Athletic Club Fire Indianapolis

Athletic Club Fire Indianapolis

On February 5, 1992, two firefighters were killed and four seriously injured after fire erupted from a concealed space at the Indianapolis (IN) Athletic Club. A number of communications-related factors were cited as having an impact on the outcome of the fire. The first was the fact that Indianapolis had implemented a new 800-MHz trunked radio system two weeks before the fire. Lack of familiarity with the system by all members contributed to the communications-related problems observed during the fire.12 Second, a fire captain was seriously burned when he removed his glove to activate the emergency distress alarm on his portable radio. The button for the emergency distress alarm was virtually impossible to activate with a gloved hand. The captain also attempted to verbally request assistance using his portable radio but was unsuccessful. Third, the incident commander's request for a second alarm was delayed while another alarm was dispatched. Then, after the second-alarm request was received, there was a seven-minute delay in processing it. This delay was attributed to a lack of familiarity with the new computer-aided dispatch system and new procedures. http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-063.pdf