13th Street fire investigated as "suspicious"

The Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department is investigating a weekend fire that they've labeled as suspicious following an initial investigation.

It happened Sunday evening just after 5 p.m. at 1717 N. 13th Street in downtown Kansas City, Kan.

The fire resulted in $20,000 worth of damage to the home.

"Fire crews on the scene within two minutes reported heavy fire throughout a two-story wood framed structure," said Craig Duke, spokesperson and assistant fire chief. The fire was fought in defensive mode only due to unstable structure. Crews had fire under control within 20 minutes."

No one was injured by the fire.

A fire investigator was called out the scene and the fire was determined as "suspicious.

Issues of Depression and Suicide in the Fire Service

There has been a direct presence and information about suicide prevention in our service using the F.I.R.S.T.  S.T.E.P.  H.O.P.E. program since 2006.  From the meeting in Baltimore with the introduction of the N.A.F.F.V.N. program "F.I.R.E.S.  Within", F.I.R.E.S. standing for Firefighter/First Responder Increased Risk Exposure to Suicide, information will be developed and posted on the web site and on the Everyone Goes Home web site under section 13, reinforceing the Fireline with resources, information and web based training.   These will be tools for the tool box you can use to combat the effects of depression and for some the "run into suicide".  The information will provide H.O.P.E. through an understanding that "Suicides are Increasing" in our service as fast as any wild fire moves and consumes or as any structural fire erupts into open flame in the incipient stage and before 911 is called and rigs dispatched. Line of Duty Death (L.O.D.D.) we in the fire service understand, perhaps all too well.  Our response is quick, efficient, supportive to family and "rubber boot warriors" who clean the smoke sweat and tears off their faces and uniforms to render "last post" honors for the fallen and the family as well as the department affected.  We are if nothing else good at the big "IT".   Suicide became a very hot topic over the last 12 months and with the outbreak in Phoenix Fire Department along with other fire departments nationally, the all call went out to find the help and resources to start fighting back.  For some, in our work, suicide was the "Only Option" and they could not see their way out of the emotional smoke of events that they had been witness to or a part of.  For others the long dark road of "Depression" was a precursor to death.  Those who took their life as a final act to stop the pain inside of them left behind a legacy of pain in the survivors, the widows and orphans, the very same ones we hold close under L.O.D.D. we somehow manage to abandon and leave behind under suicide circumstances.  The  shock waves go through the members immediate crew and  department and cloud them in thoughts of what went wrong. Firefighter Brad Pasishnek out of Local 255, I.A.F.F. Calgary Alberta Canada. One of ten suicides in the local.  Brad took a skill saw to his neck to commit his final act in life.

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