Study Recommends New Fire Dept. Procedures

At least one of the Fire Department of New York’s most senior officers should oversee large-scale emergencies from its remote operations center instead of the disaster scene, according to a five-month study of the department’s response to the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

The report to be released today recommends overhauling many systems and procedures to prepare for emergencies that could be more daunting than even the twin towers’ collapse. Recommendations include a more rigorously structured command system to ensure tight control of equipment and personnel. Dozens of firefighters directed to staging points around the towers instead went straight into the buildings. The department lost 343 members that day.