Thursday, June 21, 2007
STATter 911 Exclusive: 911 Recordings from Lorton, VA Fire
Late today, STATter 911 received the 911 recordings from the May 23rd fatal fire in Lorton, Virginia. This is the fire where Interim Fairfax County Fire Chief David Rohr said crews "should have found" 49 year old Debra Chiles.
So far, officials have not been able to say why, with the relatively small amount of fire, the body of Debra Chiles was not found until more than a half-hour after firefighters arrived on the scene. The body was eventually discovered exactly where Chiles said she was -- the third floor bathroom.
Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department spokesman Dan Schmidt said today that a post-incident analysis of the fire is continuing. Schmidt previously confirmed that a critique was recently held with the companies involved in the incident.
The 911 recordings, released through a Freedom of Information Act request, include the final words of Debra Chiles. The third conversation with 911, as Chiles is overcome by the smoke, is very difficult to listen to. We have aired only a very small portion of this call in an effort to shed some light on what happened May 23rd.
You can listen to the first two conversations Debra Chiles had with 911 and a neighbor's 911 call here.
For my 6:00 p.m. report click here.
For our previous coverage of this incident, including a timeline of events, click here.
In the next couple of weeks we will have the fireground transmissions for you.
So far, officials have not been able to say why, with the relatively small amount of fire, the body of Debra Chiles was not found until more than a half-hour after firefighters arrived on the scene. The body was eventually discovered exactly where Chiles said she was -- the third floor bathroom.
Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department spokesman Dan Schmidt said today that a post-incident analysis of the fire is continuing. Schmidt previously confirmed that a critique was recently held with the companies involved in the incident.
The 911 recordings, released through a Freedom of Information Act request, include the final words of Debra Chiles. The third conversation with 911, as Chiles is overcome by the smoke, is very difficult to listen to. We have aired only a very small portion of this call in an effort to shed some light on what happened May 23rd.
You can listen to the first two conversations Debra Chiles had with 911 and a neighbor's 911 call here.
For my 6:00 p.m. report click here.
For our previous coverage of this incident, including a timeline of events, click here.
In the next couple of weeks we will have the fireground transmissions for you.
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Dave: Good follow-up, otherwise this would be swept under the rug and forgotten with nothing learned. Only the light of public outrage will needed changes occur. We will be looking forward to the fire department op's transmissions.
# posted by 
: June 22, 2007 9:42 PM
: June 22, 2007 9:42 PM
Making the phone numbers of 911 callers available to the general public as part of this particular bit of senational "journalism" is utterly irresponsible. Additionally, making this recording public contributes absolutely NOTHING positive to public safety or this investigation.
# posted by : June 25, 2007 10:15 PM
: June 25, 2007 10:15 PM
Don't blame the media, they only report what occurs. The only irresponsible acts were:
A) Not finding the woman
B) Not working on her once they did find her
A) Not finding the woman
B) Not working on her once they did find her
# posted by : June 26, 2007 11:19 PM
: June 26, 2007 11:19 PM
Dave,
It's been a couple of weeks. Anything more on the fireground transmissions??
It's been a couple of weeks. Anything more on the fireground transmissions??
# posted by : July 10, 2007 1:42 PM
: July 10, 2007 1:42 PM
Yes. Thanks for your patience. They have been in our system. A combination of traveling and other news have kept me from writing it up and posting it. I hope to have it for you in the next 2 days. Sorry for the dely.
Statter
Statter
It is now apparant and the citizens should know that incompetant people are being promoted to supervisor ranks, it all starts in the hiring process based on affirmative action... start promoting the best and work down not by the rule of 9's... Dave keep digging You will find more.. I hope there are demotions if not Fired for their actions It is upsetting...
# posted by : August 2, 2007 9:37 PM
: August 2, 2007 9:37 PM
Great coverage of this tragic event. Thank you! But, is there a third 911 call that you don't have?
# posted by : August 3, 2007 3:30 PM
: August 3, 2007 3:30 PM
Yes, there is the third conversation with her. It is very difficult to listen to.
The decision was made by my bosses not to provide that call on the site. In the story I put together I use a few seconds of the call takers side of the conversation.
On the recording you hear her struggling as she becomes overcome by the smoke and the call taker assures her help is on the way.
Statter
The decision was made by my bosses not to provide that call on the site. In the story I put together I use a few seconds of the call takers side of the conversation.
On the recording you hear her struggling as she becomes overcome by the smoke and the call taker assures her help is on the way.
Statter
I've been reading all of the info about this particular job well done. Since the act of courage took place... First things first. The hiring practices are unreal. Chances at tests over and over and when nobody is looking. I watched this occur first hand! The indivuals involved you ask??? We all know! Numbers mean everything to that county. Canidate testing, Recruit testing, PROMOTIONAL TESTING, If you were the right Gender and or race. Come on down to the price is right! You to can coast right on through... I myself, like a good group of Firefighters in that county, consider myself very passionate about my job. Its to bad that it seems you lose touch as you climb the ladder of brass or all to often in Fairfax. The people climbed so fast.... They NEVER were in touch.
Second... In my seven years that I WORKED there. Officers had turned around to ask " what should we do " as we went down the road. Asking or standing back as a crew takes charge. Why does this happen? The county pushes promotional testing. BEFORE ANYONE GETS THERE FEET WET. Medics that rode Transport units for 15yrs. Just one day jump into the front seat of a rig and become the boss! Chiefs that come up on the EMS side of the game. Not riding a fire rig in... Well I might not even be that old!
SO much more to say! Already wasted time writing this...
Our job is to keep each other alive. Tomorrow when you go to work... Look across the rig... Do you see passion, courage, training, and oh yes! THE PHYSICAL ABILITY?
Be safe all....
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Second... In my seven years that I WORKED there. Officers had turned around to ask " what should we do " as we went down the road. Asking or standing back as a crew takes charge. Why does this happen? The county pushes promotional testing. BEFORE ANYONE GETS THERE FEET WET. Medics that rode Transport units for 15yrs. Just one day jump into the front seat of a rig and become the boss! Chiefs that come up on the EMS side of the game. Not riding a fire rig in... Well I might not even be that old!
SO much more to say! Already wasted time writing this...
Our job is to keep each other alive. Tomorrow when you go to work... Look across the rig... Do you see passion, courage, training, and oh yes! THE PHYSICAL ABILITY?
Be safe all....
# posted by : August 12, 2007 9:21 PM
: August 12, 2007 9:21 PM Links to this post:
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