STERLING, Ill. — The Illinois Department of Labor released a report detailing its findings in the line of duty death of a Sterling firefighter.
Lt. Garrett Ramos, promoted posthumously to captain, died in the early hours of Dec. 4, 2021, after the floor collapsed beneath him while fighting a house fire in rural Rock Falls.
The state Occupational Safety and Health Administration is now citing both the Sterling and Rock Falls Fire Departments for safety issues found the night of the fire. However, the cities said they are appealing the report.
"It's a hard pill to swallow," Ramos' wife Brittney Ramos said. "Losing him was so tough, still is, and then when you find out that it could have and should have been prevented, is very hard. It's just another trauma I feel like."
OSHA found the direct cause of Ramos' death was exposure to respiratory hazards, but it also found 11 other indirect causes.
"It's just mistake after mistake after mistake," Brittney said. "It's just really mind-blowing to be honest, just devastating."
One was that during the initial size-up of the structure, the firefighters did not identify the presence of a basement. Another was a problem with the radios and firefighters entering the fire "were not checked to see that that they were operating on the designated fireground frequency." OSHA also reported the firefighters did not stick together in their 2-in-2-out policy.
After there was a partial floor collapse at 12:01 a.m., firefighters reported hearing at least two mayday calls three minutes later, according to OSHA. However, the call was transmitted on the wrong fireground frequency, and it was unclear who made the call. Attempts to reach Ramos on the radio went unanswered.
It was then thought that a different firefighter issued the mayday call because he was unaccounted for but later located. At that point, the departments believed they had 100% accountability, according to the report.
"You're supposed to check in with your partner, make sure that everyone is partnered up, everyone's accounted for," Brittney said. "Clearly, there was not 100% accountability because Garrett did not call in for that, and his partner did not find him. So, that is a procedure that needs to be looked at and followed more closely."
It wasn't until 12:37 a.m., 33 minutes after the first mayday call, that someone realized Ramos was missing.
Brittney recalled Sterling Fire Chief Mike Dettman knocking on her door to tell her Ramos had died. The couple was together for 11 years. Brittney worked with his sister, and she introduced them at a Cubs game. In all those years, she said she never worried about him at work.
"I think back to that, it's still like a nightmare. I could not believe it, and I did not think he was gone. I just thought he was injured," she said. "Garrett is smart and knowledgeable, or I should say Garrett was smart and knowledgeable. And I just didn't worry about him. But this never was in my realm that this would have happened, but because it shouldn't have."
Following IDOL's release of the OSHA report on April 5, Brittney said she's frustrated that neither department has taken accountability for the mistakes made that night. The departments have not come together to critique the fire either, she added.
IDOL issued citations to both cities, fining Sterling $24,000 and Rock Falls $12,000. However, in a joint statement, the cities said they were appealing the report, claiming it contains errors, such as the misidentification of the accountability officer on the scene.
They added that prior to receiving the report, they were already taking steps to implement suggestions later made in the report, including reviews of standard operating guidelines and policies as well as additional training.
They also planned on requesting Whiteside County pursue needed improvements to its radio coverage because of coverage gaps found in the report.
"Chief Dettman, Chief Bouwens, the members of the Departments and the Cities are fully committed to learning and rectifying any deficiencies in order to best protect our employees," the statement read in part.
"I can appreciate and I'm happy that they're taking steps to train and do more training," Brittney said. "I still find it a little disappointing that there's still no ownership, accountability for the mistakes that were made that ultimately cost Garrett his life."
She spent her weekend emailing OSHA's report to 230 fire departments, both locally and across Illinois, saying it contains 11 mistakes someone else can learn from.
"I might not ever have someone come to me and apologize and own their mistakes," Brittney said. "And that's okay. I need to be able to forgive and move forward. I need to do that for myself and for my girls, so now it's a matter of other departments taking this report and learning from it ... I don't want anyone to experience what we as a family have gone through and are still experiencing."
She said several fire chiefs have responded to thank her and that they won't let her husband's death be in vain.
While 11 years of memories will never be enough, Brittney said she's comforted thinking about the unconditional love the two shared. Their two- and four-year-old daughters also remind her of him.
"We just saw each other grow. He was just the happiest, calmest person and had so much patience, because it takes a lot of patience raising two young girls. And he just adored them," she said. "He made anyone that he came in contact with feel valued ... He was the funniest person I know. Always teasing me but just making me laugh."
Ramos is the first line-of-duty death in the history of the Sterling Fire Department.
The full incident report can be viewed by clicking/tapping here.
