Posted on 12/02/22
| News Source: WMAR2NEWS
Baltimore, MD - Dec. 2, 2022 - On Friday, Niles Ford resigned from his longtime position as Baltimore City Fire Chief.
He steps down in light of a new report that investigated the line of duty deaths of three firefighters in January.
Paul Butrim, Kelsey Sadler and Kenneth Lacayo lost their lives after becoming trapped in a burning vacant home that collapsed.
Following the incident, Ford assembled a Board of Inquiry to take a deep dive into what went wrong.
Their findings were revealed Friday and turned out to be highly critical of the department's response that day, prompting Ford's immediate resignation.
In the report, the panel makes frequent mention of repeated problems created by vacant homes in the City.
They also mention the level of confusion and disorganization on scene as crews determined how to best battle the blaze.
Sadler and Lacayo, along with firefighter John McMaster were aboard Engine 14, who arrived on scene first.
The report concluded that the engine's crew members failed to announce they had arrived, and assumed first due engine responsibilities.
McMaster and Lacayo also left their radios behind in the truck, and therefore couldn't to be reached.