Two Fire Fighters Die of Smoke and Soot Inhalation in Residential Fire – Pennsylvania

Details

• Personal Author:
  Pettit, Theodore A. ; Braddee, Richard W. ; Hodous, Thomas K.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP)
• Description:
  On October 27, 1997, two male fire fighters died of smoke and soot inhalation while fighting a residential fire. An Engine Company comprised of four fighters was responding to a 911 call of a downed power line in a residential neighborhood when one of the fire fighters noticed smoke emitting from the basement area of a nearby residence. Without notifying fire dispatch of the change in conditions (smoke coming from the residence), three fire fighters entered the residence to assist the residents out, and to survey the conditions and location of the fire. The fire fighters then exited the residence to don their self-contained breathing apparatus. Two of the fire fighters reentered the residence with a charged 3/4-inch booster line and proceeded to the basement (location of the fire) to attack the fire. This was the last time either fire fighter was seen alive. NIOSH investigators concluded that, to prevent similar occurrences, fire departments should: ensure that fire fighters advise dispatch of any change in conditions that would warrant a change in the status of unit(s) responding to a specific condition
  
  ensure that fire fighters wear and use PASS devices when involved in fire fighting, rescue, and other hazardous duties.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Air Movements Electricity Emergencies Firefighters Hazardous Substances Mortality Occupational Health Respiratory Protective Devices Respiratory System Safety Smoke

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• Keywords:
  Accident-analysis Air-flow Airway-resistance Communications-equipment Electric-power-transmission-lines Emergency-response Equipment-reliability Fire-fighting Hazard-communication Injuries OSHA Region 3 Respirators Safety-practices Self-contained-breathing-apparatus Smoke-inhalation Traumatic-injuries Warning-devices Work-practices

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• FACE - Firefighter:
  Cause of Death: Trauma ; Structure Fire: Residential
• Series:
  Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHFFFACE9803
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study ; Report
• Place as Subject:
  Pennsylvania ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSR - Division of Safety Research
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-37
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20000276
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB99-157158
• 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 98-03, 1998 Jan ; :1-37
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1998
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  92 - Public Administration - (NAICS)
• Start Date:
  1997/10/27
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:55bbe3dce263f2b33225e9c2bb87ea0ac4dbcff29516e246e21b25c4b94f5370926ab98615af57cb5de8738de67245daa247b9d17e52b989ec513144de94cd5d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/163998/cdc_163998_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 85.96 KB ]