Friday marks four years since Assistant Chief Jamie Middlebrook, of the New Carlisle Fire Department, died in the line of duty.
Around 8 p.m. August 5, 2014, a fire broke out at K-Fex, Inc, an excavation and septic company just west of the St. Joseph County line, in La Porte County.
Firefighters from multiple departments, including the New Carlisle Fire Department, battled the massive fire for several hours.
At least one explosion was heard and captured on video.
While fighting the fire, the roof of the building collapsed and killed Middlebrook. He had just turned 41-years-old.
Within two weeks, the State Fire Marshall stated a cause of the fire could not be determined. Foul play was not suspected, but there wasn’t enough evidence to list it accidental.
IOSHA found no violations related to Middlebrooks’ death.
IOSHA stated all training records were up to date and everyone involved was up on training. They also found appropriate procedures were followed while fighting the fire.
A memorial plaque in honor of Middlebrook was placed in New Carlisle’s Memorial Park in March 2015.=============================
Volunteer Assistant Chief Killed and One Fire Fighter Injured by Roof Collapse in a Commercial Storage Building—Indiana
Death in the Line of Duty…A summary of a NIOSH fire fighter fatality investigation
F2014-18 Date Released: July 18, 2018Executive Summary
On August 5, 2014, a 40-year-old male volunteer assistant fire chief died after being trapped under a roof collapse while fighting a fire in a commercial storage building. The county dispatch center transmitted Box 9101 for county Fire Station 91 at 2059 hours to a septic tank cleaning business for a confirmed commercial structure fire. The fire chief of Fire Station 91 (Chief 9101) communicated to the county dispatch center that the response was incorrect. A fire station from another county was first-due at this address.Note: The boundary for both fire stations runs through the center of this property. Chief 9101 also relayed to the county dispatch center that Fire Station 91 would continue their response. Chief 9101 was the first unit on the scene at 2105 hours in a vehicle designated as Battalion 9 and assumed command. The fire was in a pole barn-style building with metal siding and a roof with wood-truss supports and a pan ceiling (a metal ceiling that blocks the truss, creating a cockloft).
Heavy fire was showing through the roof on Side Bravo and Side Charlie of the structure when the first-due company arrived. After a brief conversation with the assistant fire chief (victim), the incident commander decided to open the doors on the north end (Side A) of the building to set an unmanned ground monitor to keep the contents of the building cool. Access was made through both a doorway and overhead door on the north side. Smoke conditions were light with good visibility. The assistant fire chief was assigned to the north side of the building.
A defensive fire attack was initiated. The assistant fire chief was one of three fire fighters who had entered Side A of the structure to stretch a 2½-inch hoseline to protect equipment and acetylene cylinders. The crew was operating approximately 50 feet inside the structure and then decided to change the 2½-inch nozzle to a portable ground monitor (deck gun). During the changeover, one fire fighter left the interior to go outside and charge the hoseline.
The fire was already in the overhead truss system above the assistant fire chief and the fire fighter, and the fire was likely concealed by the ceiling. As the third fire fighter got to the overhead door, a loud crash occurred. The truss system failed and the ceiling and roof assembly collapsed on the assistant fire chief and fire fighter. The assistant fire chief was killed by the collapsing truss system. The fire fighter, who suffered a broken leg, was able to crawl under some equipment before being rescued by a rapid intervention crew from Squad 18.
Contributing Factors
- Incident management
- Incident action plan and risk assessment
- Offensive action in a defensive fire (hidden fire above pan ceiling)
- Communications/Mutual aid
- Collapse/exclusion zones and situational awareness
- Lack of a safety officer
Key Recommendations
- Fire departments should ensure that a single, effective incident management system is established with a single, designated incident commander, especially when multiple fire departments respond together.
- Fire departments should ensure that an incident action plan is developed and a risk assessment is performed throughout the incident and the tactics match the conditions encountered.
- Fire departments should ensure offensive actions are not performed in a defensive strategy and enforce clear procedures for strategic mode changes.
- Fire departments should work together to develop mutual aid SOPs for fireground operations that include incident management, communications, and operations and train on those procedures.
- Incident commanders should ensure that collapse zones and exclusion zones are established, marked, and enforced on defensive fires and incidents where dangerous or hazardous conditions exist and that a RIC is assigned even on defensive fires.
- Fire departments should ensure that a safety officer is appointed at working structural fires.
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LaPorte County, Ind. --
Funeral and visitation arrangements have been announced for Middlebrook.
Visitation will be held from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. Sunday at Bethel College in Mishawaka. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, August 11, also at Bethel College. Burial will follow in New Carlisle Cemetery.
ORIGINAL STORY
The firefighter who died in a massive business fire in LaPorte County Tuesday night has been identified as 41-year-old Asst. Chief Jamie Middlebrook. Middlebrook was a volunteer firefighter with the New Carlisle Fire Department.
The blaze broke out around 9 p.m. local time near U.S. 20 and 800 East. Multiple agencies from several counties responded to the fire at K-Fex, a septic pumping business. The address is listed as New Carlisle but technically this is in LaPorte County.
Two large explosions occurred just before 10:30 pm.
One of the major issues crews faced was accessing a reliable water supply. There were no fire hydrants at the scene and water was being transported in large tankers, before the fire was finally brought under control Wednesday morning.
Crews were able to recover Middlebrook's body around 1:30 a.m.
Middlebrook's father, Bob, is also a firefighter and was at the scene Tuesday night. He has been with the department for about 40 years. He is also survived by his wife, Julie, and mom, Carol.
Middlebrook had been a volunteer member of the department for 22 years. He was also a career EMT with New Carlisle EMS.
"You never want this to happen," said LaPorte Co. Sheriff Mike Mollenhauer. "These guys put their lives on the line all the time just to help the community. This is volunteer departments. They don't get paid for it. They do it because it's in their blood and they want to help people."
Middlebrook's body will be taken to a Lafayette hospital for an autopsy on Wednesday. His fellow firefighters lowered the flag outside the department after his death in his honor and many passers by have been honking their horns in support.
The LaPorte County coroner told NewsCenter 16 Middlebrook died from blunt force trauma and suffered a broken neck; injuries consistent with having a roof collapse on top of him.
Many have also shown support on Facebook by changing their profile picture to a New Carlisle Fire Dept. emblem with a black and red line across it. We're not sure where it originated from, but you can see it by clicking on "view gallery".
A second firefighter, Matt O'Donnell, was rescued from the blaze and taken to a local hospital. He suffered a broken ankle, minor burns and smoke inhalation, but has been released from the hospital.
Middlebrook and O'Donnell were partners on the New Carlisle ambulance and went into the fire together.
You may remember Asst. Fire Chief Jamie Middlebrook from a past story we did on NewsCenter 16. He was one of many who organized an event for one of their own battling cancer in the department. Middlebrook could relate because he, too, had battled cancer.
Here is a link to that story from Barbara Harrington in May 2013.
Community members have begun leaving flowers outside the fire station by the flagpole in Middlebrook's honor; and a local church bought out all of the muffins from a nearby coffee shop to give to the firefighters who have been up all night and are exhausted both physically and emotionally.
Governor Mike Pence issued the following statement Wednesday morning:
“I was saddened to learn of the death of New Carlisle Assistant Fire Chief Jamie Middlebrook, who lost his life protecting the safety of Hoosiers. Today, Indiana mourns the loss of a true Hoosier hero. On behalf of the state, the First Lady and I extend our condolences to his family and friends and hold them in prayer during this difficult time.”
Details about Middlebrook's funeral and final honors should be released in the coming days. The Indiana FOP Critical Incident Memorial team is coming to assist with funeral arrangements.
Funeral and visitation arrangements have been announced for Middlebrook.
Visitation will be held from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. Sunday at Bethel College in Mishawaka. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, August 11, also at Bethel College. Burial will follow in New Carlisle Cemetery.
ORIGINAL STORY
The firefighter who died in a massive business fire in LaPorte County Tuesday night has been identified as 41-year-old Asst. Chief Jamie Middlebrook. Middlebrook was a volunteer firefighter with the New Carlisle Fire Department.
The blaze broke out around 9 p.m. local time near U.S. 20 and 800 East. Multiple agencies from several counties responded to the fire at K-Fex, a septic pumping business. The address is listed as New Carlisle but technically this is in LaPorte County.
Two large explosions occurred just before 10:30 pm.
One of the major issues crews faced was accessing a reliable water supply. There were no fire hydrants at the scene and water was being transported in large tankers, before the fire was finally brought under control Wednesday morning.
Crews were able to recover Middlebrook's body around 1:30 a.m.
Middlebrook's father, Bob, is also a firefighter and was at the scene Tuesday night. He has been with the department for about 40 years. He is also survived by his wife, Julie, and mom, Carol.
Middlebrook had been a volunteer member of the department for 22 years. He was also a career EMT with New Carlisle EMS.
"You never want this to happen," said LaPorte Co. Sheriff Mike Mollenhauer. "These guys put their lives on the line all the time just to help the community. This is volunteer departments. They don't get paid for it. They do it because it's in their blood and they want to help people."
Middlebrook's body will be taken to a Lafayette hospital for an autopsy on Wednesday. His fellow firefighters lowered the flag outside the department after his death in his honor and many passers by have been honking their horns in support.
The LaPorte County coroner told NewsCenter 16 Middlebrook died from blunt force trauma and suffered a broken neck; injuries consistent with having a roof collapse on top of him.
Many have also shown support on Facebook by changing their profile picture to a New Carlisle Fire Dept. emblem with a black and red line across it. We're not sure where it originated from, but you can see it by clicking on "view gallery".
A second firefighter, Matt O'Donnell, was rescued from the blaze and taken to a local hospital. He suffered a broken ankle, minor burns and smoke inhalation, but has been released from the hospital.
Middlebrook and O'Donnell were partners on the New Carlisle ambulance and went into the fire together.
You may remember Asst. Fire Chief Jamie Middlebrook from a past story we did on NewsCenter 16. He was one of many who organized an event for one of their own battling cancer in the department. Middlebrook could relate because he, too, had battled cancer.
Here is a link to that story from Barbara Harrington in May 2013.
Community members have begun leaving flowers outside the fire station by the flagpole in Middlebrook's honor; and a local church bought out all of the muffins from a nearby coffee shop to give to the firefighters who have been up all night and are exhausted both physically and emotionally.
“I was saddened to learn of the death of New Carlisle Assistant Fire Chief Jamie Middlebrook, who lost his life protecting the safety of Hoosiers. Today, Indiana mourns the loss of a true Hoosier hero. On behalf of the state, the First Lady and I extend our condolences to his family and friends and hold them in prayer during this difficult time.”
Details about Middlebrook's funeral and final honors should be released in the coming days. The Indiana FOP Critical Incident Memorial team is coming to assist with funeral arrangements.