City of Baltimore - File #: 07-0258R

• File #: 07-0258R
• Version: 0
• Name: Investigative Hearing - Baltimore Fire Academy - Training Safety
• Type: City Council Resolution
• Status: Failed - End of Term
• File created: 2/26/2007
• In control: City Council
• Final action: 12/5/2007
• Title: Investigative Hearing - Baltimore Fire Academy - Training Safety FOR the purpose of requesting the Chief of Fire and the Chief Safety Officer of the Baltimore Fire Department and the Director of Training of the Baltimore Fire Academy to address the City Council on the Academy's level of compliance with national standards for training supervision, safety protocol, and professional instruction; to present a detailed report on areas of non-compliance; and to submit a comprehensive report on procedures to be adopted to attain compliance and to ensure the safety of firefighter recruits.
• Sponsors: Kenneth Harris, James B. Kraft, Helen L. Holton, Keiffer Mitchell, Belinda Conaway, Mary Pat Clarke, Paula Johnson Branch, Agnes Welch
• Indexes: Resolution

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
3/12/2007	0	Public Safety Subcommittee	Scheduled for a Public Hearing
3/1/2007	0	The City Council	Referred for a Report
2/26/2007	0	City Council	Introduced
2/26/2007	0	City Council	Assigned

* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*

CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)

Introduced by: Councilmember Harris



A RESOLUTION ENTITLED

A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
Investigative Hearing - Baltimore Fire Academy - Training Safety

FOR the purpose of requesting the Chief of Fire and the Chief Safety Officer of the Baltimore Fire Department and the Director of Training of the Baltimore Fire Academy to address the City Council on the Academy's level of compliance with national standards for training supervision, safety protocol, and professional instruction; to present a detailed report on areas of non-compliance; and to submit a comprehensive report on procedures to be adopted to attain compliance and to ensure the safety of firefighter recruits.
Body
Recitals

The recent death of a 29-year-old city Fire Department recruit during a training exercise as she tried to extinguish a blaze set by instructors in a vacant three-story row house in Southwest Baltimore brought to light what appear to be serious lapses in safety procedures in the training program of the Baltimore Fire Academy.

This tragic incident calls into question the practice of using "live burns" - fires set by instructors in vacant buildings off-campus - as a way to give recruits "real" experience in putting out blazes, particularly when the exercises are not conducted in compliance with national regulations governing firefighter training.

Fire union officials are reportedly voicing concerns that this as well as other...