While discussing the collapse hazards truss-constructed buildings create for firefighting crews, especially those engaged in interior operations, a civilian inquired as to whether any fire service organization or the survivors of a firefighter killed or seriously injured in the line of duty in a truss-constructed building had ever taken legal action against the manufacturer of these engineered products. If so, has there ever been an “out of court settlement” or victory in a court case?
This is of particular interest to me and the other members of my department, as we experienced the line-of-duty death of Lieutenant Arnie Wolff during interior fire suppression operations in August 2006. The unprotected wooden floor trusses supporting a subfloor of ¾-inch tongue-and-groove oriented strand board over which a 1½-inch layer of Gypcrete® [called “floor underlayment” by the manufacturer] was poured and finished with ceramic tile collapsed shortly after Wolff and a crew member began interior search operations.
Joel KruegerHealth and Safety CommitteeGreen Bay (WI) Professional Firefighters
If you are a current subscriber,login hereto access this content.
If you would like to become a subscriber, please visit ushere.
