HR0024 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0024 LRB094 06388 HSS 36473 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, On Monday, December 6, 2004, the Chicago Fire Department dispatched more than one-third of its firefighting force to the LaSalle National Bank, a 45-story high-rise building located at 135 South LaSalle Street, to fight a fierce, large-scale fire which had broken out on the building's 29th floor; and

WHEREAS, The fire burned for five and a half hours, and despite the intensity of the blaze, no fatalities occurred; 39 people, including 24 firefighters, were hospitalized with injuries that were not life threatening; and

WHEREAS, Under the leadership of Fire Commissioner Cortez Trotter, the Chicago Fire Department's recently revised "High-Rise Incident Command Policy" places a premium on search and evacuation in high-rise fires; 50 to 75 firefighters are assigned to rapid ascent teams whose job in a high-rise fire is to locate and evacuate building occupants; these teams conducted three sweeps of the LaSalle National Bank building looking for trapped persons before firefighters expanded their firefighting efforts to include both of the building's stairwells and turned their attention exclusively to fighting the fire; and

WHEREAS, A critical feature of the Chicago Fire Department's newly-revised "High-Rise Incident Command Policy" is its emphasis on improved communications between building occupants, 911 dispatchers, and firefighters, and on better coordination between fire department personnel and building management; when put to the test, the Chicago Fire Department's innovative new plan for fighting high-rise fires averted what could have been a deadly disaster on December 6, 2004; and

WHEREAS, Several firefighters who responded to the call were treated for injuries, including Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner Thomas Donnellan, Battalion Chief James Carroll, Captain John Collins, Firefighter James Gorman, Captain James Clarke, Captain Arthur Lewis, Lieutenant Robert Walters, Lieutenant Ronald Michi, Firefighter Frank Perez, Firefighter Martinez Chapman, Firefighter Patrick McCauley, Firefighter Anthony Consola, Firefighter William Hopkins, Firefighter Anthony Tobar, Firefighter/EMT Michael McLaughlin, Firefighter Larry Paller, Firefighter Tim Bailey, Firefighter Mark Jadwin, Firefighter Steve Magana, Firefighter Gerald Barry, Firefighter William Vaci, Candidate Firefighter James Gorman, Candidate Firefighter Anthony Serritella, and Candidate Firefighter Victor Lecodet; and

WHEREAS, Fire Commissioner Cortez Trotter and the members of the Chicago Fire Department that worked to rescue the workers in the LaSalle National Bank building are to be commended for their efforts; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank Fire Commissioner Cortez Trotter and the many firefighters who responded to the call on December 6, 2004, for their efforts in saving lives and fighting the LaSalle National Bank building fire; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Chicago Fire Department as an expression of our respect and esteem.