BOSTON - The last in a series of investigative reports into a fatal Boston fire truck accident has recommended that state law be changed to require that firefighters wear seat belts.
Lt. Kevin Kelley was killed in January 2009 when the ladder truck he was riding on lost its brakes on a steep hill and slammed into an apartment building.
In its report, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health concedes that Kelley may not have survived the accident even if he was wearing a seat belt. But the agency says seat belts would be a good safety practice for firefighters.
State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan says he would consider seeking a change in the state's seat belt law that specifically exempts operators and passengers on fire trucks.
How sad that it takes a death for the powers that be to notice that maybe they should make a change. Here in Michigan we have had a state law requiring seatbelt usage for quite some time, I can't even think back to when it started, maybe in the '80s sometime. But it is a state law and you will get ticketed if caught, and our fire dept has strict policies regarding wearing belts. And yes, you can put your SCBA and seatbelt on, it takes practice. Click it or Ticket ! Stay safe.