WHILE OPERATING THE PLATFORM FOR A PUBLIC RELATIONS EVENT AT THE FIRE STATION, FOUR CIVILIANS AND ONE FIREFIGHTER WERE RAISED UP IN THE BUCKET. AT APPROXIMATELY 80 FEET EXTENSION AND 45 DEGREES ELEVATION THE LADDER COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE RESULTING IN THE LADDER RETRACTING RAPIDLY INTO ITS BEDDED POSITION. THE SUDDEN STOP CAUSING MULTIPLE INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS. AT THE TIME THE ONLY OBVIOUS FAILURE WAS THE RETRACTION AND EXTENSION CABLES. AT THIS TIME THE FAILURE IS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED BY SEVERAL PARTIES AS TO ACTUAL CAUSE. *TR