Time for a local history lesson. It often seems that there must be a tragedy to be a catalyst for change. This was one of those tragedies. On December 14, 1989 a fire in the Shenandoah Homes “Retirement Facility” on Hawthorn Rd. in Roanoke County, VA killed 4 residents. There were many “Key Issues” that a FEMA report lists as related to the fire. Many are related to the structure, access, inspections and the 18 minutes from the time of dispatch to the arrival of the first fire apparatus. This fire received local and national media attention. This fire generated quite a bit of discussion and changes in fire codes and enforcement, response from mutual aid departments and staffing.

Dec 14, 2015

Career fire fighter dies after falling down unsecured elevator shaft while searching for the seat of a smoldering fire – Illinois.

Dec 14, 2001

Fire fighter suffers sudden cardiac death and crashes tanker while responding to a chimney fire – Colorado.