MARCH 25, IN FDNY HISTORY

68jk09

68jk09

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CONTINUED REST IN PEACE ....LT BOB DOLNEY ENG*332 3-5-80.....FF AL RONALDSON R*3 3-5-91.
 
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March 5th is a sad day in FDNY history...... On 3-5-80 Lt. Robert Dolney ENG*332 was killed while attempting to push 2 probys to safety in the total collapse of a 3 story wood frame bldg clad with the old heavy cement stucco on Sutter Ave in East New York BKLYN......the 2 probys were severely injured but lived......I was driving R*2 & we operated at the Fire & had taken up & were a short distance away when the bldg collapsed & we responded back .....no Buses were on the scene & no ETA so we transported the LT .... I was driving the rig while LT John Vigiano RIP & the Members performed CPR & 1st Aid on the LT in the back.....I first went to Brookdale but they diverted us to Kings County sadly he did not survive.........Eleven yrs later on 3-5-91 FF Al Ronaldson RES*3 was killed in a partial collapse while searching in a 2 story taxpayer in the BX.......the Fire was on Fordham Road .... the Fire started in an eyeglass store (like eye world or something)....Al was on the 2nd fl which spanned several of the ground floor stores....the cement slab that collapsed was over the small eyeglass store he & the slab fell into the store landing behind the counter.... at that time ENG*42 was in the store (it could have been worse if one of them was hit w/the large thick slab)....i was the LT in SQ*41 & we were outside the adjoining store when LT Roy L. ENG*42 (my grammar school & Proby School associate) gave the Mayday we were the first into the store & carried Al to the front of the store & EMS was right at the sidewalk & started to work on him immediately...sadly he did not survive.....it was later said that in much earlier days when other occupancies were there that there had been a stair or ramp in the opening & when it was removed the slab was poured in place...after the Fire there was heavy damage to whatever had been supporting the unseen slab...(similar to the Clancy Fire)....construction sometime barely works but remove some existing component by Fire (wood in both cases) then there can be a problem. .....REST IN PEACE TO BOTH ......NEVER FORGET !................Both LT Dolney & FF Ronaldson later had Sons in the FDNY carrying on in their footsteps.
 
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Al Ronaldson, R-3, LODD 3/5/91, RIP (left) & Bob Athanas, E-42, (presently a senior member in R-3) (right):

firephoto399.jpg
 
R.I.P. Lt. Dolney and FF. Ronaldson.

R3 documentary uploaded by R1SmokeEater:


Skip ahead to 16:35 for brief footage of Al Ronaldson and of his funeral. Documentary also features several R3 members killed on 9/11, including FF Chris Blackwell who speaks about Al.
 
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The death of FF A Ronaldson. When a firefighter is killed in the line of duty the federal government (OSHA) investigates the cause. The FDNY was cited by the feds OSHA that the FDNY's procedures led to his death. The fire building was a two story taxpayer with first floor stores and a large open ballroom occupancy on the second floor. Ronaldson was searching the second floor alone when a partial (10'X10' approx.) floor collapsed over the first floor store of origin. Ronaldsons body was found in the debris, it was not known at the time if he went down with the collapse or fell into the hole.

As Manhattan/Bronx Commander I had been called to the scene and took part with the Safety Battalion (standard procedure) as to Ronaldsons death. Puggy Wash a Lt. in the Field Com Unit responded to the fire on the transmission of the second alarm. As Puggy got out of the FC cab he heard a large crash in the fire building with HT chatter about a floor collapse. As he did his size-up of the fire building (walk around) he heard his name called. He looked up and saw Ronaldson at a second floor window, they were friends, waving hello. A few minutes after the size-up Puggy heard a HT call that a "firefighter was down." Ronaldson had fallen into the hole.

Several months later a meeting with the Federal OSHA rep. was called to answer their citation. At the meeting the COD and Chief of Ops was present along with the Safety Battalion Chiefs and myself. OSHA was represented by a middle aged lady accompanied by a mid-West chief from a small department. She found the FDNY in violation of standard safety procedures. A few minutes after the collapse Ronaldsons Lt. tried to contact him twice on the HT with no success. As he was about to go and look for him the "firefighter down" call was transmitted. The OSHA lady said the after failing to contact Ronaldson the very first time a mayday should have been transmitted with all FD members removed from the building for a roll-call. We argued that jhis would be a far more dangerous procedure that this would lead to firefighting extinguishment delayed with fire advancement.

In the few years before that day the FDNY had a procedure where a chief at a fire could call an engine to the scene if he felt it necessary for ff search/rescue, we called it the FAT engine. Was rarely used, I myself had never called for one. To satisfy this fed violation now the FDNY agreed to mandate that on the transmission of every all-hands or higher a truck company would be automatically called to the fire, the FAST truck concept was born.

The FAST truck is now common procedure probably in every fire department in the country. FF Al Ronaldson has saved the life of countless firefighters, and will continue to do so every tour, every day. May he Rest in Peace.

 
Chief, as a buff I remember it exactly as you tell it.

As I see it there was nothing that the FDNY could do to change things. Things happen very quickly with no chance of changing things. It is always so much easier to later sit back and Monday Morning Quarterback these events. Experts seem to come out of the woodwork to tell everybody where they went wrong.

If I remember correctly it was later decided that a Ladder Company would be assigned to all hands fires after that. Of course it was the FDNY that decided on that. As would have it, then the experts all came out to tell the Firefighting World how they came up with this new idea.

Chief, I feel that there was nothing that any firefighter could possibly have done to prevent the death of Firefighter Al Ronaldson. If there was, I'm sure they would have done it. We are talking the most experienced fire department in the world. He was doing his job not knowing if there were people trapped in that building. Things changed in seconds. There was absolutely no control over that.

  I spent my years as a firefighter in a small city. The people I learned the most from was the FDNY. "OSHA didn't teach me". "The FDNY did". And I hope I was able to teach others because of it.
 
You are right Bill. We explained to this rep. that it was common for HT transmissions to go unanswered at times due to saws operating in the area, radio off, battery dead etc. If we were to withdraw all members every time a HT went unanswered with all members finally out of the building and roll-calls taken the time factor would/could only lead to building damage/loss, with more ff injuries with the advanced fire. I was against the FAST truck concept feeling that it would only pull another truck company out of its response area. But she was right, the FAST truck has saved a lot of lives.
 
Was the Ronaldson job the Darlenes dept store on Morris ave?? I remember there was a plaque, wonder if its still around.
 
RIP to both men. Also, chief thank you for sharing another great story. Very interesting to learn where such an important part of the job today came from.
 
anesti said:
Was the Ronaldson job the Darlenes dept store on Morris ave?? I remember there was a plaque, wonder if its still around.
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The Fire was on Fordham Road .... the Fire started in an eyeglass store (like eye world or something).
 
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anesti said:
Was the Ronaldson job the Darlenes dept store on Morris ave?? I remember there was a plaque, wonder if its still around.
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Stores were on the South East corner of Fordham Rd and Creston Ave. I think ( not sure) the plaque was on the Creston Ave side
 
The late Andy Fredriksson Squad 1 once said that included in the F.A.ST. team should be a "R.I.C.E." =Rapid Intervention Company Engine. Being a student of F.A.S.T./R.I.T. I looked up what other fire departments in terms of units assigned as part of the Rapid Intervention Firefighter Rescue Team/s. Many large city departments have an Engine Co. and a Chief that have the only assignment of assisting the F.A.S.T. truck in firefighter/s locating and removal in Mayday! situations, assigned on working fire and multiple alarms. A concept from Prince George County Maryland, indicates on their Mayday! Check off sheet is the term "Provide a Defensible Space." for the firefighter/s trapped. A times the only way initially to protect a member/s trapped in to use a hoseline to protect them. this is why a R.I.C.E. Engine should be part of the F.A.S.T./R.I.T. team.
Captain Bob Rainey FDNY Engine 26 retired
 
Captain784 said:
The late Andy Fredriksson Squad 1 once said that included in the F.A.ST. team should be a "R.I.C.E." =Rapid Intervention Company Engine. Being a student of F.A.S.T./R.I.T. I looked up what other fire departments in terms of units assigned as part of the Rapid Intervention Firefighter Rescue Team/s. Many large city departments have an Engine Co. and a Chief that have the only assignment of assisting the F.A.S.T. truck in firefighter/s locating and removal in Mayday! situations, assigned on working fire and multiple alarms. A concept from Prince George County Maryland, indicates on their Mayday! Check off sheet is the term "Provide a Defensible Space." for the firefighter/s trapped. A times the only way initially to protect a member/s trapped in to use a hoseline to protect them. this is why a R.I.C.E. Engine should be part of the F.A.S.T./R.I.T. team.
Captain Bob Rainey FDNY Engine 26 retired
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Boston assigns an engine, a truck and a chief as a RIT team.
 
Thanks Mack Administrator. Another item worth revising is a Dedicated Ambulance assigned as part of the FASY/RIT team. Chicago, I know does this and I think also Boston. Below is an old photo of the FDNY Ambulance that was only for firemen. All too often when allot of civilians are injured at afire or incident and then firefighter/s get injured there is a wait for an ambulance for the members. The answer is to get more ambulances to the incident sooner. Captain Bob Rainey FDNY EngineFDNY Ambulance 1 Bus.jpg 26 retired
 
Captain784 said:
Thanks Mack Administrator. Another item worth revising is a Dedicated Ambulance assigned as part of the FASY/RIT team. Chicago, I know does this and I think also Boston. Below is an old photo of the FDNY Ambulance that was only for firemen. All too often when allot of civilians are injured at afire or incident and then firefighter/s get injured there is a wait for an ambulance for the members. The answer is to get more ambulances to the incident sooner. Captain Bob Rainey FDNY EngineView attachment 32892 26 retired
Click to expand...
Recently at larger fires EMS has been assigning a FAST bus for this express purpose.
 
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