The Jerseyville Volunteer Fire Department was called at 18:59 on Saturday, April 13, 2024, to a fire in a church. When the FD arrived, heavy smoke was showing with fire visible on the B/C corner (kitchen), and there were no hydrants in the neighborhood that is approximately 1 mile from town/water supply.
A box alarm for the tender shuttle was called, the first due engine attempted to make entry into the kitchen, and a second crew was sent to the roof of the adjoining education hallway for vertical ventilation. The young and inexperienced crew assigned to ventilation was beginning to set up on the downwind side of the hall and were directed by the A/B command to set up “on the other side” out of the heat and smoke. They relocated to the “other end” of the structure, directly over the burning dining hall. They attempt to ventilate but were not aware of the roof-over-roof construction, and when the smoke began pushing through the shingles and “something didn’t seem right” they exited the roof. Approximately 5 – 10 minutes after they exited the roof there was a complete roof collapse resulting in an approximately 50’ fire column of the entire dining hall structure.
The order to ventilate the education hall was not specific enough, and the redirection from the downwind to upwind side of the education hall was misunderstood by the inexperienced crew. This failure in communication created this close call that would most likely have caused the death of these two young firefighters.
LESSONS LEARNED:
Assignments should be specific and clear, and repeated back over the radio to ensure understanding.
Inexperienced FF should be teamed up with more experienced FF to ensure safety.
At large commercial fires, the use of more than one safety officer is necessary.
