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NIOSH Investigation Report: Oklahoma Sudden Cardiac Death
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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 Oklahoma career firefighter who suffered a cardiac event during a structural fire.
On March 4, 2009, a 43-year-old career fire fighter (Corporal) responded to a structural fire in a two-story apartment complex. The Corporal was initially assigned to the rapid intervention team (RIT) and, after the fire was brought under control, assigned to overhaul for about 24 minutes.
After loading equipment on the apparatus and while preparing to leave the fire scene, the Corporal complained of severe back pain and then collapsed. Despite advanced life support (ALS) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) delivered immediately by crew members, continued by the ambulance crew, and by physicians at the hospital’s emergency department (ED), the Corporal could not be revived.
The death certificate completed by the pathologist from the office of the Chief Medical Examiner, listed “coronary artery disease” as the cause of death. NIOSH investigators agree with this assessment and concluded that the Corporal probably had a fatal heart attack triggered by his fire fighting duties.
NIOSH offers the following recommendation to reduce the risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrest among fire fighters at this, and other fire departments (FD) across the country. It is unlikely, however, that the following recommendation could have prevented the Corporal’s death.
- Provide medical evaluations consistent with NFPA 1582.
Read the Report
Corporal Suffers Sudden Cardiac Death at Structure Fire
The NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program has released the investigation report of the line of duty death of a Oklahoma career firefighter who suffered a cardiac event during a structural fire.
On March 4, 2009, a 43-year-old career fire fighter (Corporal) responded to a structural fire in a two-story apartment complex. The Corporal was initially assigned to the rapid intervention team (RIT) and, after the fire was brought under control, assigned to overhaul for about 24 minutes.
After loading equipment on the apparatus and while preparing to leave the fire scene, the Corporal complained of severe back pain and then collapsed. Despite advanced life support (ALS) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) delivered immediately by crew members, continued by the ambulance crew, and by physicians at the hospital’s emergency department (ED), the Corporal could not be revived.
The death certificate completed by the pathologist from the office of the Chief Medical Examiner, listed “coronary artery disease” as the cause of death. NIOSH investigators agree with this assessment and concluded that the Corporal probably had a fatal heart attack triggered by his fire fighting duties.
NIOSH offers the following recommendation to reduce the risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrest among fire fighters at this, and other fire departments (FD) across the country. It is unlikely, however, that the following recommendation could have prevented the Corporal’s death.
- Provide medical evaluations consistent with NFPA 1582.
Read the Report
Corporal Suffers Sudden Cardiac Death at Structure Fire
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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Let me make this really simple for those reading this post... get a body scan. For whatever the cost is, and many times it's less than $100.00 or it's completely covered by your insurance provider, or at least my insurance which is part of the Los Angeles City Fire Departments medical insurance policy that provides annual body scans for you and your spouse, for free.
If you take the time to research body scanning and the results, you have to know going in that there are >90% false positives that occur because these machines, the ones that do the 'initial' body scan, are over 10 years old and only take digital pictures or 'slices' every 2.5 cm. The proprietary computer software fills in the spaces, which in many cases, embellishes on the problem.
Still, what it does do is to identify any potential problems, such as cardiac disease, enabling proactive management and in many cases, when found early enough, preventing what occurred to this 43-year old firefighter. All it takes is for you to read this post, think about it and do a little research to find out if a body scan is available in your area.
Take care of yourself, your life depends on it.
CBz
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