In 1999, the Worcester (Massachusetts) Fire Department responded to a fire at the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. – a five-alarm blaze that ultimately killed six firefighters. If not for the courageous actions and leadership of District Chief Mike McNamee, many more firefighters’ lives would have been lost during this horrific event. Now, 25 years later, we must ask ourselves, have we truly honored the fallen firefighters and their families by learning from this tragedy? Do we remember Chief McNamee’s actions and heed the lessons of the day?
As many of us who have been in this business long enough can clearly recognize, many areas of focus within the fire service are cyclical. What is considered new eventually becomes old, and what was once old can become new again. Take, for instance, many of the hot topics we’ve explored in depth over the past decade – transitional attack, hose management, bailout and self-rescue, and more recently, the “search mindset.” These are all vital topics and key skills, particularly when we consider the “why” behind them: Why do we need to train on these skills? Why are they so important?
Alongside the why, we must also understand the where. Where did this training originate? So many of our training evolutions emerged following the death of one of our own.
Insights from chiefs Billy Goldfeder and Frank Leeb have enriched this discussion in recent months. Their book, “30 Fires You Must Know,” is essential reading for all firefighters, focusing on understanding both the why and where, but also going a step further to detail what happened. Leadership is a critical piece of the puzzle at every incident.
Beyond this book, the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program offers a comprehensive library of reports and case studies that serve as valuable guides for learning from tragic incidents.
So, connecting back to my initial question: Have we truly absorbed the lessons from Worcester, or is it merely a matter of time before history repeats itself?
Throughout my career, I have identified four key lessons from the Worcester firefighters’ sacrifice: courage, command presence, risk management, and understanding the differences between commercial and residential fireground operations.
Courage
Chief McNamee displayed remarkable decision-making and composure as he firmly stated, “Enough is enough” during one of the most devastating incidents in the history of the Worcester Fire Department. While firefighters desperately wanted to enter the building to try to save their fellow firefighters – a noble pursuit – McNamee knew this would only lead to additional death. The decision would not be popular, but he knew it was right.
McNamee’s decision-making in this moment underscores the need for resiliency training, mental toughness and genuine courage. Over the years, my department has instituted training aimed at strengthening courageous decision-making within our command structure, equipping our officers to make difficult and unpopular choices during critical situations. Controlling your adrenaline and emotions during significant events is a continual battle, but through intentional training on resiliency and mental toughness, we are seeing better decision-making and more strategic and tactical impact on our incidents.
This incident and the accompanying lesson on courage have also sharpened our focus on emotional control. Adding some context here, a significant challenge I observe in the American fire service today relates to search culture. With an increasing emphasis on search, are we in danger of prioritizing emotional responses over tactical decisions? Our mission remains steadfast – to protect life and property. We must remember that protecting lives also entails looking after our own wellbeing through courage and decisive action.
We also need to demonstrate courage to seek to be better, not by only honoring our traditions but also seeking out new opportunities for us to grow. Through science and technology, we can be even more effective in our work, but we have to first acknowledge that we don’t know everything – a step that, for some, will require courage.
Command presence
A significant takeaway from the Worcester tragedy that has affected our organization is the importance of a strong command presence. Chief McNamee exhibited a commanding presence that prevented firefighters from going after their fallen colleagues. If he had appeared weak or lacked respect or control over the fireground, more lives could have been at risk.
Following the lessons of Chief McNamee, we have enhanced our command presence and decision-making skills through the implementation of the Blue Card program. One key element of learning from Chief McNamee is conducting real-world mayday drills, where our command officer must demonstrate their command presence by making tough choices in the heat of the moment.
Commercial vs. residential fireground operations
One of the key lessons we still grapple with is adjusting our tactics for commercial versus residential events. At the Worcester incident, the department managed commercial situations by effectively deploying large hoselines and being well-prepared. My concern is that many in the fire service lean heavily on a basic fireground tactic: Grab the 1¾ crosslay, advance to the front door, then search left while maintaining orientation along the wall. This typical method is effective for residential fires, but it diminishes in effectiveness in commercial or large-volume scenarios.
We have substantial work ahead. We must cultivate critical-thinking firefighters capable of analyzing their environment to make strategic and tactical choices based on impact rather than comfort. This is where “sets and reps,” alongside technology, becomes beneficial. The more sets and reps command officers engage in decision-making under time constraints, the better their decisions will be on the fireground.
Additionally, the IAFC’s Volunteer & Combination Officers Section (VCOS) has introduced an educational program concentrating on critical decision-making, teaching teaches students to see and think in a broader format. Bottom line: Thinking firefighters apply the right tactics based on conditions, not comfort.
Risk management
Finally, let’s discuss the significance of risk management. While I’m not suggesting that we should be overly cautious with our risk management systems, we must not be negligent in our mission to protect both people and property. In this situation, the Worcester Fire Department executed their standard protocol by launching an aggressive initial attack to ensure a primary all-clear and gain control of the fire. It’s important to remember that this was an abandoned building with known squatters, and there had been prior incidents at this location. I believe all of us would approach the initial fire attack in the same way. It took Chief McNamee to break the tunnel vision and redirect the incident toward risk management to prevent further loss of life.
Chief Alan Brunacini (“Bruno”) taught us to risk a lot to save lives, take small risks to save property, and avoid risks entirely when recovering losses. His wisdom was not expressed in stark black and white but rather in shades of gray. Bruno gave us a solid foundation to guide our actions based on the risks associated with each incident. Once again, we should be both aggressive and calculated, not reckless.
From the Worcester event, we learned to set benchmarks and continually reassess the effectiveness of what we are doing versus the risks. With the refocus on a search mindset, it would be immature not to also address, identify and train on risk management at the same time; they go hand in hand. Yes, we need to search; yes, we need to be aggressive; and yes, our job is dangerous. We, as command officers, must control what we can and limit surprises by continually balancing risk versus aggression.
Final thoughts
As we look reflect on the past 25 years since this historic fire service incident, we must also ask what we as individuals and organizations, even the fire service, have learned and how we can continue to embody the lessons to prevent a similar tragedy. Let us honor our past by studying and learning, then leading the next generation with knowledge-based training rooted in courage, command presence, proper tactics and risk management.
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