Fire Apparatus Operator Suffers Sudden Cardiac Death During Physical Fitness Training – Hawaii

Details

• Personal Author:
  Baldwin, Tommy N. ; Hales, Thomas R.
• Corporate Authors:
  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 January 18, 2012, a 50-year-old male career fire apparatus operator (FAO) was working a 24-hour shift. During the day he responded to one emergency call, a reported structure fire near his home. Later that afternoon, the FAO began working out as part of the FD's wellness/fitness program. Approximately 3 hours later a crew member found the FAO unresponsive in the station's exercise room. CPR was initiated, and an automated external defibrillator (AED) was placed, but no shock was advised. Approximately 2 minutes later, paramedics arrived, assessed the FAO, and concluded that the FAO had been dead for a significant time. They pronounced him dead. The death certificate and autopsy listed "ischemic heart disease due to hypertensive and kidney disease and an old myocardial infarction" as the cause of death. Given the FAO's underlying cardiovascular disease, NIOSH investigators concluded that the physical stress of physical fitness training probably triggered his sudden cardiac death. NIOSH investigators offer the following recommendations to address general safety and health issues. It is unclear whether these recommendations could have prevented the FAO's death, however his underlying cardiac disease may have been identified sooner, possibly allowing for further evaluation and treatment. 1. Provide annual medical evaluations to all fire fighters in accordance with NFPA 1582, Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments. 2. Ensure on-duty fire fighters exercise in pairs or within viewing/hearing distance of another crew member. The following recommendations would not have prevented the FAO's death, but they address safety and health issues that all fire departments should consider. 1. Phase in a mandatory comprehensive wellness and fitness program for fire fighters. 2. Perform an annual physical performance (physical ability) evaluation for all members. 3. Discontinue lumbar spine x-rays as a screening test administered during the preplacement medical evaluation.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiovascular System Firefighters Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Cardiovascular-disease Cardiovascular-system-disease Cardiovascular-system-disorders Fire-fighters Fire-fighting Heart Medical-screening OSHA Region 9 Physical-fitness Physical-stress
• FACE - Firefighter:
  Cause of Death: Medical ; Cardiovascular: Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction, Coronary Artery Disease and Coronary Vascular Disease) ; Cardiovascular: Arrhythmia
• Series:
  Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP)
• Subseries:
  Death in the Line of Duty Report
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHFFFACEF201203
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study ; Report
• Place as Subject:
  Hawaii ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-14
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20041169
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2012-113428
• 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 F2012-03, 2012 Jul ; :1-14
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• NORA Priority Area:
  Public Safety
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  92 - Public Administration - (NAICS)
• Start Date:
  2012/01/18
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:0ad76d7f0c6e308ead4718030c1c3e0fd5fddeb109e3afb932df7837d8f6afd29a2b494e856d13ceef0e4f5be321ad205ad4a03990f95872410f90885ee200f5
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/163489/cdc_163489_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 451.40 KB ]