Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
Virsia Banister, an 88-year-old woman, was seriously burned and later died after fire ravaged an Englewood home late Saturday night in the 7100 block of South Lowe Avenue
Firefighters first got a call about the fire about 9:30 p.m. More than 20 engine companies and 60 fire personnel responded to the 2.5-story brick home. Banister was found in a bedroom with second- and third-degree burns to her torso, legs and airway. She was taken to St. Bernard Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 10:12 p.m.
The firefighters on the scene kept working to extinguish the blaze, getting it under control at 10:04 p.m.
Sunday morning, firefighters and volunteers were canvassing the immediate area, notifying neighbors of the fatal fire and passing out smoke detectors, as is customary, fire officials said. They hoped to cover at least two square blocks.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. After an autopsy, the medical examiner’s office listed Banister’s death as accidental with both inhalation of combustibles during the house fire and heart disease as factors.
#1 by Mike Mc on May 8, 2017 - 1:23 PM
It’s a shame that the journalism schools spend no time on firefighting lingo, basic procedures and organization, or how to listen to a scanner. Many a scoop is available to an intrepid reporter that knows what is going on. The late Larry Schreiner made a career out of it.
A classic example is the 69 W. Washington fire from (2003?) when all the local t.v. stations signed off at 1858 even though they just asked for a Plan 2 in the stairwell! Seriously, just how much effort would it have taken to listen to main, know what a Plan 2 was, and signal your people to keep the cameras rolling?
Monitoring the EMS frequencies can sometimes tell you a lot about police hostage and barricade situations. Conversely, CPD will tell you a lot about the conditions of accident and shooting victims.
All of this info is available immediately to the media who stand around waiting for a briefing from media affairs. At the very least, they could report it as an unconfirmed source until the official press release is given.
#2 by Bmurphy on May 8, 2017 - 8:58 AM
Inaccurate information plus lack of verification plus lack of knowledge of subject matter plus lack of adequate editorial overisight equals inaccurate story.
Journalism 101
#3 by Daniel Hynd on May 8, 2017 - 7:41 AM
I think that by “20 Engine companies” they mean engines,trucks, squad, etc. They might just be classifying all the apparatus as engine companies. Not everybody knows the difference between an engine and a truck or a squad etc. Though the math still doesn’t add up.
#4 by Bill Post on May 8, 2017 - 3:00 AM
Not only doesn’t the math work out but 20 engine companies would equal a 5-11 alarm fire that wouldn’t even include the required truck companies, tower ladders, the squad, chiefs, ambulances, and other special units. Talk about poor editing.
I understand that it was only a still alarm. Earlier in the day there was a Still and Box Alarm for multiple dwellings at 6450 S Evans so that could have been the fire that they were talking about but even that would not call for 20 engines on the scene.
#5 by FFPMTom on May 7, 2017 - 11:38 PM
That math doesn’t work out, 20 engine companies and 60 personnel. 20 engine companies would be 100 personnel.