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although I do not think anyone would want to fault you for looking for people who might have been trapped.
Later, the blowout panels were knocked out and some vault windows also. This may have helped spread the fire.
I am happy to learn that steps are being taken to solve the communication problems between the fire department and the fire safety people within the Public Buildings Service of GSA.
The GSA investigating committee recommended that the fire department and the GSA sit down and plan strategy on how to fight fires in the vault building.
I know you have some strong \dews that are at odds with the GSA fire report.
Let me ask you now to proceed with your report in any way you see fit.
STATEMENT OF M. H. ESTEPP, CHIEF, PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT; ACCOMPANIED BY D. BROOKS CROSS, CONSULTING ENGINEER; DAVID M. BANWARTH, FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEER; AND DAVID MALBERG, INVESTIGATOR
Mr. EsTEPP. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to present perhaps an overview of my testimony detailing some of the points of disagreement with the GSA ad hoc report and some of the other information that they have compiled.
I would like to introduce Lt. David Malberg, an investigator with our department; Mr. Brooks Cross, who is a professional engineer and a consultant to the fire department; and Mr. David Banwarth, a registered fire protection engineer.
We have some of our other people here today as well.
My name is Jim Estepp, fire chief of Prince Georges County, Md. In that capacity, I am responsible for firefighting and rescue operations for all areas w^ithin the boundaries of the county, except the confines of Andrews Air Force Base, with which we have a mutual aid firefighting agreement similar to those in effect with surrounding political jurisdictions.
In all other Federal buildings in the county, the Prince Georges County Fire Department provides fire protection under the same operational guidelines that cover any occupancy in the county. The only exception to this is the area of buildings both occupied and owned by the Federal or State governments. In these buildings, we have the responsibility to provide fire protection, but do not have code enforcement authority or inspectional powers.
We have been provided a copy of the ad hoc committee report on the circumstances surrounding the fire at building A of the Suitland Federal Center, which occun-ed on December 7, 1978, and welcome this opportunity to comment on that report.
As an advance summary to my comments, let me say that there are areas of the report with which we concur, but there are several points and theories with which we disagree, and we take exception to several statements, and to the general tone of the entire report.
For the sake of continuity, my remarks will follow the same general order as the report itself.