In the early morning hours of Thursday, March 12, 2009, firefighters from the Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department (IFD) were in for a firefight that lasted longer than anything they had seen in downtown Indianapolis in the past 20 years. The first call came in to dispatch at 0322 hours as a report of smoke in the area. Per protocol, one engine was dispatched to investigate. As that engine was responding, more calls poured in to dispatch, with callers frantically advising that there was a huge fire somewhere downtown. First-alarm companies were dispatched. Only one caller got the location accurate, identifying it as Michigan Street and Senate Avenue. This location sits about three blocks west of Monument Circle, the center point of downtown Indianapolis.
The crew from Station 13, located three blocks south of the fire, was first on-scene within four minutes of the first call. The smoke was so thick that the only thing crew members knew for sure was that they had heavy fire in the air. Unable to see what or how many buildings were involved, they established command and went to work.
Two minutes later, Battalion Chief David Grider and Aide Lieutenant Michael V. White were on the scene. Instructing his aide to drive around and immediately do as much of a 360º survey as possible, Grider tried to assess the size of the massive fire. As they drove around the block, he quickly realized that with the density of the smoke and the large volume of fire, a quick assessment was almost impossible. Within four minutes, he called for a second alarm. Within a few more minutes, Acting Shift Commander Jim McNair called for a third alarm.
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