Success can be built in a multitude of different ways, and the meaning of success varies depending on the individual. One universal commonality in the fire service about being successful is developing solid relationships. As a company officer, your primary goal is to ensure each person is safe and goes home in the morning. With that comes embracing that responsibility and building trust with the firefighters; both are the building blocks for a solid relationship foundation. But one area that often gets overlooked by company officers is their relationships with other officers.  

If you’re assigned to a larger station with multiple fire apparatus, chances are you aren’t the sole company officer on that shift. Even some smaller stations may have numerous officers working the same day. You may have two lieutenants, or a captain and a lieutenant, or maybe a captain and the battalion chief. Whatever your arraignment is, how solid are those relationships? It’s easy to get caught up in trying to take care of your own people and forget the fact that you may be missing out on an opportunity to develop a relationship that can change the functionality and dynamics of the station.

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You also have company officers that are on opposite shifts as you. Do you work for a fire department where A-shift does something completely different from B-shift? Most likely you do, and your shift is always the best shift, right? C-shift, though, they’re the worst. So how do we bridge the gap and get everyone on the same page?

Communication

It’s always a crapshoot on your station assignment, and the same goes for who is at your station. In some cases, you’ll make long-lasting relationships with your coworkers, and in other cases, you’ll wish you didn’t see some of those people again. Whatever the case, while you’re a company officer, there needs to be, at a minimum, a respectful working relationship. First and foremost, to foster that dynamic with another officer, there needs to be a dialogue between you both. That starts with the simple act of talking to each other. It may seem unusual to even point out the obvious, but there are some circumstances where that does not happen.

If you have multiple officers on the same shift, are you talking to each other? Not just the typical formalities, but discussing the plan of the day, firefighter training, personnel issues, etc. An equally important area is getting to know who they are. Do you know their significant others’ name, if they have kids, what they like to do, and so on? Fostering a strong relationship starts with building a solid rapport, and that can’t happen if you aren’t speaking to one another. Granted, you may not become friends and socialize outside of work, but it’s still important to learn about one another.

Another area where communication is key between shifts is an accurate pass down from the prior shift. Let the oncoming officer know what calls you had and their significance, any issue with the apparatus, any training you may have conducted, and any other information you find pertinent. This typically only takes a few minutes at most, but it provides valuable information that can help alleviate issues that may arise for that officer. Not only will the oncoming officer appreciate the information, but you’re setting them up for a successful tour of duty. 

Share A Vision

Once a clear line of communication has been set up and established, it’s time to start talking about what vision each of you has for the shift and the station. Do you want to have a station that trains every day and is super gung-ho? Maybe you do, but the other officer is more relaxed. In some circumstances, both of you will be on opposite ends of the spectrum on how you think the station should look. That’s okay, but it’s paramount that you find a commonplace and meet somewhere in the middle. Having both officers not finding common ground and staying on opposite spectrums will cause confusion, low morale, and segregation within the fire station. We’ve all seen how that plays out. It’s not a positive environment and ultimately causes more issues and stagnation.  

Sharing a vision across shifts is a little bit more challenging to establish than inside shifts. The outcome needs to be the same, though. Having different shifts with different visions also bestows some of the same negative aspects. Don’t get me wrong—having all shifts share the same exact vision is most likely not going to happen. But it can. If the vision is to have the best station in the district, that’s something everyone can get on board with. The way each shift strives to attain that vision will ultimately vary and will be up to each company officer.

Set Expectations

Any good company officer has sat down with their crew and provided clear expectations for each individual firefighter. Without those expectations, you truly are doing a disservice to your people and leaving them in the dark about what you want from them. So why not have expectations for the other officer? You absolutely should.  Setting up clear expectations between officers is an excellent way for each individual to communicate what they want from the other person. One reasonable expectation you should have of each other is to handle disagreements in private. Nobody wants to see two officers disagreeing and getting into an argument in public. It also undermines their roles in the fire department, and people can use that against them. There are plenty of other reasonable expectations to have of each other, and this will all depend on the individual and their preferences., but try and limit them. Developing between three and five expectations seems to be the sweet spot. 

Set the Ground Rules

We’ve established that to have an effective shift, both officers need to be able to work well with each other. Another effective way to make the collaboration more efficient between each person is to set up some basic ground rules. Having a set of ground rules helps clear up any ambiguity between each officer and makes navigating certain situations more palatable. Some basic ground rules between officers shouldn’t be extended too far but should focus on a few simple rules both officers agree upon. One important rule to consider when developing a basic list should include disciplining your own personnel if you aren’t on shift. There will be certain situations where discipline is nonnegotiable with zero officer discretion, but there are circumstances where officers will handle their own personnel differently.

An example may be if a firefighter shows up late to work. One officer may always write those individuals up no matter the situation, whereas the other officer will give some leeway, especially if it’s a rare occurrence. If you are the more lenient officer, you’ll want to handle your personnel and not have the other officer handle that situation. The same goes for the other officer, who is black and white on the rules. Figuring out these situations before they happen may minimize the potential for disagreements and confusion down the road.

Know Each Other’s Strengths and Weaknesses

The last important aspect of setting up a successful shift with other company officers is knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Having firsthand knowledge of each other’s attributes will ensure the right person takes charge of the right situation. This translates to the fireground and also translates to the firehouse. If one company officer is great at technical rescue and the other isn’t, wouldn’t it be wise to have them oversee that operation? Of course, it would. The same applies at the fire station. Suppose one company officer can breeze through developing an Excel spreadsheet and the other can’t even spell Excel. In that case, you’re going to want the officer proficient in developing spreadsheets to take the lead. Learning about each other’s strengths and weakness takes time, and there might be certain situations where both of you overlap in attributes. That’s not a bad thing. As company officers, if both of you are weak on something; you now have an opportunity to find someone who may be an expert that can assist or take the lead. Being a good company officer is not pretending to know it all, it’s knowing the right people for the right situation.

DANIEL VECCHIOLLA is a Virginia-certified fire investigator and a captain for Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Fire. He began his fire service career with the Chesapeake (VA) Fire Department, serving for four years. He transitioned into the Department of Defense system five years ago and is stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in public administration from Old Dominion University. He received his Fire Officer designation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence, for which he serves as a peer reviewer.

The two discovered and pulled the man from his burning apartment in the 1000 block of North Capitol Street Northeast on Sunday.

Johnson said that he felt down for what could be a person. He then heard a victim call out while Cook was extinguishing the fire. Johnson said that he jumped down, and both he and Cook pulled the victim out.

The man was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. Officials have yet to release an update on his condition.

Crews brought the fire under control just before 1 a.m. No other injuries were reported.

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The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)

(TNS)

Feb. 11—The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Friday that it will offer a cash reward for any information on a devastating fire in Rocky Mount that destroyed a QVC distribution plant and led to nearly 2,000 jobs being lost.

The massive fire destroyed the 1.4 million-square-foot distribution QVC center in Rocky Mount, a community roughly 60 miles northeast of Raleigh, and killed a 21-year-old man, The News & Observer previously reported.

In the aftermath of the Dec. 18 fire, QVC said it would close the site, leading to 1,900 workers being laid off.

ATF said it would set a reward of up to $10,000 for any information on the fire. QVC plans to match the reward, meaning tips on the fire’s cause could lead to as much as $20,000.

In its release, ATF said if it receives information that points to criminal activity, the tipster could be rewarded if an arrest and conviction ensue.

Corey Ray, a spokesman for ATF, said the reward did not mean his agency had determined the QVC fire was intentionally set.

“The reason we put that (reward) out is that we haven’t drawn a conclusion,” Ray said in a phone interview. “No determination has been made. We have done a lot of work through our response team and investigation, but we are still looking for any additional information.”

“With a reward of this size,” he added, “we and all of our partners hope it will bring back new information and new tips.”

Mike Causey, the state fire marshal and insurance commissioner, said in a statement that he agreed with ATF’s decision to offer a reward for information on the fire.

“I ask anyone who knows anything about this fire to please come forward,” Causey said.

The QVC fire is being investigated by ATF, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations, the N.C. Office of State Fire Marshal and the Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office.

ATF said tips will remain anonymous and can be sent to ATFTips@atf.gov, or through ATF’s website at atf.gov/contact/atf-tips.

This story was originally published February 11, 2022 1:29 PM.

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(c)2022 The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)

Visit The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) at www.newsobserver.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

New York Daily News

(MCT)

Nearly 1,500 city workers lost their jobs Friday after failing to comply with a mandate that they are vaccinated for COVID — a bloodletting that included dismissals from the ranks of the NYPD, FDNY and the Department of Education.

While staggering in their sheer number, the firings were a long time in the making.

Mayor Adams’ predecessor, former Mayor Bill de Blasio, announced the vaccine mandate for city workers in October. Adams kept it in place when he took office, and by Friday, the city had hit a key milestone: for nearly 3,500 city workers, it was either time to show proof of inoculation or be sent packing.

Adams appeared to downplay the firings on Monday when the city announced the numbers, and instead of addressing them at a press conference or in a Q-and-A, he issued a written statement through a spokesperson.

“City workers served on the frontlines during the pandemic, and by getting vaccinated, they are, once again, showing how they are willing to do the right thing to protect themselves and all New Yorkers. Our goal was always to vaccinate, not terminate, and city workers stepped up and met the goal placed before them,” he said. “Out of all the new city employees who received notices two weeks ago, only two who worked last week are no longer employed by the city. I’m grateful to all the city workers who continue to serve New Yorkers and ‘Get Stuff Done’ for the greatest city in the world.”

It was not immediately clear who the two workers were that Adams referred to, or which agencies they worked for, but a spokesperson for the mayor said Monday that a total of 1,430 unvaccinated municipal employees were fired on Friday due to their refusal to comply with the mandate. Of those, 914 worked for the Education Department, 101 worked for the New York City Housing Authority and 75 worked for the Department of Correction.

The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) released a statement Monday evening disagreeing with the city’s legal authority to terminate employees based on the COVID vaccine mandate.

“The union is part of a lawsuit that would ensure that these cases go through the due process disciplinary procedures established in state law and the union contract. A hearing on this matter is scheduled for March 1, 2020, in New York State Supreme Court.”

The total number — 1,430 workers fired in a single day — is unprecedented in modern New York City history. Still, it is relatively small when bearing in mind that the city employs a workforce of more than 370,000.

The NYPD, FDNY and Sanitation Department also saw their share of employees head out the door over failing to follow the mandate, but far fewer left their ranks than from the other agencies. Thirty-six people employed by the NYPD were dismissed, 25 were forced out of the fire department and 40 were fired from the Department of Sanitation.

The departing employees fall into two categories.

The first group consists of people who were hired on or after Aug. 2, 2021. As a condition of being hired, they were required to be fully vaccinated within 45 days, but two weeks ago they were given notice that they had until last Friday to supply the city with proof of receiving a second vaccine dose.

About 1,000 city employees fell into that category, and of those, only two — apparently the ones Adams was referring to in his statement — were fired.

But far more people from the second group did receive termination notices.

That group of about 2,400 consisted of workers whose unions made a deal with the city to allow unvaccinated employees to receive health care benefits while simultaneously being on unpaid leave.

Since November, the people in that category who have remained unvaccinated have not been working or getting paid. And on Friday, 1,428 of them ran out of options when they failed to provide the city with proof of vaccination, which led to their being officially terminated.

The rest — about 40% of the 2,400 workers — have since been vaccinated and have returned to work.

Last week, Adams offered little sympathy to those who were on the firing line — though he begged to differ when it came to the term “firing.”

“We’re not firing them. People are quitting,” he said at a news conference last Thursday. “The responsibility is clear. We said it: if you’re hired, if you get this job, you have to be vaccinated. If you are not following the rules, you are making that decision.”

His and the city’s stance were backed up last week with two court rulings. In one, a Brooklyn federal judge rejected a push from anti-vaccine city workers to temporarily block the city from letting them go. In that decision, Judge Diane Gujarati declared that the anti-vaxxers had not “met their burden of demonstrating their entitlement to the extraordinary remedy of a temporary restraining order.”

In the other decision, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor turned down a request by 14 Department of Education employees who were terminated after the city denied their requests for religious exemptions to vaccination requirements.

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©2022 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

(MCT)

A man’s arm and part of his leg were amputated after an explosion at a scrap yard in Lauderhill, authorities said.

The explosion was about 10:30 a.m. Monday at 1701 NW 31st Ave.

The man was unloading a large medical oxygen tank from the back of a truck when the tank exploded, WPLG-Ch. 10 reported. He was flown to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale in serious condition, said Jeffrey Levy, assistant fire chief for Lauderhill Fire Rescue.

“On our arrival, one of the Lauderhill shift supervisors arrived and was able to apply two tourniquets to the individual that was injured,” Levy told WSVN-Ch. 7. “He had severe injuries, complete amputation of his arm and partial amputation of his leg. The quick life-saving measures of that EMS supervisor was able to probably stop the bleeding.”

Marlo Clarke told Ch. 10 that he and his friend were unloading a truck at Resource Scrap Metal when his friend knocked an oxygen tank over and it exploded.

Clarke said his friend kept saying ” ‘I’m about to die.’ That’s all he kept saying. ‘I’m about to die.’ “

Northwest 17th Court and Northwest 31st Avenue were closed to allow a rescue helicopter to land, but they have since reopened, Levy said.

Calls to a scrap metal recycling facility at the address of the explosion were not answered Monday afternoon.

The explosion is under investigation by the Lauderhill Fire Department, Police Department, the Florida Division of Fire Marshal and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

©2022 South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Visit sun-sentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Hackensack, NJ, 15 February, 2022 – Pegasus Aviación, based in Spain and operating across the country, Portugal, Italy, Chile and Uruguay, has turned to LiveU to help its firefighting services, using the company’s mission-critical IP bonding solutions to provide live streamed images and internet coverage from difficult environments where connectivity is scarce.

Pegasus Aviación is the parent company of Pegasus Aero Group, a 100% Spanish-owned aeronautical group with over 50 years of experience in the aeronautical field, providing a wide range of services to public and private clients. Currently, a key objective within the company’s strategic plan is the technological modernisation of the fleet, as José Antonio Rodríguez – Head of Projects, Planning and Support at Pegasus states, “Our expertise is founded on the provision of training, maintenance and operation of aircraft in emergency environments – mainly forest fires – and the rescue of people on land and at sea. Today, we face the challenge of optimising these operations through the use of on-board technology, for which we were looking for options that could provide us with greater connectivity in environments with poor coverage. That’s where our journey with LiveU began.”

LiveU’s technology, widely used in the broadcast and video streaming sector for all types of live image capture and transmission, is based on IP bonding, a technology that LiveU pioneered and is a market leader in the industry. This underlying technology facilitates the bonding of bandwidth from multiple cellular networks, the main examples being mobile and WiFi, to create real-time broadband connectivity. This means that connectivity can be achieved in remote locations, and on the move, where other technologies would normally fail, enabling not only high-quality live video streaming but also internet connectivity for other data services. Individual field units, containing the multiple modems required, can be carried in a backpack or installed in an aircraft, subject to the approved specifications of the relevant aeronautical authorities.

Pegasus Aviation is currently using a large number of LiveU’s LU300 compact field units in its helicopters to enhance its imaging services in Chile and Spain. These can be controlled by Pegasus Aviación through LiveU’s cloud-based management system, LiveU Central. It also uses LiveU’s DataBridge technology to access high-speed internet while the aircraft are in flight.

José Antonio Rodríguez added, “This technology greatly enhances the information we can obtain from our operations, allowing us to capture live video images from places where it was previously unfeasible. These real-time images play an important role for our customers, allowing emergency managers to make decisions with fresh information from the field. LiveU is an important technological step forward for us and we are looking to expand its use in the other countries we serve through our fleet of over 130 aircraft.”

Jean-Christophe Albou, Sales Director, France and Southern Europe, LiveU, said: “We have always known that our technology has great potential beyond its use in broadcast and streaming verticals and we’re now seeing its use grow in emergency services and first responder sectors. This is a prime example and we’re very proud to see it helping in such a vital industry.”

***

About LiveU  

LiveU is shaping the future of live video, powering video production workflows and cloud services for news, sports, and other verticals. Building on our global market leadership and innovation, LiveU offers the highest quality, reliable and cost-effective end-to-end solutions for all types of live productions – producing more for less. Our broad portfolio ranges from our portable production-level field units and smartphone apps to satellite/cellular hybrid solutions and our next-gen cloud-based IP management and distribution platform. With over 4,500 customers in 150 countries, LiveU’s technology is the solution of choice for global broadcasters, sports and other organizations (including government, education, public safety, enterprise, and production houses), streaming live video to TV, mobile, online, and social media. LiveU is a recipient of Frost & Sullivan’s 2021 North America New Product Innovation Award for its LU800 unit and a winner of the 71st Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy® Awards in recognition of its innovation and achievement in Video over Cellular Internet Protocol (VoCIP) technology. For more information, visit www.liveu.tv, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn or Instagram.

“Sustainability is a core value of our company, and we are and have always been on a quest for continuous improvement,” shares Halsey Cook, president and CEO for Milliken & Company. “As part of our sustainability journey, we are committed to finding innovative and meaningful solutions to reduce our environmental impact. While we do not always begin our journey with perfect information, we strive to make adjustments as new information comes to light.”

Milliken’s Textile Business plans to eliminate all PFAS-containing materials from its portfolio by December 31, 2022.

“As a values-driven company, we’re always evaluating the needs and demands of the markets we serve. Our promise to our customers is to engineer the highest-quality protective and performance textiles, and our purpose is to positively impact the world for generations,” said Chad McAllister, executive vice president, Milliken & Company, and president, Milliken’s Textile Business.

About Milliken & Company

Milliken & Company is a global manufacturing leader whose focus on materials science delivers tomorrow’s breakthroughs today. From industry-leading molecules to sustainable innovations, Milliken creates products that enhance people’s lives and deliver solutions for its customers and communities. Drawing on thousands of patents and a portfolio with applications across the textile, flooring, specialty chemical and healthcare businesses, the company harnesses a shared sense of integrity and excellence to positively impact the world for generations. Discover more about Milliken’s curious minds and inspired solutions at milliken.com.

Dayton Daily News, Ohio

(MCT)

Feb. 13—Finding enough good employees is currently difficult everywhere, including the fire service, as the pool of part-time firefighter/EMTs is getting shallower for small departments.

Lebanon is no exception and Fire Chief Steve Johnson said the situation is getting “critical” for the city as larger fire departments are hiring. The city is now looking at transitioning part-time firefighters into full-time roles and is seeking federal funds to accomplish that.

“We’re definitely struggling,” Johnson said. “We’re going against an unprecedented hiring by the larger departments … We’re turning rocks to get people inside the door.”

Johnson and Lebanon City Manager Scott Brunka recommended the city apply for a federal SAFER grant to hire more firefighters.

If the grant is approved, the federal government would provide 100% of the costs to convert six part-time positions to full-time and allow the department to have a ratio of nine full-time career firefighters and three part-time firefighters, Brunka said. He said that each of the converted positions will represent an incremental cost increase of about $30,000.

Johnson believes a lot of candidates who would have gone through the training pipeline did not because training facilities were shut down due to COVID-19.

Those who served as part-time firefighters are being snapped up by larger fire departments in places such as Middletown, and Washington and Clearcreek townships. And the larger metro fire departments in Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus are hiring full-timers away from smaller departments, he said.

“At any given time, there are five to seven fire departments looking for full-time firefighters,” Johnson said. “It’s almost impossible to find them. If you do, they are 18 or 19 years old and fresh out of the academy.”

Clearcreek Twp. Fire Chief Steve Agenbroad, who also serves as president of the Warren County Fire Chiefs’ Association, said, “It’s a problem throughout southwest Ohio because the labor pool is down and the job market has never been hotter.”

Agenbroad said when he started out, there might be 400 people applying for a handful of open positions. Now in some places there are not enough candidates.

Clearcreek Fire Department is a full-time, career department. Agenbroad said suburban departments are growing, and the larger departments are recruiting from the smaller ones to fill their ranks as veteran firefighters retire.

“Lots of departments are struggling to find full-time firefighters,” he said. “And the very small departments who rely on volunteers are also struggling because there are more things competing for their time at home or work.”

The base pay for a Lebanon firefighter is about $60,000 a year, and there are larger departments in the area that pay closer to $100,000 a year. City officials said the shortage of part-time firefighters is causing small departments to consider full-time career staffing and eliminate the part-time staffing.

He said a number of the part-time firefighters also worked full-time with other departments. However, some communities are not allowing their firefighters to serve as part-timers elsewhere because departments are mandating overtime due to fewer personnel. The personnel shortages have also created brown-outs in some cities where a station is not manned for periods of time.

“The part-time system is a good system because you can see a person’s work ethic as they are ‘interviewing every day’ working with the full-timers,” Johnson said. He said it also allows the part-timers to obtain more training.

Lebanon operates two fire stations, the new Station 41 on North Broadway, and Station 42 on Nelson Road. It has a total of 12 combination full- and part-time firefighters on duty per shift, broken down to seven full-timers and five part-timers. About 80% of the 3,500 calls for service were EMS runs, while 20% were fire suppression runs.

Johnson said keeping the fire houses staffed is requiring overtime to be paid, which he said is unsustainable. Not having both stations open increases response times, which is unacceptable. He said the lack of reliable part-time staffing is forcing the department to operate below its preferred levels.

It also means that the city is more reliant on mutual aid from other fire departments such as Turtlecreek, Clearcreek and South Lebanon, he said.

In 2021, the city received 19 applications for part-time firefighters. Of those candidates, five were hired.

Johnson said, “we lost four part-timers in the last few weeks who chose to work full-time elsewhere.”

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(c)2022 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)

Visit the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio) at www.daytondailynews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

(MCT)

Feb. 13—RICE LAKE — A Rice Lake fire on Friday caused around $150,000 in damage to a house.No one was injured, the Rice Lake Fire Department said in a news release.

The fire department responded to a structure fire in the 600 block of Phipps Avenue in the city of Rice Lake at about 10:47 a.m. Friday morning. Crews found a “heavy fire” at the rear of a house; they used firefighting foam to contain the fire to the back porch and kitchen area. The rest of the house underwent major smoke and water damage, the department said.

The fire was under control at 11:37 a.m.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, the department said. No first responders or members of the public were injured.

Eleven Rice Lake firefighters and two engines, one aerial unit, one command truck and one utility vehicle responded to the blaze. Marshfield Medical Center provided a paramedic unit for standby at the scene. The Rice Lake Police Department and Rice Lake Street Department also responded.

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(c)2022 the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.)

Visit the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.) at www.leadertelegram.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The Charlotte Observer

(MCT)

A Georgia family “really needs prayer, right now” after losing its youngest son in a deadly house fire, the family’s pastor said.

Walker Phillips, 10, died in an overnight fire that ripped through his family’s home in Cartersville early Friday, Feb. 11, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported, citing Cartersville fire officials. He was one of former University of Georgia quarterback Cory Phillips and UGA gymnast Courtney Phillips’ three children.

“It’s been a tough few days,” Pastor James Griffin of Crosspoint City Church told WXIA. “Definitely been a tough few days.”

Griffin said the grieving family is leaning on its faith and community for support during this difficult time.

“Everything has been so fresh and so raw,” he told the news station. “This is a family that is loved in this community, and really the biggest need, at this point, has been prayer, and that is what the family has asked for, and that is what the family has communicated they need most.”

Officials were alerted to a fire at the home on Galway Drive at approximately 3 a.m. on Feb. 11, according to a Cartersville Fire Department news release. Crews arrived to find the structure “significantly involved,” and spent several hours battling the flames.

“We attempted an interior fire attack, the fire was so heavy our guys attempted it several times and finally they were just pushed out as a structure started coming down,” Fire Chief Scott Carter said, according to WAGA.

There were four people inside the home at the time, fire officials said, but only three escaped. It’s unclear if there were working smoke alarms in the home.

A 10-year-old male was pronounced dead on scene, officials said.

“This fire is still under routine origin and cause investigation at this time,” Carter told McClatchy News in a statement Monday, Feb. 14. “We have no timetable for the completion of this investigation.”

Cory and Courtney Phillips were out of town when the fire started, multiple news outlets have reported. The couple’s three kids, who are students at North Cobb Christian School in Kennesaw, were under a grandparent’s care at the time, according to the AJC.

Students and staff remembered Walker as a one-of-a-kind student who brought joy to all who knew him.

”Walker is a leader in his class,” said Wendy Titus, lower school principal at North Cobb Christian. “He is tenderhearted and really shines the light of Jesus to others. Just this past fall, he was voted by his classmates as being the student that most displays joy.”

Coach Greg Matta said the fourth-grader had a huge impact on him, adding: “To know Walker was to love Walker.”

“He touched so many people in his short 10 years here on earth, and his memory will continue to touch and impact people for years and years to come,” Matta continued.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Cartersville is about 43 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta.

Cory Phillips played football for the Bulldogs from 1999-2002, while Phillips’ wife, the former Courtney Whittle, was on the UGA gymnastics team from 1997-98.

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©2022 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.