Fallen recruit receives posthumous promotion

Comments

 SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY

EMAIL STORY

PRINT STORY

79 days ago: No suspect caught yet in string of suspicious fires

102 days ago: Mysterious fire breaks out on cargo plane

106 days ago: Fire could summon 14th-century fear

106 days ago: Smoky skies could return to San Francisco after clear day

109 days ago: Fires erupt across county on hot weekend

120 days ago: Arson suspected in forest inferno

123 days ago: Woodside fire burns property, cars and hillside

125 days ago: Electrical problem may have sparked morning house fire

128 days ago: Explosion sparks two-alarm fire

135 days ago: Son saves ailing mother from fire; 40 firefighters finally tame blaze

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon on Monday ordered the city’s fire department to posthumously promote fire recruit Racheal Wilson to full firefighter and paramedic status.

The move will allow Wilson’s two children — Cameron Wilson, 11, and Princess “PJ” Davis, 8 — to receive full pension benefits, Dixon said.

“Racheal Wilson was willing to put her life on the line for the citizens of Baltimore and she lost her life training to serve this city,” Dixon said in a statement. “This promotion recognizes her sacrifice.”

The move comes four days after Dixon fired the department’s director of training because of missteps and errors cited in the department’s preliminary report that led to Wilson’s Feb. 9 death when a “live burn” training session got out of control. Dixon fired Division Chief Kenneth Hyde, director of training at the academy, and suspended Lt. Joseph Crest, the incident commander on duty, and lead instructor Lt. Larry Broyles for 60 days without pay.

According to the department’s report, released Friday, several major errors in the training exercise contributed to Wilson’s death.

The exercise involved multiple fires set in the same building — a training taboo — and lacked sufficient safety personnel, radio communication and pre-training planning.

All the participants did not walk-through the abandoned house before the fire started, and the Rapid Intervention Team was not properly equipped, according to the report.

Additionally, Wilson’s face piece was either removed or knocked off, and the unusual height of the windowsill where she was trapped made her rescue extremely difficult and time-consuming, fire officials said.

Dixon has requested a panel of independent experts to review the department’s training practices and safety procedures. The panel will issue recommendations by March 30. Mayoral spokesman Anthony McCarthy said Dixon had Wilson’s children in mind when she made the promotion.

“It’s about the children and receiving as much pension as they can,” McCarthy said. “The mayor is very serious about people who have served the city and made the ultimate sacrifice.”

The president of the city firefighters’ union No. 964, Stephan Fugate, said the union backs the move.

“We are very supportive of that and very appreciative,” he said.

The Wilson family attorney, Warren Brown, who intends to file litigation over Wilson’s death, said relatives appreciate the mayor’s action.

“It’ll benefit the children,” he said. “Of course, nothing will undo what’s been done. We’re hoping they don’t put up much of a fight in terms of litigation.”

lbroadwater@baltimoreexaminer.com

SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY

EMAIL STORY

PRINT STORY

79 days ago: No suspect caught yet in string of suspicious fires

102 days ago: Mysterious fire breaks out on cargo plane

106 days ago: Fire could summon 14th-century fear

106 days ago: Smoky skies could return to San Francisco after clear day

109 days ago: Fires erupt across county on hot weekend

120 days ago: Arson suspected in forest inferno

123 days ago: Woodside fire burns property, cars and hillside

125 days ago: Electrical problem may have sparked morning house fire

128 days ago: Explosion sparks two-alarm fire

135 days ago: Son saves ailing mother from fire; 40 firefighters finally tame blaze