The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently released a report on the sudden cardiac death of an Illinois firefighter after responding to a residential burning odor call in November 2012.
On November 11, 2012, a 61-year-old male career driver/operator and his truck company (Truck 40) were dispatched at 2205 hours to a three-story apartment building for a report of a burning odor. At the scene, the victim set up the ladder and carried a ventilation saw to the roof. Firefighters inside the building determined the smoke was caused by cooking and notified the victim that ventilation was not necessary.
When the victim descended the ladder and reached the ground, he was breathing rapidly. His shortness of breath persisted during the return trip to the fire station. While cleaning Truck 40 at the station, the victim’s shortness of breath worsened, and he reported some chest pain to crew members. They gave him oxygen and summoned an ambulance.
The ambulance paramedics began treatment for pulmonary edema with oxygen, diuretics, and nitroglycerin and transported the victim to the hospital’s emergency department (ED). Shortly after arriving in the ED, he suffered a cardiac arrest. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was started followed by advanced life support including intubation with 100 percent oxygen. After 40 minutes in the ED, he was pronounced dead at 2321 hours, and resuscitation efforts were stopped.
In the report, NIOSH made the following recommendations to fire departments:
- Provide annual medical evaluations to all firefighters consistent with National Fire Protection Association Standard 1582, Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments.
- Conduct exercise stress tests into the fire department medical evaluation program for firefighters at increased risk for coronary heart disease.
- Provide firefighters with medical clearance to wear a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) as part of the fire department’s medical evaluation program.
- Phase in a mandatory comprehensive wellness and fitness program for firefighters.
- Perform an annual physical performance (physical ability) evaluation for all members.
Read the entire report at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face201229.html.
NIOSH firefighter fatality reports can provide critical incidents into what went wrong at deadly incidents. More of these reports can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/.
For more on firefighters and cardiac health, consider:
- Firefighter Fatality Reports Examine Cardiac Deaths
- NIOSH Releases Firefighter Fatality Reports on Cardiac Deaths
- National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System: Cardiac Wellness
- Firefighter Health Report: Firefighting Affects Cardiac System
- Firefighter Down-Cardiac Arrest!
- Acute Coronary Syndromes in Firefighters: An “Athletic” Approach to Prevention
- Rapid Removal of an Unresponsive Firefighter from a Peaked Roof
