BOISE, Idaho — Documents provided to KTVB through a public records request detail a series of challenges emergency responders faced while conducting a rescue mission for over a dozen people trapped in the rubble of a collapsed airport hangar.
On Wednesday, Jan. 31, three men were killed and eight were hospitalized when a Boise Airport hangar collapsed as construction workers were active on site.
KTVB obtained nine After Action Review documents in total; the documents provided a thorough outline recapping the fatal event, along with rescue challenges, strengths and action items for future solutions. Two different reports detailed the rescue of two injured workers trapped on elevated scissor lifts inside the collapse zone.
"There was no time or room to splint or provide much patient care. The patient was wearing a fall protection harness and was tied into the lift," firefighter Brent Matthews wrote. "Both [hangar victims] only spoke Spanish."
Matthews and a firefighter stationed at the airport who witnessed the collapse firsthand, Jeff Sawmiller, explained the process of lowering the injured workers from the scissor lift. A firefighter on scene was bilingual and bridged the communication gap.
"I told Hammett (the bilingual firefighter) to let [hangar victim] know that we were about to move him and that it would be uncomfortable," Matthews wrote. "After securing [hangar victim] we had the operator lower us down to the ground where [hangar victim] was handed off to crews that were waiting."
Communication at large was a recurring challenge in several reports. Boise Fire Department Liaison Officer Aaron Hummel wrote about issues he experienced with his radio shortly after arriving on scene. He questioned if the collapsed metal hangar contributed to the radio problems. Moreover, other communication avenues that did work were not organized to distribute information as efficiently as Hummel would have liked.
"My phone was absolutely blowing up with numerous phone calls and text messages which served as a gigantic distraction to be able to complete a single thought," Hummel wrote. "The challenges listed above had very little effect on the emergency response which resulted in heroic actions to save several victims of the collapse."
One Boise firefighter found the response unorganized. With Boise Fire Department, Boise Police Department and EMS services collaborating for the response effort, this firefighter stated he was unsure of individual responsibilities.
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"It really wasn't clear who we were supposed to fall under for the rescue effort. We just assisted where we could and maybe that's how these events go. It's all hands-on deck and you help where and when needed. There was no formal delegation of tasks or identifying groups and their responsibilities," he wrote in the report. "Once on scene, leadership should assign or task individuals. These individuals should fall under the appropriate supervisor or group."
All nine reports offered compliments to either leadership communication, the efforts of first responders, or the immediacy of Boise Fire Department's presence at the scene of the collapse.
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