Illinois Firefighter Left To Die In Basement Due To Multiple On-Scene Mistakes: OSHA

STERLING, IL — Multiple errors led to the death of a firefighter who became trapped in the basement of a burning building while on the job last year, state officials announced this week.

An investigation by the Illinois Department of Labor’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health probed the December 2021 death of a 38-year-old firefighter during a single-story house fire in northwest Illinois, documents from the agency said.

The firefighter, identified by WQAD as Sterling Capt. Garrett Ramos, was lost on scene and later found unresponsive with no breathable air in the basement of the home, according to authorities. Emergency responders failed to identify the presence of the basement at the house, teams in the home did not stay together and a call for help was received but the person in distress wasn’t identified or found, a news release from the state labor department said.

“This firefighter fell into the basement of a single-story house and for over 30 minutes it was not known that he was missing,” Illinois OSHA Acting Division Manager Erik Kambarian said in the news release. “By the time he was located, it was too late.”

Two municipal fire departments were cited for state violations, two of which carried monetary penalties, according to authorities, who said both departments have since addressed the issues. WQAD identified the municipalities as Rock Falls and Sterling, which paid a combined $36,000.