Four Dekalb firefighters fired after failing to investigate deadly fire

2010-02-02 05:19:56 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Justice News Flash, Wrongful Death)

Four firefighter fired after deadly house fire.

Legal news for Georgia wrongful death attorneys. Firefighters did not investigate a house fire because they did not see any signs from the outside.

Wrongful death lawyers alerts- Four Dekalb County firefighters were fired after an oxygen tank caught a home on fire and didn’t investigate.

Dunwoody, GA—Four Dekalb County firefighters were fired on Friday, January 29, 2010, after a deadly house fire last week. A woman who uses an oxygen tank called 911 to report she accident set her house on fire, but when firefighters arrived they saw no signs of a fire and left without even getting out of the fire truck to conduct an inspection, as reported by CBS Atlanta.

Ann Bartlett, 74, dialed 911 around 1:00 a.m., because he said she accidentally set her house on fire with the “thing for my nose” that is connected to her oxygen concentrator, according to Dekalb County records. Bartlett reportedly gave the emergency dispatcher her address and then the phone line went dead. Seven emergency vehicles were sent to the home, but when the first three fire trucks arrived at the scene they didn’t see any signs of a fire and left. After an internal investigation, it was revealed that against department protocol, “None of the firefighter established command of the incident, and not a single firefighter as much as walked up the driveway to investigate.” Two firefighters did get out of the truck, but only to help the truck back up and leave. Five hours later, the neighbors noticed the flames coming from the home. Bartlett was found dead in the garage of her charred home five hours after the firefighters left. Fire Apparatus Officer William Greene, Capt. Tony Motes, Battalion Chief Lesley Clark and Battalion Chief Bennie Paige were all fired as a result. Capt. Sell Cardwell is on paid administrative leave at this time, pending a decision on his status. The family of Ann Bartlett are considering filing a civil lawsuit.

Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for Georgia wrongful death lawyers.