By Leila Merrill
WASHINGTON — Members of D.C. Fire and EMS are starring in a national training video designed to teach firefighters throughout the U.S. about the dangers of fighting a rowhouse fire, WTOP reported.
“We’ve had injuries and line-of-duty deaths that have been attributed to these types of buildings,” said Deputy Fire Chief Anthony Kelleher. “Fighting fires in [row homes] are dangerous because we have basements; we have concealed spaces, such as attics, and that allows fire and heat to spread.”
The Division of Safety Research at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is spearheading the workplace safety video effort.
“Row houses are predominantly up and down the East Coast,” Loflin said. “We picked D.C. because of the sheer number of rowhouses,” said Murrey Loflin, a fire investigator with NIOSH.
Three Baltimore firefighters died in a rowhouse fire earlier this year.