Colorado Springs Fire Department Selected to Receive the Benjamin Franklin Fire Service Award for Valor

FAIRFAX, VA. – 23 August 2007 – Lieutenant Brian Moffitt, Driver Engineer Christopher Richardson, Firefighter Nicholas Chapel and Firefighter Ryan Douglas, of Colorado Springs Fire Department’s (CSFD) C-shift, have been selected as this year’s winners of the International Benjamin Franklin Fire Service Award for Valor, co-sponsored by Motorola, Inc. and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). The award will be presented at Fire-Rescue International on August 24 in Atlanta.

For 38 years, the International Benjamin Franklin Fire Service Award for Valor has recognized firefighters around the world for their expert training, their loyalty to their profession and their dedication to saving lives.

Not long after midnight on January 16, 2007, a call came in for a structure fire at the Castle West Apartments. Within seconds, many more calls began pouring in from both occupants trapped by the fire and witnesses outside. The burning apartment building was a 3-story, wood-frame, garden-level type of apartment with interior hallways and 135 units, covering most of a 2-block area. It was built in 1968, prior to fire code upgrades, and so it didn’t have a sprinkler or general-alarm system.

The fire spread rapidly throughout the entire building and escape stairways very quickly were fully involved in fire. When occupants tried to make their exits, they found the hallways and stairways blocked by heavy smoke and fire. The first firefighters were on scene within three minutes of being dispatched; when they arrived, they saw heavy black smoke pouring over the complex and many occupants already hanging off of balconies, preparing to jump or jumping with heavy fire engulfing their apartments and blowing over their heads.

According to Fire Chief Manuel Navarro, despite a rapid response, there was no chance of saving the building. “They did some initial attack and realized the fire was going to overwhelm them immediately,” Chief Navarro said. “They said, ‘We’re basically going to stop firefighting operations and just do rescues until we can get everyone out of here.’” Instead of extinguishing the blaze, all responding firefighters were ordered to focus on rescuing residents.

That night the temperature plummeted to just five degrees and the firefighters had to work in dangerous ice conditions and had little or no relief for hours. The initial attack and rescue included 107 operational personnel and another 17 in management and support roles using 27 pieces of apparatus. Nine crews from CSFD rescued 85 occupants from the building using ladders; most were rescued from balconies or upper-story windows. Truck 8 alone made 20 rescues off of ladders.

Truck 8 and the other companies not only made these rescues, but searched aggressively in very dangerous conditions to clear as many apartments as possible as the fire advanced. Truck 8’s crew was nominated for the Ben Franklin Award for Valor as the leading representative of all of CFSD’s crews who worked so diligently and bravely that night. “Every person involved in the Castle West rescues and firefighting efforts served our fire department and community proudly. I wish they could all be recognized in Atlanta for what they accomplished in extreme conditions. This award represents the entire department’s efforts,” stated Chief Navarro.

About the International Association of Fire Chiefs
The International Association of Fire Chiefs is the professional association for senior fire and emergency service leaders around the world, with a membership of nearly 13,000 fire chiefs and associated officials. An international organization, the IAFC counts among its members representatives from more than 30 countries, including Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia and Ghana.

The mission of the IAFC is to provide leadership to career and volunteer chiefs, chief fire officers and managers of emergency service organizations throughout the international community through vision, information, education, services and representation to enhance their professionalism and capabilities.

For more information about the IAFC or the International Benjamin Franklin Fire Service Award for Valor, go to www.iafc.org.

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Media Contacts:
Jacqueline Garnier
IAFC
+1 703-537-4807
jgarnier@iafc.org

Steve Gorecki
Motorola, Inc.
+1 847-538-0368