Inadequate Water Supply Killed Ohio Firefighters

An insufficient water supply contributed to the deaths of two Ohio firefighters, according to the federal government.

A new, 46-page draft report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health said that the firefighters could have been better supported by water equipment,the Associated Press reported. The draft, which took more than a year to write, focused on the deaths last year of Pvts. Stephen Machcinski and James Dickman, according to Toledo’s The Blade.

Machcinski, 42, and Dickman, 31, were "trapped inside the burning two-story, six-unit apartment building [in Toledo]. The two were pronounced dead at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center; an autopsy showed they died of burns and carbon-monoxide exposure," The Blade reported.

The federal report recommended changes to reduce risks presented by water delivery. One recommendation "states that departments should ensure that pump operators are trained and certified to provide sufficient water supply. The report states that, on Jan. 26, a permanent water supply was not established in a timely manner. According to the report, water was not deployed onto the fire until 14 minutes after the dispatch -- 8 minutes after the first crews arrived on scene," The Blade reported.

Another recommendation "states that firefighters going into burning buildings should go in with a charged hose. Crews from Engine 3 went into the building with an uncharged line, the report states. Recommendation 11 states that sprinkler systems should be required in mixed-occupancy structures," the report continued.

Machcinski had served in the fire department for over 15 years. Hickman was sworn into the department two years ago.

"The owner of the apartment building, Ray Abou Arab, is charged with aggravated arson, aggravated murder and tampering with evidence in relation to the fire," the Toledo Free Press reported.