Stockton Fire

0412 hours, February 6, 1997 tones for a single family structure with possible victims inside. As a firefighter what is going on in your head? It is early in the morning, you are excited for a fire, and there is a possible rescue. Is all of my gear on properly? Who is responding to fire, and will we need more units? All of these thoughts plus many more are running through your head on the way to fire.

In 1988 the city of Stockton California established a fully paid career Fire Department. Today the Department has 275 firefighters, staffed at thirteen fire houses, each assigned respectively to an engine company and four with truck companies to compliment the engine companies. The Department staffs all engines with four personnel, one Engineer, one Captain, and two Firefighter/paramedics. All trucks are staffed with one Engineer, one Captain, one Tiller Operator, and two Firefighters, except for truck 7 with is staffed with one Engineer, one Captain, and two Firefighters. In addition to their traditional units, the Stockton Fire Department has one Hazardous Materials team which is staffed by engine 10, and water and dive rescue team staffed by engine 6, and a USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) Team staffed by company 3. The Stockton Fire Department is broken up into two Battalions, which are over scene by their respective Battalion Chiefs, who are on staff for twenty four hours. Incident assignments for a first alarm structure fire is three engines, two trucks, two Battalion Chiefs, and on Chief's operator, with one of the truck companies serving as the RIC Team (Rapid Intervention Crew) for firefighter rescue. With all of the above the Stockton Fire Department as an ISO (Insurance Services Office) rating of class 1, the highest rating a department can receive. The Stockton Fire Department first received this distinction in 1983 being at the time one of only five Departments in the nation to receive the honor. Today the department shares this distinction with forty seven cities nationwide. The Stockton Fire Department with all of these units maintains its strong and aggressive tradition.

0412 hour February 6, 1997 Stockton dispatch toned out a first alarm for a single family dwelling structure fire. At the time a first alarm response was two engine companies, one truck company and one Battalion Chief; none of which were assigned to RIC. Upon arrival the first due engine reported heavy fire conditions in the building with heavy smoke in the area. Upon arrival of the first Battalion Chief then established command and called for a second alarm, which then brought two more engine companies another truck company and one more Battalion Chief, to act as the Operations Chief, leaving the first Battalion Chief as the incident commander and Safety Officer.

This was a "Bread and Butter" fire for the Stockton Fire Department. Neighbors then informed crews that the lone resident of the structure, an 83 year old woman was likely on the second floor. This was news to the crews on scene, that there was a second floor. Crew began attempting to locate the stairway. By this time the first crews had exited the building to change out their 30 minute air pack and reentered the building to continue the search and resume the firefight. Approximately twenty three minutes into the fire interior crews reported a structure collapse and firefighters down. The Incident Commander then called for a third alarm, bringing two more engine companies and leaving the third and final truck available for coverage of the city. Meanwhile the crews on scene began trying to locate their fallen brothers. Captain Barrera was the first man located. He was trapped under a beam, from the pancake type collapse of the second floor. After extricating Captain Barrera the crews began moving the rest of rubble to locate the two remaining firefighters. But due the large about of debris from the collapse of the upper floor, which contained a wooden dance floor, doubling as a bed room, left a huge obstacle in the path of the rescue efforts. By the time the crews reached 29 year old veteran firefighter Brett Laws and 21 year old rookie firefighter Bryan Golden, who was on his first fire as well as a shift trade for the day, it was too late. Both men had died in the collapse and fire, with Captain Barrera suffering second and third degree burns. In the following 3 years after the fire, the Stockton Fire Department grew in size and upped its first alarm response to three engine companies, two truck companies (one assigned to RIC) and one Battalion Chief.

On this fire there was not a detailed Incident command system or ICS. The first alarm brought 2 engine companies and one truck company. Traditionally in Stockton the engine and truck companies primary duties at a fire are life safety and firefighting operations, rarely do the Captains on these units establish command, which is left for the Battalion Chief. The engine and truck companies are fully committed to the fire fight and life safety of the people and themselves. Upon a second alarm,