由约瑟夫·普罗斯蒂（Joseph Pronesti）
We all know just how dangerous basement and cellar fires can be; the hazards are even more pronounced in a commercial building. However, an old tip that saved many lives 51 years ago today needs to be transformed into a modern tip for today’s fire service. When crews encounter a working fire in a cellar and they decide to advance a line down the stairs, it’s a standard tactic to order another line at the top of the stairs to protect the crews. However, when the conditions crews first encounter are not too bad, staffing issues will delay that protection line or crews will be in the cellar checking for extension, “mopping up,” and so on.
October 17, 1966, was one of the Fire Department of New York’s (FDNY’s) darkest days prior of course to September 11th, 2001; 12 firefighters perished when a floor collapse occurred in a building of ordinary construction on 23rd Street in Manhattan. FDNY Captain Patrick Murphy and Lieutenant Royal Fox were simply doing their job on that night, but the leadership and bravery they displayed should never be forgotten and should stand as a true measuring stick for all officers—today and into the future.
Podcast:Taking It to the Streets: Vincent Dunn on The 23rd Street Fire
FDNY Engine Company 5（E5）的消防员尼古拉斯·西塞罗（Nicholas Cicero）驻扎在建筑物前半部分的内部楼梯的顶部，通往奇迹药店的地窖。西塞罗（Cicero）的工作是在火场上便携式无线电使用前几天的典型协议：请密切关注一楼的条件（在他的公司的“ 6”中），而船员则向地窖提前一行以检查火。E5与一家梯子公司（L3）一起遇到任何差状况。但是，只有几英尺远的地方，混凝土掩盖的炽烈的地狱很快就会导致奇迹毒品的后楼倒塌，杀死了这12名成员。
西塞罗（Cicero）注意到一楼的空气不寻常，看到一块三英尺高的纸板迅速向商店的后部移动。他立即向墨菲上尉大喊，向他告知他这一不寻常的事情。当墨菲朝楼梯的底部移动以更清楚地听到西塞罗的声音时，后面发生的一楼倒塌的热量迫使西塞罗（Cicero）降低了低位并用外套保护他的脸。他再次向墨菲重复警告，然后前往前门逃脱。在听到西塞罗的第一次警告时，E5和L3成员开始从地窖里有序地采取行动，但他们在听到他的第二个电话时加快了出口的速度。机组人员只能做到这一点，但几名成员受到了烧伤。西塞罗的警告使那天晚上至少有11名成员免受严重伤害或死亡。
福克斯中尉是L3的一部分。由于自己的安全而无视，他一直留在地窖里，直到他确定所有成员都已经撤离。在执行这种无私的行为时，福克斯中尉因英勇行动而被授予威廉·康兰（William F. Conran）奖章。
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“我非常感谢今天来这里。我是地下室的最后一个。发动机5清除了为我们提供出口的窗户的空间。这些人值得一提。”
– FDNY Battalion Chief (Ret.) Royal Fox
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RELATED:视频Discussion of the 23rd Street Fire|FDNY: 50th Anniversary of the 23rd Street Collapse (PDF)|Fire Engineering: 1967 Commentary on the Fire (PDF)
The wise, old legacy firefighting tip of keeping a member at the top of the stairs saved lives. But what about today? Do we think about assigning someone to this position? In today’s modern environment, one doesn’t need a collapse to occur to encounter a rapid change of conditions. With today’s communication and smaller staffing levels, we have let this option “slip by” us as we send entire companies below-ground, sometimes without protection of a firefighter or a hoseline.
SAFETY
我们都希望采取行动，但是当前往地窖时，即使条件出现“光”或“次要”，请记住消防员西塞罗（Cicero），并以您的“ 6”将成员留在顶部。
Click on the photo below to watch a video produced by the FDNY on the 23rd Street Fire.
Joseph Pronesti是Elyria（OH）消防局的26年资深人士，他是助理局长和轮班司令。他是俄亥俄州消防局执行官计划的毕业生，也是Cuyahoga（OH）县社区大学消防学院的首席讲师。188博金宝体育1他是消防服务出版物和网站的贡献者，包括188金宝搏是正规吗。他可以接触到efdcaptain33@gmail.com.
THE ‘FOG’ OF THE FIREGROUND
Part 2: Communications on the Fireground
Part 4: Lack of Command Level Mayday Preparation
