The Worcester Cold Storage fire in Worcester Massachusetts on December 3, 1999 provided another tragic example of the dangers lurking for firefighters across the United States. The Worcester fire claimed the lives of 6 firefighters who came to work that morning without realizing that it would be their last shift. The strategic and tactical lessons learned from this fire must be heeded by firefighters nationwide. However, another important lesson is not so well known. The lesson learned by the Worcester Fire Brigade is that the law is very crucial to the operations of emergency services. In the Worcester cold storage fire the defendants were initially charged with six counts each of manslaughter. However, the Superior Court rejected the incitements because it ruled that the defendants had no duty to act (report the fire) and that their actions did not meet the standards of wanton and reckless conduct required for a manslaughter charge. However, in the appeal the Commonwealth presented evidence that the defendants had a duty to act and their behavior at the time of and after the fire shows a pattern of wanton and reckless behavior. The Commonwealth outlined several behaviors that the defendants exhibited as the basis for their appeal. The first fact presented by the Commonwealth was that months before the fire the defendants had broken into the walk-in freezer and were living there. The defendants used the second floor as a makeshift apartment lit by candles and a kerosene heater. The next fact presented was that the defendants accidentally started the fire and attempted to extinguish it before abandoning their efforts. Another fact present... middle of the paper... about our title and what we do that makes us exempt from litigation. Recent times have slapped us in the face with the harsh reality that we can and will be held accountable. A recent legal case that was taken up by the State of New York regarding the explicitness of the doctrine of the National Incident Management System and the immunity of volunteer firefighters' skills of its officers. The lawsuit will continue after initially being declared dismissed. Whether criminal or civil, laws enacted from state to state are there to serve the overall good of the community. These laws are there to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. Although sometimes the scales of the justice system seem to need to be calibrated from time to time. I believe that the judicial system in its theory is a balanced and fair system. However, as demonstrated in the past, justice does not always prevail.