Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report: Fire Fighter Suffers Fatal Heart Attack While Performing Driver/Operator Duties at a Motor Vehicle Crash - South Carolina.

摘要

On January 9, 2012, a 63-year-old male volunteer fire fighter ('the FF') was dispatched at 0633 hours to a motor vehicle crash involving three vehicles with possible entrapment. At the scene, the FF operated the pumper as crew members utilized a handline to wash the fuel away from the vehicles. A short while later the Chief found the FF collapsed on the elevated pump platform. Crew members pulled the FF from the pumper to the ground, assessed him, and found him to be unresponsive, not breathing, and without a pulse. An ambulance was requested as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was begun (0705 hours). A paramedic ambulance arrived 15 minutes later and began advanced life support. The FF was transported to the local hospital's emergency department (ED) arriving at 0749 hours. Inside the ED, cardiac resuscitation efforts continued for an additional 6 minutes when the FF was pronounced dead. The death certificate, completed by the county coroner, listed 'acute myocardial infarction due to thrombosis of the left main coronary artery due to atherosclerotic coronary artery disease with cardiomegaly (830) grams' as the cause of death. The autopsy report, completed by a pathologist, listed 'acute myocardial infarction' as the cause of death and 'strenuous activity during rescue procedures' as a contributing factor. Given the FF's history of underlying coronary heart disease (CHD), NIOSH investigators concluded that the physical stress of responding to the call and performing driver/operator duties triggered his heart attack and subsequent sudden cardiac death. NIOSH investigators offer the following recommendations to address safety and health issues and prevent similar incidents in the future.