On Saturday, March 13, 2005, shortly before 1400 hours, units were dispatched for a reported house fire, with people trapped at 60th Avenue and L Street in Fairmont Heights (Station 38’s first due). Units dispatched included: Engine 384 (Chapel Oaks), Engine 83 (Seat Pleasant), Engine 331 (Kentland), Truck 5 (Capitol Heights), Quint 22 (Tuxedo-Cheverly), Truck 17 (Boulevard Heights) and Battalion Chief 1 (Chief 38A – Gansert).
Engine 384 arrived on the scene and reported heavy fire showing from the first and second floors of a two-story house. One eighty-one year old female was being taken across the street as Engine 384 arrived. Church members who were just leaving church services just a few doors down the street rescued her from the house. Other members of the family were able to escape the home. When Truck 5 arrived, they were immediately assigned to patient care of the severely injured woman.
Battalion Chief 1 arrived behind Engine 384 and established the “Chapel Oaks Command.” He immediately called for the working fire dispatch and a fire task force. This brought Engine 93 (Bladensburg), Engine 263 (District Heights), Rescue Squad 13 (Riverdale Heights), Ambulance 99 (Bladensburg) and Breathing Air 44 (Chillum). Numerous other command and support staff responded.
The patient was transported to Washington Hospital Center’s Med-Star Burn Unit and was listed in critical condition. Once the patient was transferred to the care of EMS personnel, Truck 5 was assign to Rapid Intervention along with Engine 263.
After an aggressive interior attack, the incident was placed under control and units performed extensive overhaul.
The Command Structure was as follows:
Incident Commander – Battalion Chief 1 (Chief 38A – Gansert)
Senior Advisor – Duty Chief (Fletcher)
Division 1 – Chief 38B (Walker)
Division 2 – Volunteer Operations Chief (Chief 5 – McClelland)
Safety Group – Chief 9 (Kuenzli)
EMS Group – EMS 1
Exposure Delta – Northern Battalion Chief (Powell)
Rapid Intervention – Truck 5 / Engine 263