Career Captain Sustains Injuries at a 2-1/2 Story Apartment Fire then Dies at Hospital – Illinois

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bowyer, Matt E. ; Wertman, Stacy C. ; Loflin, Murrey E. ; Hales, Thomas R. ; Bowyer, Matt E. ; Wertman, Stacy C. ; Loflin, Murrey E. ; Hales, Thomas R.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP)
• Description:
  Death in the Line of Duty…a Summary of a NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation
  
  On November 2, 2012, a 54-year-old male career captain sustained injuries at a 2-1/2 story apartment building fire then died at a local hospital. The fire occurred only blocks from the victim's fire station. Battalion Chief 19 (BC19) was the first to arrive on scene and reported heavy smoke coming from the rear and front of the structure's attic. BC19 surveyed the interior of both floors, while the captain and a fire fighter from Engine 123 stretched a 2½-inch line with a gated wye to 1¾-inch hoseline to the 2nd floor. BC19 radioed the captain from the rear of the 1st floor apartment that there was heavy fire in the rear covered porch and stairwell. The captain (victim) and the fire fighter stretched the hoseline towards the rear of the second floor apartment. Before water could be applied to the fire the captain told the fire fighter they had to "get out." Engine 49 (2nd due engine) had stretched a 2½-inch hoseline down the alley to the rear and get into position to put water through the attic window. The captain moved halfway back in the hallway towards the kitchen and yelled out that he needed help. As the fire fighter drug the captain to the kitchen, additional fire fighters who reached the 2nd floor heard the Captain and fire fighter collapse on the floor in front of them. A Mayday was called by the Squad 5 Lieutenant on the second floor and the victim was carried down the stairs to the front yard. The victim responded to basic life support measures and was moved to Ambulance 19 for advanced life support. The victim was transported to the local hospital where he had complications during airway management and died. Contributing Factors: 1. Modified building construction with multiple ceilings and a multi-story enclosed rear porch
  
  2. Horizontal ventilation contributed to the rapid fire growth
  
  3. Fireground communications
  
  4. Lack of proper personal protective equipment
  
  5. Lack of a sprinkler system in the residential rental building. Key Recommendations: 1. Ensure that fireground operations are coordinated with consideration given to the effects of horizontal ventilation on ventilation-limited fires
  
  2. Ensure that the Incident Commander communicates the strategy and Incident Action Plan to all members assigned to the incident
  
  3. Ensure that the Incident Commander establishes a stationary command post during the initial stages of the incident for effective incident management, which includes the use of a tactical worksheet, enhanced communications, and a personnel accountability system
  
  4. Ensure use of risk management principles at all structure fires
  
  5. Ensure proper personal protective equipment is worn
  
  6. Ensure that communications are acknowledged and progress reports are relayed
  
  7. Ensure that Incident Commanders are provided chief aides to help manage information and communication
  
  8. Ensure that staffing levels are maintained.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Accident Prevention Accidents Accidents, Occupational Emergency Responders Firefighters Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety Safety Management Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Accident-prevention Emergency-responders Fire-fighters Fire-fighting Injuries Injury-prevention OSHA Region 5 Personal-protection Personal-protective-equipment Protective-equipment Protective-measures Safety-equipment Safety-measures Safety-practices Surveillance Training Traumatic-injuries

  More +
• FACE - Firefighter:
  Cause of Death: Trauma ; Structure Fire: Residential ; Structure Fire: Miscellaneous ; Cause of Death: Trauma ; Structure Fire: Residential ; Structure Fire: Miscellaneous
• Series:
  Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP)   ; Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP)  
• Subseries:
  Death in the Line of Duty Report ; Death in the Line of Duty Report
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHFFFACEF201228
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study ; Report ; Field Study ; Report
• Place as Subject:
  Illinois ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSR - Division of Safety Research ; DSR - Division of Safety Research
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health ; Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America ; North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-28
• Contributor:
  Comas, Joseph T.
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20043341
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2014-101406
• Citation:
  Morgantown, WV: 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 F2012-28, 2013 Sep ; :1-28
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• NORA Priority Area:
  Public Safety ; Public Safety
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  92 - Public Administration - (NAICS)
• Start Date:
  2012/11/02
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a4a6b5a1ef000afb90edca68999ae9de53042ae6ecbedb19b54d4b352dec4907fb210606e8e5d73cac7b6d3f4cd33da9ac9b5790a9943d60c723f91ee0937050
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/163453/cdc_163453_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.08 MB ]