Brownout controversy: Engine 36 was the first responding company to a fire on Princeton Ave. on Oct. 8. The closest fire station to the scene, Engine 38, was closed due to the brownout rotation.
Philadelphia’s firefighters union and City Councilman Bobby Henon have renewed calls for the elimination of the fire department’s brownout program in the aftermath of a Tacony blaze that injured three union members.
Three firefighters were taken to hospitals with various injuries suffered as they battled a single-alarm blaze at 4614 Princeton Ave. on Oct. 8. That day, the closest fire station to the fire scene, Engine 38 at Magee Avenue and Keystone Street, was closed due to the brownout rotation. As a result, Engine 36 at 7818 Frankford Ave. was the first-responding company. Engine 38 is nine-tenths of a mile from the fire scene. Engine 36 is 1.3 miles.
The fire began at about 2:45 p.m. on the second-floor of a two-store brick twin house. While inside the property, one member of Engine 36 fell from the second floor to the first, injuring his back and triggering a “mayday” call on fire radio. A second firefighter was burned when he partially fell through a floor. A third firefighter hurt his knee in the debris while rescuing one of his injured colleagues. One of the firefighters was treated and released from the hospital. Two were not admitted, according to union sources.
Firefighters controlled the blaze several minutes later. One person was inside the house when the fire began, but escaped the flames.
Tim McShea, vice president of Local 22 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said that even a brief delay in responding to a fire can make a big difference in conditions and safety at a fire ground.
“Fire doubles in size every minute, so the fire that Engine 36 rolled up on is a different fire than Engine 38 would’ve rolled up on,” McShea said. “Injuries to three firefighters would’ve been less likely to happen.”
According to union officials, 224 firefighters have been injured on the job in 2014.
“This situation in particular involved a fire that roared a stone’s throw away from a firehouse that was browned out,” Henon said. “I remain united with IAFF Local 22 and our neighbors who demand full and complete service for our neighborhoods and will continue to advocate for the reversal of this policy.”
Begun in 2010 as a cost-cutting measure, brownouts are a program in which the fire department removes selected units from service on specific days on a rotating basis. On Oct. 8, Engines 38 and 44 were closed on the day shift, while Engine 35 and Ladder 9 were closed on the night shift.
In January 2013, the city opened a new $6.7 million fire station for Engine 38 after it had been closed perpetually for more than a year due to construction on nearby Interstate 95. Despite the investment, Engine 38 remains on the brownout rotation and was scheduled to close on six dates in October. The fire department previously posted the monthly brownout schedules on its official Web site, but it has not posted a new monthly schedule since July.
Attempts to reach a fire department spokesman on Monday were unsuccessful due to the Columbus Day holiday. ••
