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Remember the Odor

December 27th, 2007

Hey… 

“Respond for the smell of gas”…or a “respond to the gas leak”…that’s a transmission all of us have heard many, many times on the speaker as our companies are dispatched to “check it out”…. 

Well, the next time you are dispatched for that, remember the North Division Street Explosion in Buffalo N.Y. on December 27, 1983 where 5 Buffalo Firefighters were killed just as they arrived at a building to investigate the report of a 500 gal LP Gas tank leaking. 

  

BFD members Mike Austin, Mickey Catanzaro, Red Lickfeld, Tony Waszkielewicz, and Matty Colpoys were killed instantly. The three engines, two trucks, rescue and 3rd Battalion were responding to a report of the large propane tank leaking in the building. Engine 32 arrived and reported nothing showing, but they were talking to some workmen from the four-story, heavy-timber warehouse (approx. 50′ x 100′). Truck 5, Engine 1 and BC Harvey Supple (who was critically injured) arrived right behind E-32.
 
Thirty-seven seconds after the chief arrived, there was a massive explosion. It completely leveled the 4 story building and it demolished many buildings on 4 different blocks. It seriously damaged buildings that were over a half a mile away. The ensuing fireball started buildings burning on a number of streets. A large gothic church on the next block had a huge section ripped out of it. For 2 excellent articles on this tragic fire by then new firefighter-and now, BFD Fire Commissioner Mike Lombardo, check out: 

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?id=2596&sectionId=6  

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?id=2596&sectionId=6
Take Care-BE CAREFUL,
BillyG 

The Secret List 12-27-07 / 1410 Hours 

www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com 

Entry Filed under: General