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NIOSH Investigation Report: Illinois Firefighter Struck On Scene
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The NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program has released the investigation report of the line of duty death of a Illinois firefighter struck by a bus while working on the scene of a highway.
Read the Report
Volunteer Fire Fighter Dies When Struck By a Bus
During the early morning darkness of Friday, July 27, 2007, a 43-year-old male volunteer fire fighter was struck by a passenger bus while clearing the scene of a tractor trailer fire that had occurred along an interstate highway.
The bus was traveling in the traffic lane adjacent to the incident scene. It failed to move to the left to avoid the parked emergency vehicles in spite of traffic cones, an illuminated directional arrow, and flashing emergency lights warning of an active emergency scene. The bus sideswiped a parked engine and struck the victim as he was placing rolled fire hose into the driver’s side storage compartment.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by the county coroner. The key contributing factor identified in this investigation was the bus driver’s failure to slow down and move over while passing a highway emergency work zone.
The NIOSH Investigative report makes the following recommendations:
The NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program has released the investigation report of the line of duty death of a Illinois firefighter struck by a bus while working on the scene of a highway.
Read the Report
Volunteer Fire Fighter Dies When Struck By a Bus
During the early morning darkness of Friday, July 27, 2007, a 43-year-old male volunteer fire fighter was struck by a passenger bus while clearing the scene of a tractor trailer fire that had occurred along an interstate highway.
The bus was traveling in the traffic lane adjacent to the incident scene. It failed to move to the left to avoid the parked emergency vehicles in spite of traffic cones, an illuminated directional arrow, and flashing emergency lights warning of an active emergency scene. The bus sideswiped a parked engine and struck the victim as he was placing rolled fire hose into the driver’s side storage compartment.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by the county coroner. The key contributing factor identified in this investigation was the bus driver’s failure to slow down and move over while passing a highway emergency work zone.
The NIOSH Investigative report makes the following recommendations:
- establish pre-incident plans regarding traffic control for emergency service incidents and pre-incident agreements with public safety agencies, traffic management organizations, and private sector responders
- develop all-inclusive standard operating procedures (SOPs) for responding to highway incidents with specific guidance on positioning apparatus to protect emergency workers from oncoming traffic when entering or exiting parked vehicles, working pump panels, and retrieving or replacing equipment from apparatus storage areas
- ensure that high visibility chevrons and reflective markings are applied to all apparatus to enhance conspicuity while parked at emergency scenes and during emergency response
- ensure that SOPs include guidance on establishing advance warning and transition areas, and consider the use of an upstream monitor for highway-related incidents
- ensure that fire fighters wear suitable high-visibility retro-reflective apparel while working non-fire emergency scenes near moving traffic
- Additionally, governing authorities having jurisdiction should:
- consider enacting, or enhance existing, “Slow Down, Move Over” legislation to include provisions that will help protect emergency responders who are working near moving traffic at highway emergency work zones
- consider adopting “intelligent transportation systems (ITS)” and incorporate “slow down, move over” verbiage into crash warning messages that are broadcast on the national ITS (511) system
- consider incorporating crash avoidance systems into design specifications for passenger buses
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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This should be required reading and a case study for any fire department who responds to accidents on our roadways.
You MUST assign someone upstream to WATCH the traffic; never taking their eyes off of it for a second to watch for vehicles driving erradically or too fast into the hot zone.
This is an incident where a few minor details cost big.
We cannot have casual attitudes when we are so close to the roads that are populated by morons who are multitasking behind the steering wheel. Vehicles are rolling entertainment centers with a splash of social networking. It has to stop.
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Permalink Reply by Nathan Enyart on
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We had a major section of I-75 in Florida South of Gainsville we covered I think I have seen a lot. Close calls One firefighter ripped off a ladies mirror with his bunker ggear got his foot ran over (that close)
One call the fire cheif kept me from loosing my head when a car went by and about took my head off with his front bumper Cheif grabbed my bunker coat collar and jerked me back. So yea been there They just don't pay attention.
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