Samatters Radio

  On January 06, 2018, Lt. Matthew LeTourneau, a 42-year-old male and 11-year veteran of the Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD), died after becoming trapped from an interior structural collapse while engaged in interior firefighting operations.  Two additional firefighters were injured during the collapse and one civilian occupant of the dwelling, who was removed during initial operations, also died.  An After-Action Review (AAR) was conducted by the PFDs Health and Safety Office, at the direction of Fire Commissioner Adam K. Thiel, to provide insight into the event and PFD operations from the time of dispatch to the time the fire was placed under control, a time span of approximately 1 hour and 57 minutes. A fire box assignment was dispatched at 08:51:43 for a reported dwelling fire on the 2200 block of N. Colorado Street.  Responding units were forced to overcome significant impediments including: a snow and ice-covered street, temperatures of approximately 9°F with a wind chill of -10°F (NOAA, 2018) and li