Inspection Detail

Inspection: 307681254 - Carthage-Fire

Inspection Information - Office: Tennessee Osha Nashville Office - Public Sector

Investigation Summary

On April 8, 2004, Employee #1, a Fire Chief, was part of volunteer fire department crew responding to a fire that had broken out at the Main Street Church of Christ located in Carthage, Tennessee. As the fire progressed, the employee went to the front of the building to get two coworkers, fire fighters, to evacuate the building because the fire was getting out of control, and he feared the building was going to collapse. As the fire fighters were exiting the building, the front of the building collapsed on top of all three fire fighters, the employee and the coworkers. All three fire fighters were just outside the front of the building. Employee #1 was transported by air to Vanderbilt Hospital with multiple trauma injuries and burns to his body. He later died on August 1, 2004. The two other fire fighters were treated for injuries at a local hospital and released. (The other two injured fire fighters were not listed on an injury line of the original form.)

Keywords: FIREFIGHTER, BUILDING, COLLAPSE, FIRE