All,
As part of the trial of the Line of Duty Death of Illinois Firefighter Garrett Ramos, his surviving family attorneys brought in a subject matter expert to testify on behalf of the fallen Firefighter. SMEs are used in courts every day, everywhere, all the time.
As you know, the jury’s verdict was in favor of Brittney Ramos and their daughters and awarded 31.5 million dollars yesterday.
-We have attached that specific SME report, with permission, below.
-We are also attaching the other related document links below.
-There is a lot to read, understand, and use for your/mine/our own departments.
As I was reading through some of this morning, I thought to myself that if the fire departments had just not responded, the outcome would have been better. Hindsight is 20/20.
Not a single member on that scene – from the Chiefs to the newest Firefighters – went to that fire expecting to do anything but fix the problem for the homeowner, but what occurred on that fireground changed one life and impacted so many others.
There is a whole lot to learn from these reports. Alternatively, we can ignore them and continue with our current activities.
EXPERT TESTIMONY REPORT:
Gary Ludwig Expert Testimony Report
ILLINOIS NIOSH REPORT, TRAINING ON THIS INCIDENT & RESOURCES
Take Care. Be Careful. Pass It On.
BillyG
The Secret List 11/15/2025 – 1440 Hours
