54-Year-Old Interim Fire Captain Suffers Sudden Cardiac Event During Physical Ability Test—New Hampshire

Details

• Personal Author:
  Smith, Denise L.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP)
• Description:
  Line of Duty Death Report
  
  A 54-year-old career interim fire captain (CAPT) experienced chest pain and collapsed during a physical ability test that he was performing in order to be rehired as a fire captain after several years of retirement. Firefighters and paramedics on-scene immediately initiated care and the CAPT was defibrillated several times before a transport ambulance arrived. Continued resuscitation efforts en route and in the emergency department were unsuccessful. The medical examiner's report listed the cause of death as atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. The autopsy found advanced underlying cardiovascular disease with near total blockages by advanced plaque in each of the three main arteries of the heart, and evidence of two old heart attacks that had damaged the heart muscle. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) investigators concluded that the physical ability test triggered a sudden cardiac event in an individual with advanced coronary artery disease and pre-existing cardiac damage. Key Recommendations - NIOSH offers the following recommendations to reduce the risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrest among firefighters at this and other fire departments across the country. Key Recommendation 1: Phase in a comprehensive wellness fitness program. Key Recommendation 2: Medical evaluations for rehires should occur within 3-6 months of the rehire date and before the candidate takes the pre-hire candidate physical ability test.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiovascular System Emergency Responders Firefighters Fires Mortality Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Cardiac Arrest Cardiovascular Disease Emergency Responders Fatalities Fire Fighters Fire Fighting Heart Attacks Medical Fitness Evaluation OSHA Region 1 Physical Fitness
• FACE - Firefighter:
  Cause of Death: Medical ; Cardiovascular: Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction, Coronary Artery Disease and Coronary Vascular Disease)
• Series:
  Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP)
• Subseries:
  Line of Duty Death Report
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHFFFACEF202104
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study ; Report
• Place as Subject:
  New Hampshire ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-8
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20065628
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, FACE F2021-04, 2021 Mar ; :1-8
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  92 - Public Administration - (NAICS)
• Start Date:
  2020/08/31
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5952fb27c4685e9d844dea64d25caf6eceef75c8b153a5a781385d1943a47f25651d5cf55d6d3ee3d6d8e5ad2aaf360518b86ab7dc4724c030e08de47d0cf3b4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/163321/cdc_163321_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 779.85 KB ]