Line of Duty Death Report F2025-12: 53-Year-Old Sergeant Dies from Cardiac Event While Asleep in Station During Duty Shift - Indiana

Details

• Personal Author:
  Eisenberg, Judith S. ; Silliman, Matthew
• Description:
  A 53-year-old male was hired by this FD in 1995 and at the time of this incident held the rank of SGT at this fire department (FD). On April 13, 2025, his unit responded to three medical calls-two were canceled en route, and the third at 1900 involved a chest pain patient who was assessed and transferred to an ALS unit for transport. The remainder of the shift was uneventful, and he went to bed around 2200 hours. On April 14 at 0730, he was found deceased in his quarters after missing the 0700 shift change. Resuscitation was not initiated due to clear signs of rigor. An autopsy found the cause of death was a blood clot in one of the arteries of the heart with diffuse narrowing of the heart arteries due to buildup of cholesterol plaques as a contributing factor. Notably, on March 19, 2025, the SGT had an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) conducted by an external contractor sponsored jointly by the FD and IAFF union local to conduct whole body ultrasounds as voluntary screening examinations. The echocardiogram showed a new finding of aortic valve dysfunction, a condition that can affect blood flow from the heart. The contractor advised him to follow-up with his cardiologist. He was seen by his cardiologist on April 11, 2025, where he reported new shortness of breath and exercise intolerance. The cardiologist's notes cite the reason for his visit were new symptoms and the abnormal echocardiogram. The date of onset of these new symptoms was not noted but his physical exam at that visit was normal. The cardiologist arranged for additional testing on April 25, 2025, to better assess his new aortic valve dysfunction. The SGT had also been diagnosed with a seizure disorder in January 2023 but had been cleared by his neurologist to work as a firefighter. Key Recommendations - NIOSH offers the following recommendations to reduce the risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrest among firefighters at this and other fire departments across the country. Many of our recommendations cite relevant National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards which are periodically updated. Please note that it is our practice to cite the version of each standard in effect at the time of the fatality. Key Recommendation #1: Consider implementing return-to-work policies consistent with NFPA recommendations [2025 NFPA]. Key Recommendation #2: Consider placing information regarding components of required annual medical examinations as per NFPA 1582/1580 recommendations and the contact information for their occupational health provider in a location where this information is easily accessible to all members. Key Recommendation #3: Encourage members to promptly report new or changing medical conditions to the department as they occur so they can be evaluated by a physician aware of NFPA guidelines to ensure their safety and that of their coworkers.
• Subjects:
  Cardiovascular System Firefighters Myocardial Infarction Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Region 5; Fire fighters; Fire fighting; Fatalities; Emergency responders; Recommendations; Medical fitness evaluation; Cardiovascular disease; Return to work; Heart attacks; Cardiac arrest
• FACE - Firefighter:
  Cause of Death Medical (0000) ; Cardiovascular (0001) ; Non-Cardiac (0002) ; Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction, Coronary Artery Disease and Coronary Vascular Disease) (0035) ; Valvular Heart Disease (0039) ; Seizure Disorder (0049)
• Source:
  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 F2025-12, 2026 Apr; :1-21
• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• Subseries:
  Firefighter Fatality Investigation
• DOI:
  10.26616/NIOSHFFFACEF202512
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Indiana ; Ohio ; Chicago Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division fo Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  23 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071539
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• NORA Priority Area:
  Public Safety
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  92 - Public Administration - (NAICS 2022)
• Start Date:
  20250414
• Resource Number:
  59278004
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2da872f8775cdaf2a7af70b9f08a759d77a812d8720b9dffab98f33d30b783010a77b2556c9c636a8e61832c387372f942a20a04865d7bb03bc0b9e90953d191
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259133/cdc_259133_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.21 MB ]