Investigates

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (CBS4) ― As 19-year-old Laura Mae Wallace struggled to stay afloat in an icy Commerce City pond Dec. 2, the call went out for dive teams from three suburban fire departments to respond.

It took 27 minutes for the first dive-rescue team to arrive and 38 minutes for the second. But a CBS4 investigation has learned there were two other fully-equipped dive teams much closer to the pond. In fact, one elite dive team was just 10 minutes away. But neither team was called.

Wallace, who was apparently chasing her dogs on the pond at the Buffalo Run Golf Course, located at 15800 E. 112th Ave., when she fell through the inch-thick ice, drowned.

Now, fire administrators say they need to do a better job communicating with each other to avoid delays in future life-and-death emergencies.

A witness who saw Wallace fall through the ice called ADCOM, the Adams County Communications Center, and the first fire department to arrive was the South Adams County Fire Department. The SACFD incident commander radioed a dispatcher and said, "If the child is under the ice, go ahead and dispatch the metro dive team for us."

The metro dive team is comprised of three departments: Westminster Fire, South Metro Fire and West Metro Fire. The closest dive team came from a Westminster Fire station at 72nd and Bradburn Boulevard. It took them 27 minutes to arrive at the pond. Once on scene, they found Wallace in just seven minutes.

The South Metro Fire dive team took 38 minutes to arrive at the pond, responding from Orchard and Havana. West Metro Fire's dive team took 41 minutes to arrive from Jewell and Garrison.

"And we're so far away it's frustrating for us. We watch the clock tick as we're trying to get here safely," said South Metro Captain Dan Goldan. He said that people have survived being underwater in freezing conditions for up to 90 minutes.

But that Sunday morning the Denver Fire Department had a fully-staffed dive team on duty, training at 5440 Roslyn St., an estimated 10 minutes or less from the Commerce City pond.

"We were only a phone call away," said Denver Fire Department Lt. Phil Champagne. "It's pretty definitive we probably could have gotten there a little sooner. They were geared up and ready to go."

Denver Fire also had a second dive team on duty that morning. They were participating in swift water training at Confluence Park near central Denver. Champagne estimates that team could have made it to Buffalo Run in approximately 19 minutes.

"I don't know why we weren't called," said Champagne. He said that Denver Fire has 51 mutual aid agreements, including one with the South Adams County Fire Department, meaning each department will respond and help the other if asked.

South Adams County Fire Marshal Ron Lapenna said he would not second-guess his incident commander.

"He requested the metro dive team for whatever reason," said Lapenna. "Why he didn't ask for the closest or first available (dive team), I don't know."

Lapenna pointed out there was no way his responders could have known the Denver Fire Department dive teams were available. He said the ADCOM (Adams County Communication Center) training manual dictates that when any of 15 Adams County agencies ask for a dive team, ADCOM contacts the Westminster Fire Department, which coordinates the metro dive team, a team that does not include the Denver Fire Department.

"There's going to have to be discussion with our officers, ADCOM and other agencies that are members of ADCOM to perhaps change the terminology and procedure," said Lapenna. "Could things be different? Yes. Could things have been better? We can't determine that."

Denver fire administrators agree that something needs to change to prevent a repeat of the Dec. 2nd incident.

"I think we all need to sit down collectively and see how we can improve services," said Denver Fire's Champagne.

While he said there's no telling if a faster response by a nearby dive team would have changed the outcome, "I think we all need to look at how we do business day in and day out."

That review has already started, according to Bill Malone, Director of ADCOM. Malone said the CBS4 findings have prompted him to seek "clarity" on the issues raised.

"I've learned something in the last couple of days," said Malone.

"I think there's going to have to be some work done on this. I think it has to be evaluated. At first blush there appears to be a better way to do that," Malone said, referring to the way help was summoned. "There will be work done on it, I can guarantee that."

Laura Wallace Memorial Fund

A memorial fund has been set up for Laura Wallace. The money raised will be donated to emergency crews.

Laura Wallace Memorial Fund
Electrical Federal Credit Union
5080 W. 60th Ave.
Arvada, CO 80003

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