Report: Errors were factors in firefighter deaths

CINCINNATI - The deaths of two Colerain Township firefighters in April 2008 was the result of a perfect storm of factors coming together to turn what was thought to be a routine fire run into a double tragedy.

That was the conclusion of the 450 page final report into the deaths of Captain Robin Broxterman and firefighter Brian Schira.

They were killed fighting a basement fire at a home on Squirrelsnest Lane on April 4, 2008.

Colerain Township Fire Captain Steve Conn says there were three factors that are believed to have contributed to the deaths...

- A delayed arrival at the incident scene that allowed the fire to progress significantly.
- A failure to adhere to fundamental firefighting practices.
- A failure to abide by fundamental firefighter-self rescue and survival concepts.

The report made a number of recommendations to improve firefighter effectiveness and safety...

- A 360-degree size up of the building upon arrival.
- More training to avoid complacency in firefighters' initial approach to incident.
- Providing initial responding units with better information about the incident.

Conn says that Broxterman and Schira went into the home without a charged water line, became disoriented as they were trying to exit the building as the fire spread and instead of following the hose line out of the home, went across the family room floor that had been weakened by the fire below. It collapsed, sending them into a 1,500 degree inferno.

There were radio problems as well. The digital system became overloaded to the point where four radio transmissions at the scene were blocked.

They might have been mayday calls from Broxterman and Schira. All those issues are being addressed in better training and working within the limits of the radio system.

The cause of death for both firefighters was listed as accidental from burns and the inhalation of super heated gases. The cause of the fire was determined to be a failure of a motor in a plastic fan used to grow orchids in the basement.