An exhaustive 242-page report on the fire that killed a 76-year-old Florida woman is critical about a lack of communication between firefighters and dispatchers and lays out 24 key findings to help improve operations in the future.
Loretta Pickard died in a fire that broke out in her North Lakeland home Nov. 23. She had called 9-1-1 to tell dispatchers that she was trapped inside her burning house, which was filling with smoke.
Pickard was on the phone for 20 minutes with dispatchers, who told her Polk County crews were on the scene and knew she was in the house. A rescue, however, was not attempted by firefighters.
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A key finding in the report by Emergency Services Consulting International, a third-party firm investigating the incident, revealed that a computer used by firefighters that detailed information describing the scene was not working, WTSP reports. A working computer is not required equipment for crews, and the report, which was released Monday, recommended that firefighters and dispatchers establish guidelines for radio or other verbal communication, so important incident information is passed along.
Capt. James Williams, one of the firefighters who responded to the call, was suspended for 24 hours and later resigned after it was found that he shot a video from the scene and posted it on the social media platform Snapchat. In his post-incident analysis, Battalion Chief Jeremiah Gilley wrote that Williams and a fellow firefighter should have put on masks with breathing apparatuses, grabbed tools and tried to rescue Pickard. The inexperience of Williams, who had been a captain for less than two years, and a lack of knowledge by crews also hampered efforts in the fatal fire, added Gilley, who arrived later to the fire.
Monday's report does not mention Williams use of Snapchat, according to WTSP. The analysis also includes findings that were revealed in other investigations and media reports.
"It’s kind of a shame to me that our county ... spent $36,000 to do a report that the media and public record has already done for them," Amber Addison, Pickard's niece told WTSP.
