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NIOSH Investigation Report: Ohio
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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 Ohio firefighter following an apparatus crash.
Read the Report
On July 7, 2008, a 58-year-old male volunteer fire fighter (the victim) was fatally injured after the engine he was driving left the roadway and overturned several times. The victim was enroute to a vehicle fire and was approximately 1.4 miles from the fire station when the incident occurred.
The engine left the roadway shoulder after misjudging the clearance to a large farm tractor stopped in the oncoming lane. The victim was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. Another fire fighter onboard the apparatus crawled from the wreckage and began administering first aid to the seriously injured victim. The victim was airlifted to a medical center and was later pronounced dead.
It was later determined that the victim was driving with a blood alcohol level in excess of the legal limit. Key contributing factors identified in this investigation include driving with a blood alcohol level in excess of the legal limit, not wearing seat belts, incorrectly judging the passing clearance when approaching a stopped vehicle, failure to keep the apparatus on the road surface, overcorrecting during the recovery maneuver, and limited experience with the incident apparatus.
The NIOSH investigaton identified the following as contributing factors:
The NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program has released the investigation report of the line of duty death of a Ohio firefighter following an apparatus crash.
Read the Report
The engine left the roadway shoulder after misjudging the clearance to a large farm tractor stopped in the oncoming lane. The victim was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. Another fire fighter onboard the apparatus crawled from the wreckage and began administering first aid to the seriously injured victim. The victim was airlifted to a medical center and was later pronounced dead.
It was later determined that the victim was driving with a blood alcohol level in excess of the legal limit. Key contributing factors identified in this investigation include driving with a blood alcohol level in excess of the legal limit, not wearing seat belts, incorrectly judging the passing clearance when approaching a stopped vehicle, failure to keep the apparatus on the road surface, overcorrecting during the recovery maneuver, and limited experience with the incident apparatus.
The NIOSH investigaton identified the following as contributing factors:
- Driving with a blood alcohol level in excess of the legal limit.
- Not wearing seat belts.
- Incorrectly judging the passing clearance when approaching the stopped farm tractor.
- Failure to keep the apparatus on the road surface.
- Overcorrecting during the recovery maneuver.
- Limited experience with the incident apparatus.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Another preventable tragedy.
I will reserve my comments until I have read the complete report.
But, it sounds like the deceased's family will not be entitled to PSOBs, due to the alcohol.
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Permalink Reply by Oldman on
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"according to crash investigators speed was not a factor". I think judging by the photos, that failure to control speed should be added. It is unclear to me how speed could not have been a contributing factor. Judging by the distance travelled, even going the posted speed limit in such close proximity to the farm implement, would not in my opinion be prudent for safe operation.
The alcohol issue would be the biggest part, which would contribute to misjudging clearance and failure to keep it on the pavement. Over-correcting during the recovery is almost always attributed to speed and inexperience. Again alcohol wouldn't have helped the situation.
Seat belt use..."it is possible that he would not have been ejected from the apparatus and that his injuries may not have been fatal". Maybe maybe not, the passenger wasn't wearing his either. The department had a seat belt policy though, so they were aware of it.
"Driver training was conducted through the Volunteer Firemen’s Insurance Services, Inc." The VFIS programs DO stress , speed and vehicle control especially when leaving the pavement, and what actions to take. My question would be whether the department offered just the classroom portion alone, or if the confidence course (driving skills) were utilized.
This is a tragic event which could have been prevented. I hope others will take this for what it is intended, not to place blame, but as a learning tool to prevent this from happening to their department, and their families.
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Permalink Reply by Rusty Mancini on
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Every time I receive one of these reports in the mail it's truly a sad feeling, but a feeling that one must read and learn from. A lot of these incidents are preventable. After I review a NIOSH investigation report, I immediately place it on the table in our day room for all to read.
It's sad that we are still having to learn of these preventable incidents!
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Once you get past the involvement of alcohol as a contributing factor in this LODD; what really stands out to me is this: The apparatus involved in this incident was 17 years old and had 4809.7 miles on the odometer at the time of the crash. This means that on average, the apparatus was operated for 283 miles per year or 24 miles per month. Thus, the limited operational experience with the incident apparatus by the victim may have contributed to the crash.
Simple math says that this truck wasn't driven alot AT ALL. I doubt that this department was flush with fire trucks. I think I can figure out what is being said here.
Many have blasted NIOSH over the years; accusing them of using templates, releasing reports that have no bite and for being wishy washy on their findings.
I was so pleased to see Chief John Tippett involved in this process. Many of you know him as a founder of FireFighterNearMiss.
I hope that John will be enlisted more often by NIOSH. John is honest, thoughtful and articulate. I believe that the NIOSH reports just got better.
TCSS
Art
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