Fire Fighter Suffers Intracranial Cyst Bleed During Residential Fire Operations and Dies Three Days Later – Virginia

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 June 4, 2009, a 39-year-old male career fire fighter (the FF) drove a fire engine to a fire in an abandoned dwelling. At the fire scene, the FF performed driver/operator duties. Still at the fire scene approximately 3 hours later, the FF complained of a headache and of not feeling well. An ambulance transported the FF to the local hospital's emergency department (ED). A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed the FF was experiencing an intracranial bleed due to a "hemorrhagic colloid cyst" with "acute obstructive hydrocephalus." The FF was immediately transferred to a regional hospital for advanced care. Despite intensive treatment over 3 days, the FF's condition deteriorated, and he died. The death certificate, completed by the attending physician, listed "herniation" due to "obstructive hydrocephalus" due to "colloid cyst" as the cause of death. No autopsy was performed. NIOSH investigators agree with this conclusion and are unable to determine whether the physical exertion involved in performing driver/operator duties contributed to or triggered his death. None of the following recommendations could have prevented the FF's death. Nonetheless, we offer the recommendations to address general safety and health issues at this and other fire departments across the country. 1. Provide annual medical evaluations to all fire fighters. 2. Perform a preplacement and an annual physical performance (physical ability) evaluation. 3. Ensure fire fighters are cleared for return to duty by a physician knowledgeable about the physical demands of fire fighting, the personal protective equipment used by fire fighters, and the various components of NFPA 1582. 4. Phase in a comprehensive wellness and fitness program for fire fighters. 5. Provide fire fighters with medical clearance to wear self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) as part of the Fire Department's medical evaluation program.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Accident Prevention Accidents Accidents, Occupational Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiovascular System Emergency Responders Firefighters Nervous System Nervous System Diseases Occupational Health Safety

  More +
• Keywords:
  Accident-analysis Accident-prevention Cardiovascular-disease Cardiovascular-system-disease Cardiovascular-system-disorders Cerebrovascular-system Cerebrovascular-system-disorders Emergency-responders Fire-fighters Medical-screening OSHA Region 3 Physical-fitness

  More +
• FACE - Firefighter:
  Cause of Death: Medical ; Non-Cardiac: Miscellaneous Medical COD
• Series:
  Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP)
• Subseries:
  Death in the Line of Duty Report
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHFFFACEF200922
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study ; Report
• Place as Subject:
  Virginia ; OSHA Region 3
• 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:
  1-8
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20036425
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2010-105909
• 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 F2009-22, 2010 Feb ; :1-8
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2010
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services: Public Safety
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  92 - Public Administration - (NAICS)
• Start Date:
  2009/06/04
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c643d89b5b1dab50cfe598dcdb4fae2a6ab4e18b9376e9dcf839f2f0544eec264a02d89e665252060a34e8761981a93217033a39fa5d65917198620442b9ac9d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/163567/cdc_163567_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 505.28 KB ]