KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A national organization has released an investigation report about the 2015 deaths of two KCMO firefighters.
Larry Leggio and John Mesh were killed in the line of duty onOctober 12, 2015 after a massive fire and building collapse in northeastern Kansas City.
The 74 page report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH makes a series of recommendations.
Read the full report below orclick here.
Kansas City Fire Department Chief Paul Berardi saID KCFD has largely addressed those recommendations before the report came out.
"What I would say is that there were errors made by both myself and the department," Berardi said.
One key recommendation in the NIOSH report is for KCFD to update its collapse zone policy.
The report notes KCFD command ordered a building evacuation at 7:49 that night.
Then at 8 p.m., command told firefighters by radio a collapse zone was being established around the entire building and everyone needed to get out of that zone.
But Mesh, Leggio and two other firefighters who were injured were still in that zone when the building collapsed six minutes later at 8:06, officials said.
"There were certainly indications that some people did not hear that communication over the radio," Berardi said.
More than a year ago, KCFD distributed an updated collapse zone policy to all firefighters.
To guard against them simply not hearing a collapse zone warning in the chaos of fighting a fire, it's now KCFD policy to send out three emergency tones before that warning.
And then firefighters must respond to that warning.
"We don't want to make excuses for what occurred that night," Berardi said. "We want to say it occurred and want to correct it so it doesn't occur again."
Other key NIOSH recommendations include the incident commander maintaining control of the developing situation, resources, tactical objectives and communications.
As a result of the tragedy, KCFD has updates its operating guidelines, radio communication procedures and instituted new training.
"Hopefully, the report will help bring closure to the incident, but it will never extinguish their memory," Berardi said.
Both the Mesh and Leggio families have had input and received copies of the NIOSH report.
As for the two firefighters injured from the building collapse, Berardi said one is back on the job while the other one has retired.
Extended coverage:
Kansas City woman charged in deaths of firefighters Larry Leggio, John Mesh
'Something went wrong:' KCFD released report on fire that killed John Mesh, Larry Leggio
Community still mourning loss of Kansas City firefighters John Mesh, Larry Leggio one year later
Kansas City firefighter Larry Leggio laid to rest
Procession held for fallen firefighter John Mesh who was laid to rest Wednesday
