Line of Duty Death Report F2023-04: 46-Year-Old Motor Pump Operator Collapses During Residential Fire Response and Dies - Connecticut

Details

• Personal Author:
  Eisenberg, Judith S. ; Saunders, Robert ; Wilkinson, Andrea
• Description:
  On December 26, 2022, at about 0100 hours, a 46-year-old motor pump operator/engine driver (MPO) was dispatched with his crew to a residential fire with occupants trapped inside. On arrival at the location, the MPO was assigned to provide support from the building exterior, operating the truck in the extreme cold (below freezing) conditions. When he noticed interior crews having difficulty advancing a hoseline inside, he took the initiative and left the pump panel to assist by pushing the hoseline from the outside and assisted with hose advancement up to the second-floor landing because the firefighter at the nozzle was advancing the line solo up to the third floor. The second-floor landing was not considered to be an IDLH atmosphere (immediately dangerous to life or health). One of his crew members asked the MPO to assist with changing out his self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) bottle. They walked back to the engine to do so. The MPO was standing at the engine's pump panel when he collapsed. The crew member he was assisting, who was also a paramedic, witnessed the MPO collapse to the ground. His initial assessment found the MPO to be unresponsive and pulseless. This crew member called a Mayday, and he and a firefighter from a rescue unit immediately initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). An advanced life support transport unit that was on the scene transported the MPO to the nearest emergency department. Resuscitation was unsuccessful. The MPO was declared dead at 0227 hours. The medical examiner found the death due to hypertensive and cardiovascular disease, with obesity and a bicuspid aortic valve as contributing factors. Connecticut Occupational Safety and Health (CT OSHA) conducted an investigation and in a letter dated April 13, 2023, determined there were no violations of OSHA standards involved in this incident, and no citations were issued. Key Recommendations - NIOSH offers the following recommendations to reduce the risk of adverse cardiac events among firefighters at this and other fire rescue agencies across the country. Key Recommendation #1: Consider requiring annual medical evaluations. Although annual medical evaluations are not required by department policy, NFPA 1582 recommends annual medical evaluations of members [NFPA 2022]. Key Recommendation #2: Consider providing NFPA educational material to the healthcare providers performing Respiratory Questionnaire Health Surveillance Records (also known as Respiratory Clearance Medical Evaluations). Include information on essential job tasks requiring respiratory protection as well as NFPA clearance guidelines for specific medical conditions [NFPA 2022]. Key Recommendation #3: Reinforce education among firefighters, including fire academy trainees, that developing new medical conditions after beginning a career in the fire service can happen and is accounted for in NFPA 1582. This standard is focused on ensuring that firefighters with various medical conditions can safely perform their essential job tasks while receiving the appropriate medical care for those conditions [NFPA 2024]. Key Recommendation #4: Encourage all Fire Department (FD) members to seek prompt medical care for new symptoms and medical concerns. Recommend that all members obtain a primary care provider regardless of any required FD annual medical evaluation. Having an existing relationship with a healthcare provider can enable discussion and management of new health issues as they arise. Key Recommendation #5: As required by OSHA's Respirator Standard, a Respiratory Clearance Medical Examination should precede each annual Respirator Certification (fit test). Consider creating a consolidated file management system to ensure this is occurring and provide easy access to past records. Key Recommendation #6: Assess emergency incident documentation procedures and consider consolidating emergency medical services and FD call records. Key Recommendation #7: Review FD Mayday call protocol with the dispatch office to ensure understanding and compliance to FD standard operating procedures. Dispatchers often operate from a controlled environment, such as an office or control center. They need to be familiar with fire rescue terminology to know how to best support the agencies they serve. This may include creating timers, assisting with notifications, and capturing any difficult to hear radio transmissions using a playback feature. Ensuring radio discipline is essential during these high stress incidents.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Firefighters Fires Mortality Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Region 1; Fire fighters; Fire fighting; Fatalities; Emergency responders; Recommendations; Medical fitness evaluation; Hypertension; Cardiovascular disease
• FACE - Firefighter:
  Cause of Death Medical (0000) ; Cardiovascular (0001) ; Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction, Coronary Artery Disease and Coronary Vascular Disease) (0035) ; Valvular Heart Disease (0039)
• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• Subseries:
  Firefighter Fatality Investigation
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study ; Report
• Place as Subject:
  Connecticut ; Ohio ; Boston Region [OSHA] ; Chicago Region [OSHA]
• 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:
  19 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071032
• 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 F2023-04, 2025 May; :1-19
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• NORA Priority Area:
  Public Safety
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  92 - Public Administration - (NAICS)
• Start Date:
  20221226
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7f71f6e7c9d6b9b32faf3419d978af7b975f02c051d321e72ca596e36e055d699f505f414a08a6b38d281aba81efe9e72f270ecbfed23e2a0547d017aa44ff5b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/257808/cdc_257808_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.16 MB ]