a Feb. 9 “live burn” training session got out of control.
“I cannot express to you how angry and shocked I was after reading the preliminary reports of this investigation,” Dixon said. “Mistakes were made. Unacceptable mistakes. There are no excuses for what happened on that day.”
Dixon fired Division Chief Kenneth Hyde, the director of training at the fire academy, and suspended Lt. Joseph Crest, the incident commander on duty that day, and lead instructor Lt. Larry Broyles for 60 days without pay.
Racheal Wilson, 29, died during a training blaze that was conducted out of compliance with the regulations, according to preliminary investigation reports. The department?s full investigative report will be released today.
Wilson leaves behind her two children, Cameron Wilson and Princess “PJ” Davis.
Dixon also ordered a “full and independent” review of training practices and safety procedures in the fire department to be conducted by a panel of independent fire experts, led by Howard County Deputy Fire Chief Chris Shimer, which will issue recommendations for improved training by March 30.
“I?m going into it with an open mind,” Shimer said of his investigation.
Dixon said the training session violated at least 25 guidelines on how to conduct “live burn” training exercises.
“The Rapid Intervention Team was not fully prepared and didn?t live up to its responsibilities, too many fireswere set, and the assigned safety officer just didn?t do his job,” Dixon said.
At least 19 firefighters assisted with the burn, but “none of these members stepped up when they knew things weren?t right,” Dixon said. “Nobody said anything.”
Baltimore Fire Chief William Goodwin said live burns were still necessary in Baltimore because firefighters encounter blazes in abandoned houses routinely.
“How do you train firefighters if you don?t train them with fire?” Goodwin said. “Granted, this was one day that went really, really bad, and there?s no excuse for that.”
Even considering her disciplinary actions, Dixon said the fire department is still among the best in the nation.
“The death of Racheal Wilson was a terrible tragedy, made worse by the knowledge that so much of what happened that day was avoidable,” Dixon said. “It is a black mark on an otherwise outstanding fire department.”
