Outside review finds systemic shortcomings in Wichita response to Brook Hollow apartment fire

Jensen Hughes presented the results of its post‑incident analysis of the Oct. 13, 2023 Brook Hollow Apartments fire to the Wichita City Council, saying the fatality of resident Paoli Badeschi resulted from a combination of system shortcomings rather than a single, identifiable failure.

The consultant said its team reviewed policies, SOPs, building permits and drawings, conducted two site visits and interviewed personnel from the Wichita Fire Department (WFD), Sedgwick County Emergency Communications (SCEC), Sedgwick County EMS and the Wichita Police Department (WPD). Jensen Hughes noted the building (8165 East Central) was constructed in the late 1970s to then‑applicable codes and lacked a required sprinkler system only under current, later standards.

The firm highlighted three technical and operational areas of concern. First, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications did not understand or relay the unit number Ms. Badeschi provided on her 911 call; the report says the call taker did not use an available instant‑recall playback feature that might have clarified the unit number. Consultant Brian Nelson described differences between the carrier audio and what dispatchers hear on their console and said SCEC was operating…