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The Witt Report - A Must Read For Operating Engineers and Facility Managers

“On Friday, October 17, 2003, at approximately 5:00 p.m., a fire broke out on the 12th floor of the Cook County Administration Building at 69 West Washington Street in Chicago, Illinois. The fire, which originated in a storage closet in the southeast corner of the building, led to the deaths of six people. On Thursday, October 23, 2003, (Illinois) Governor Blagojevich retained James Lee Witt Associates (JLWA), to conduct an independent review in order to discover the facts associated with this fire that led to the deaths and injuries, to address lessons learned and to make recommendations to improve high-rise fire safety throughout the state...”

And so begins the 1,277-page Witt Report released in late September that analyzes a tragedy and delivers a no-holds barred summary of failures on the part of the city, county and state officials as well as the Chicago Fire Department and the Management of the Cook County Building.

The Chief Engineer reviewed the report and we encourage operating engineers and facility managers to download the report from the Internet at www.wittassociates.com.

Because of the importance we in the facilities operation and management industry place upon protecting tenants and the property under our care, the Chief Engineer has reprinted below those points contained within the Executive Summary of the Witt Report which reflect directly upon building and facility management issues:

1. Building Management failed to provide full evacuation procedure.
2. Building Management failed to provide compliant partial evacuation procedure.
3. Building Management failed to appoint Certified Deputy
Fire Safety Director.
4. Building Management personnel not on premises as required.
5. Building Management personnel lacked proper certification.
6. Building Management failed to provide for Life Safety Leadership in absence of the Fire Safety Director.
7. Building Management failed to conduct quarterly evacuation drills per building/tenant safety plan.
8. Building Management failed to produce uniform emergency management documents.
9. Building Management failed to provide adequate emergency training for occupants and staff.
10. Building Management failed to provide emergency training consistent with emergency plan.
11. Building Management failed to fully develop emergency protocols for occupants with disabilities and limitations.
12. Building Management failed to develop emergency response protocol for their personnel management.
13. Building Management personnel failed to adequately assess and respond to situation.
14. Building Management failed to provide immediate notification of fire alarm activation.
15. Building Management personnel failed to serve as single point of liaison with fire department.
16. Building Management failed to provide a failsafe system to unlock stairway doors.
17. Building Management failed to maintain fire life safety systems (Louvers in operable condition.
18. Building Management failed to produce a usable list of self-identified occupants with disabilities/limitations.
19. Building Management failed to identify all critical fire department concerns in pre-fire plan.
20. Building Management failed to provide adequate oversight of security operations related to fire emergencies.
21. Security Company failed to provide adequate training to security officers regarding performance of duties outlined in security manual.
22. Security Company personnel failed to provide supervisory leadership.
23. Security Company personnel failed to maintain effective access control.

Finding Points 24 through 72 pertain to Municipal Building and Fire Code, Chicago Fire Department, the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Cook County.

73. Security Company personnel and Building Management personnel failed to provide copy of pre-fire plan at lobby security console to CFD.
74. Security Company personnel and Building Management personnel failed to provide stairway master keys (available at lobby security console) to CFD.
75. Building Management personnel and Security Company personnel failed to provide adequate information to occupants.
76. Building Management and Security Company failed to develop effective emergency response protocols for security officers.
77. Building Management and Cook County failed to correct structural flaws that allowed smoke to spread.

Finding points 78 through 81 pertain to City of Chicago Code Enforcement Agencies, City of Chicago Building and Fire Codes and State of Illinois Building and Fire Codes.

Reading the Witt Report in its entirety offers a far better perspective of the incident which occurred and also illuminates actions that were taken by building operations personnel to save lives and protect the property.

Although some in the media have portrayed the report as scathing in its indictment of failures on the part of building management, government and the Chicago Fire Department, the Witt Report was intended to address deficiencies. It is an important document that can save lives in the future.

We hope you will read it and learn from it.

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