Case Name :      The Lithium Fire

Authors :           Gerard Seijts

Source :             Ivey Publishing

Case ID :            908C10

Discipline :        General Management

Case Length :    02 pages

Solution Sample availability : YES

Plagiarism : NO (100% Original work)

In September of 2001, 24 Calgary firefighters ended up in hospital with throat and eye irritations, severe breathing problems and headaches after fighting a fire at a battery plant. The blaze looked like a routine fire; the industrial fire was seen as just another assignment that needed to be taken care of. The working atmosphere at the fire hall was impacted. Some firefighters commented that they had expected to be better looked after, that they did not have enough information about what was inside the burning plate. Where had things gone wrong? What specific lessons should be carried forward?