Loudoun County, Virginia’s fire chief said he welcomes an investigation by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health into the Friday blast that killed a volunteer firefighter and injured 10 other first responders.
Fire and Rescue System Chief Keith Johnson told the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Tuesday that the federal agency is beginning its own investigation into the explosion that killed 45-year-old Trevor Brown on Silver Ridge Drive in the Seneca Ridge neighborhood. Brown was a member of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company.
The agency is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“They will fly in resources to us, to be able to complete an objective look at this, which will follow the efforts of this board, and be fully transparent when that report is done. This is a report that will be released nationwide,” Johnson told the supervisors.
“This is not an enforcement arm; it’s an arm that will provide recommendations of things that we could do better and things that we did right,” Johnson said.
The Loudoun County Fire Marshal will determine the cause of the explosion, and has been assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
A Significant Incident Report is being done, and will be headed by Frederick County, Maryland, Fire Chief Tom Coe, Johnson said.
“We will look at every aspect of this incident and find out what our folks did, what they did well, and what we could better, and what we will learn and share with everyone,” Johnson said.
Johnson and the supervisors said they had been overwhelmed by support from the community.
Brown’s wife heard from Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, as well as the White House, Johnson said.
“President Biden did reach out to the widow, and express his condolences, and I believe offer a future visit to the White House for them and their family,” Johnson said.
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