LAKELAND, Fla. — A Post Incident Analysis made public on Tuesday in a deadly Polk County fire last year is offering more insight into the incident. 

There have been numerous calls for a more thorough investigation of the fatal November 23 fire which claimed the life of 76-year-old Loretta Pickard.

She was on the phone with 911 when the fire crew arrived.

The report said "search and rescue was not performed by the first arriving engine crew because the structure was deemed too dangerous and unstable."

"We followed our procedures and we had a firefighter and a fire captain burned in trying to make this effort,” department Chief Anthony Stravino said during a heated news conference on February 13.  “Was it successful? No. Was it horrible? Absolutely, this lady perished in the fire."

 

 

Allegations of a cover up continued to fester.

On February 20, county officials signed a contract with Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) to provide additional post incident analysis of the fire.

The company will provide recommendations to improve services as a result of the study, which is due in 60 to 90 days.

The initial Post Incident Analysis did not mention the first responders' injuries, as presented by the fire chief.

It does not mean it did not happen, although it was highlighted as proof that the first to arrive made an attempt at rescue contrary to the report.

In the findings, it also said:

  • - “The Captain and Firefighter are both inexperienced”
  • - Relay of information “to responding crews could have been more accurate”
  • - Tactical decisions “should have been different”
  • - Crew should have “headed to structure with forcible entry tools”
  • - “A more thorough examination of the structure should have been performed…”

The report also said there was a short window for a rescue attempt but it would have been improbable.

The responding Batallion Chief Jeremiah Gilley prepared the report two weeks after the fire in early December of 2018.

It was reviewed by other top brass at Polk Fire Rescue back then.

It was made public today in the investigation more than three months after the incident.

The cost of the independent investigation is nearly $40,000 with a draft report submitted to the county within 60 days.

A final report will be issued within 90 days.