Nine firefighters sacrificed their lives in Beirut — Why?

(Image from CNN – Link to article)

With property damage estimated at $10-15 Billion US and 215 deaths… Why and how was this possible? Why were 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate (the equivalent of 2.3 kilotons of TNT) not properly known or stored?

We raised the same topic earlier in 2020 in an article called the “Fog of War”, a term used by military commanders to describe battlefield uncertainty — regarding preparedness, or any tactical unknowns that could affect outcomes in the field. In the case of Beirut, 2.3 kilotons of TNT was sitting in the middle of a city surrounded by a population of over one million, unaware of the danger!

When the fire call came in, brave responders essentially walked into a “fog of war” until it was too late. Fire Commanders always want to limit the fog of war, and never enter a situation without proper context, knowledge or information — mitigating risk is human nature — especially during emergencies but this did not happen August 4th, 2020.

Why is pre-planning vital?

Fire department pre-planning has three primary goals: 

1. Information — what are we walking into and what’s inside the structure.
2. Human safety — how to protect firefighters and community members
3. Incident stabilization — how do we ensure property conservation and escalation

A pre-plan today is common sense — it’s the only piece of information that can ensure responder and community safety – by knowing what’s inside like layout, hazards etc.

So why are fire departments so limited, or using pen/paper or binders?

Yes, NFPA/ISO requires you to create a pre-plan, and inspection and smart mobile technology makes it possible.

Smart mobility, broadband networks, and cloud technology are force multipliers with the right software. A digital pre-plan can be created, saved, and become instantly available, even shared with other mutual-aid partners, in less than 20 minutes per building.