Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report: Fire Fighter-Emergency Medical Technician Suffers Sudden Cardiac Death During Overhaul in New York

摘要

On February 19, 2007, a 44-year-old male career Fire Fighter-Emergency Medical Technician (FF-EMT) started his shift at 0800 hours. At 1642 hours, he responded to a fire in a high rise apartment building. When the FF-EMT arrived at the fire scene, he was assigned to perform a search for fire victims on the 6th floor. In full turnout gear and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), he performed two walkthroughs looking for spot fires and conducting overhaul activities. The FF-EMT was about to make the third walkthrough when he commented to a crewmember that, 'the stairs were a killer.' He then turned around, took a few steps, and collapsed. The crew member thought the FF-EMT had tripped on hoselines and tried to assist him in getting up. When the FF-EMT did not respond, nearby crew members were alerted. Incident Command was notified. Initial crewmember assessment revealed the FF-EMT was unresponsive with labored breathing. Shortly thereafter, he lost his pulse and stopped breathing. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was begun, and paramedics (already on scene) responded to the 6th floor to begin treatment. Despite advanced life support treatment, including defibrillation and intubation, administered on-scene, during transport, and in the hospitals Emergency Department, the FF-EMT died.