Firefighter Fatalities

in the

United States

in 1999

National Fire Data Center

United States Fire Administration

Federal Emergency Management Agency

July 2000

 
 

Prepared for 

National Fire Data Center 

United States Fire Administration 

Federal Emergency Management Agency 

Contract No. EME-1998-CO-0202-T0006 

Prepared by 

IOCAD Emergency Services Group 

July 2000 

Firefighter Fatalities

in the

United States

in 1999
Table of Contents 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.......................................................................................................................1

BACKGROUND.................................................................................................................. 2 

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 3 

WHO IS A FIREFIGHTER? ......................................................................................................... 3 

WHAT CONSTITUTES AN ON-DUTY FATALITY? ...................................................................... 4 

SOURCES OF INITIAL NOTIFICATION........................................................................................ 5 

PROCEDURE FOR INCLUDING A FATALITY IN THE STUDY ........................................................ 6 

1999 FINDINGS................................................................................................................... 7

TYPE OF DUTY...................................................................................................................... 10 

CAREER, VOLUNTEER, AND WILDLAND DEATHS BY TYPE OF DUTY .................................... 14 

TYPE OF EMERGENCY DUTY................................................................................................. 15 

CAUSE OF FATAL INJURY...................................................................................................... 16 

NATURE OF FATAL INJURY ................................................................................................... 19 

FIREFIGHTERS’ AGES............................................................................................................ 23 

FIXED PROPERTY TYPE......................................................................................................... 25 

FIREGROUND DEATHS .......................................................................................................... 26 

TYPE OF ACTIVITY................................................................................................................ 26 

TIME OF INJURY.................................................................................................................... 29 

MONTH OF THE YEAR ........................................................................................................... 30 

STATE AND REGION.............................................................................................................. 31 

ANALYSIS OF URBAN/RURAL/SUBURBAN PATTERNS IN FIREFIGHTER FATALITIES ............... 33 

SPECIAL TOPICS............................................................................................................ 34 

VEHICLE COLLISIONS INVOLVING FIREFIGHTERS.................................................................. 34 

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT ........................................................... 42 

CONCLUSIONS................................................................................................................ 45 

APPENDIX A................................................................................................................... A-1 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 1 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

This study of firefighter fatalities would not have been possible without the cooperation 

and assistance of many members of the fire service across the United States. Members of 

individual fire departments, chief fire officers, the National Interagency Fire Center, United 

States Forest Service personnel, the United States military, the Department of Justice, the 

National Fire Protection Association, and many others contributed important information 

for this report. 

IOCAD Emergency Services Group of Emmitsburg, Maryland (a division of IOCAD 

Technical Services, Inc.) conducted this analysis for the United States Fire Administration 

(USFA) under contract EME-1998-CO-0202-T0006. 

The ultimate objective of this effort is to reduce the number of firefighter deaths through an 

increased awareness and understanding of their causes and how they can be prevented. 

Firefighting, rescue, and other types of emergency operations are essential activities in an 

inherently dangerous profession, and unfortunate tragedies do occur. This is the risk all 

firefighters accept every time they respond to an emergency incident. However, the risk 

can be reduced greatly through efforts to increase firefighter health and safety. 

The USFA would like to extend its thanks to photographer Kathleen Cole and to the 

Chattanooga Times and Free Press for permission to use the photograph on the cover of 

this report. The photograph shows the funeral procession for Fire and Rescue Captain 

Lewis Edward Williams who died on May 14, 1999, at the scene of a trench rescue in Fort 

Oglethorpe, Georgia. 

 

This report is dedicated to the families of those firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice 

in 1999. May the lessons learned from their passing not go unheeded.
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 2 

BACKGROUND 

For more than 20 years, the United States Fire Administration (USFA) has tracked the 

number of firefighter fatalities and conducted an annual analysis. Through the collection of 

information on the causes of firefighter deaths, the USFA is able to focus on specific 

problems and direct efforts towards finding solutions to reduce the number of firefighter 

fatalities in the future. This information also is used to measure the effectiveness of current 

programs directed toward firefighter health and safety. 

In addition to the analysis, the USFA provides a list of firefighter fatalities to the National 

Fallen Firefighters Foundation. If Memorial criteria are met, the fallen firefighter’s next of 

kin, as well as members of the individual fire department, are invited to the annual Fallen 

Firefighters Memorial Service. The Service is held at the National Emergency Training 

Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland annually during Fire Prevention Week. Additional 

information regarding the Memorial Service can be found on the Internet at 

http://www.firehero.org/ or by calling the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation at (301) 

447-1365. An updated list of firefighter fatalities from 1981 through the present, including 

a searchable database, can be found at 

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/ffmem/ffmem_search.cfm
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 3 

INTRODUCTION 

This report continues a series of annual studies by the USFA of on-duty firefighter fatalities 

in the United States. 

The specific objective of this study was to identify all of the on-duty firefighter fatalities 

that occurred in the United States in 1999, and to analyze the circumstances surrounding 

each occurrence. The study is intended to help identify approaches that could reduce the 

number of firefighter deaths in future years. 

In addition to the 1999 overall findings, this study includes special analyses on vehicle 

collisions and personal protective clothing and equipment use. 

Who is a Firefighter? 

For the purpose of this study, the term firefighter covers all members of organized fire 

departments, including career and volunteer firefighters; full-time public safety officers 

acting as firefighters; State and Federal government fire service personnel, including 

wildland firefighters; and privately employed firefighters, including employees of contract 

fire departments and trained members of industrial fire brigades, whether full- or part-time. 

It also includes contract personnel working as firefighters or assigned to work in direct 

support of fire service organizations. 

Under this definition, the study includes not only local and municipal firefighters, but also 

seasonal and full-time employees of the United States Forest Service, the Bureau of Land 

Management, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Fish and Wildlife, the National 

Park Service, and State wildland agencies. The definition also includes prison inmates 

serving on firefighting crews; firefighters employed by other governmental agencies such 

as the United States Department of Energy; military personnel performing assigned fire 

suppression activities; and civilian firefighters working at military installations. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 4 

What Constitutes an On-Duty Fatality? 

On-duty fatalities include any injury or illness sustained while on-duty that proves fatal. 

The term on-duty refers to being involved in operations at the scene of an emergency, 

whether it is a fire or non fire incident; responding to or returning from an incident; 

performing other officially assigned duties such as training, maintenance, public education, 

inspection, investigations, court testimony, and fund-raising; and being on call, under 

orders, or on stand by duty, except at the individual's home or place of business. An 

individual who experiences a heart attack or other fatal injury at home as he or she prepares 

to respond to an emergency is considered on-duty when the response begins. 

A fatality may be caused directly by an accidental or intentional injury in either emergency 

or non emergency circumstances, or it may be attributed to an occupationally related fatal 

illness. A common example of a fatal illness incurred on-duty is a heart attack. Fatalities 

attributed to occupational illnesses also would include a communicable disease contracted 

while on-duty that proved fatal, where the disease could be attributed to a documented 

occupational exposure. 

Injuries and illnesses are included where death is delayed considerably after the original 

incident. When the incident and the death occur in different years, the analysis counts the 

fatality as having occurred in the year that the incident occurred. 

There is no established mechanism for identifying fatalities that result from illnesses that 

develop over long periods of time, such as cancer, which may be related to occupational 

exposure to hazardous materials or products of combustion. It has proved to be very 

difficult over several years to provide a full evaluation of an occupational illness as a 

causal factor in firefighter deaths, because of the limitations in the ability to track the 

exposure of firefighters to toxic hazards, the often delayed long-term effects of such 

exposures, and the exposures firefighters may receive while off-duty. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 5 

Sources of Initial Notification 

As an integral part of its ongoing program to collect and analyze fire data, USFA solicits 

information on firefighter fatalities directly from the fire service and from a wide range of 

other sources. These sources include the Public Safety Officers’ Benefit Program (PSOB) 

administered by the Department of Justice, the National Institute for Occupational Safety 

and Health (NIOSH), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the 

United States military, the National Interagency Fire Center, and other Federal agencies. 

The USFA receives notification of some deaths directly from fire departments, as well as 

from such fire service organizations as the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), 

the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), the National Fire Protection 

Association (NFPA), the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), State fire marshals, 

State training organizations, other State and local organizations, fire service Internet sites, 

news services, and fire service publications. The USFA also keeps track of fatal fire 

incidents as part of its Major Fire Investigations Program and performs an ongoing analysis 

of data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 6 

Procedure for Including a Fatality in the Study 

In most cases, after notification of a fatal incident, initial telephone contact is made with 

local authorities by the USFA’s contractor to verify the incident, its location and 

jurisdiction, and the fire department or agency involved. Further information about the 

deceased firefighter and the incident may be obtained from the chief of the fire department 

or his or her designee over the phone or by other data collection forms. 

Information that is requested routinely includes NFIRS-1 (incident) and NFIRS-3 (fire 

service casualty) reports, the fire department's own incident reports and internal 

investigation reports, copies of death certificates or autopsy results, special investigative 

reports, police reports, photographs and diagrams, and newspaper or media accounts of the 

incident. Information on the incident also may be gathered from the NFPA, USFA, or 

NIOSH reports on an incident. 

After obtaining this information, a determination is made as to whether the death qualifies 

as an on-duty firefighter fatality according to the previously described criteria. The same 

criteria were used for this study as in previous annual studies. Additional information may 

be requested, either by follow up with the fire department directly, from State vital records 

offices, or other agencies. The determination as to whether a fatality qualifies as an onduty death for inclusion in this statistical analysis is made by the USFA. The final 

determination as to whether a fatality qualifies as a line-of-duty death for inclusion in the 

Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service is made by the National Fallen Firefighters 

Foundation. 

 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 7 

1999 FINDINGS

One hundred and twelve (112) firefighters died while on-duty in 1999. This represents an 

increase of 21 deaths from 1998, and reverses the overall downward trend from the levels 

of deaths that had been experienced during the decade. The total of 112 fatalities is the 

highest number recorded since 119 firefighters gave their lives in 1989. The lowest years 

on record were 1992, with 75 fatalities, and 1993, with 77 fatalities. 

This year’s total reverses the long-term downward trend of reduced fatalities that began in 

1979, after a peak of 171 in 1978. Despite a horrible year in 1999, the overall trend in 

firefighter fatalities is down 24 percent over the last 10 years. However, the rate of 

reduction in the last 5 years has slowed to 6 percent, attributable partly to the 

uncharacteristically low number of deaths that occurred in 1992 and 1993 (Figure 1). The 

total of 112 for 1999 is 16 percent higher than the 10-year and 5-year trends. 

Figure 1 - On-Duty Firefighter Fatalities (1977-1999)

157

171

126

140 135

125

113

119

126 121

131 136

119

108 109

75 77

104

112

91 94

96 95

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

19771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999

Year

Number of Deaths
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 8 

The 1999 firefighter fatalities included 74 volunteer firefighters and 38 career firefighters 

(Figure 2). Among the volunteer firefighter fatalities, 71 were from local or municipal 

volunteer fire departments and 3 were seasonal or contract members of wildland fire 

agencies. Of the career firefighters who died, 37 were members of local or municipal fire 

departments and 1 was a wildland career firefighter. One hundred and ten (110) of the 

fatalities were men and 2 were women. 

 

Figure 2

Career vs. Volunteer Deaths

METRO DEPTS

36 Deaths

OTHER DEPTS

1 Death

MUNICIPAL FD

37 Deaths

Wildland Career

1 Death

CAREER

38 Deaths

Wildland Seasonal/Part-time

3 Deaths

SUBURBAN/URBAN VFD

27 Deaths

RURAL VFD

44 Deaths

MUNICIPAL/LOCAL VFD

71 Deaths

VOLUNTEER

74 Deaths

FIREFIGHTER ON DUTY FATALITIES 1999

112 Total Deaths
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 9 

The 112 deaths resulted from 100 incidents. Six (6) multi fatality incidents resulted in the 

deaths of 18 firefighters; this is down from the total of 10 multi fatality incidents that 

occurred in 1998, which resulted in 22 firefighter deaths. In 1999, 6 Massachusetts 

firefighters were killed when they became disoriented in a six-story cold storage warehouse 

fire; 3 Texas firefighters were killed in the collapse of a fire-involved church attic; 3 Iowa 

firefighters were killed in the flashover of an apartment building as they performed search 

and rescue activities; 2 Kentucky firefighters died when they were overcome by fire 

progress in a wildland fire; 2 District of Columbia firefighters were killed when they were 

overcome by fire progress in a residence; and 2 Indiana firefighters died after they were 

injured in the rollover of a fire department tanker (tender). 

The number of deaths associated with brush, grass, or wildland firefighting rose to 28. 

This is a sharp rise from the 13 experienced in 1998, the 9 deaths experienced in 1997, and 

the 5 deaths experienced in 1996. 1999 also reflects a significant increase over the 18 

firefighters who died in wildland activities in 1995. For the first time since 1993 and for 

only the third time since 1970, there were no firefighter fatalities resulting from aircraft 

crashes. At least 1 firefighting aircraft crash occurred-- a helicopter in California--but the 

pilot’s life was spared. 

Two (2) Kentucky firefighters were killed when they were overcome by fire progress while 

building a fire break in hardwood leaf litter on the floor of a wooded area; 2 Indiana 

firefighters were injured and later died as the result of a tanker rollover while responding to 

a brush fire; 11 firefighters died of heart attacks in separate brush or wildland incidents; 3 

firefighters were killed when they were electrocuted in separate brush or wildland 

incidents; 3 firefighters were killed after being struck or run over by fire apparatus in 

separate incidents; 2 firefighters were killed in tanker rollovers while en route to wildland 

fires in separate incidents; 1 firefighter drowned at a woods fire; 1 firefighter died of heat 

stroke as he served as an EMT at a wildland fire; 1 firefighter fell 150 feet to his death at a 

wildland fire; 1 firefighter was struck and killed by a falling boulder at a wildland fire; and, 

1 firefighter experienced a fatal cerebrovascular accident (CVA) while driving a rescue 

vehicle to a wildland fire. 

In 1999, 4 of the 28 wildland-related firefighter deaths involved vehicle rollovers where the 

firefighter was the driver or an occupant of the vehicle. There were 3 such incidents, all of 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 10 

which involved unrestrained firefighters being ejected from the vehicle and killed. The 

fact that many firefighters fail to use seatbelts will be examined later in this report. 

Type of Duty 

In 1999, 97 on-duty firefighter deaths were associated with emergency incidents, 

accounting for 87 percent of the 112 fatalities (Figure 3). This includes all firefighters who 

died while responding to an emergency, while at the emergency scene, or while returning 

from the emergency incident. Non emergency activities accounted for 15 fatalities (13 

percent). Non emergency duties include training, administrative activities, or performing 

other functions that are not related to an emergency incident. A historic perspective 

concerning the percentage of firefighter deaths that occur during emergency duty is 

presented in Table 1. 

Figure 3 - Firefighter Deaths by Type of Duty (1999)

Emergency

87% (97)

 Non 

Emergency

13% (15)
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 11 

Table 1. Emergency Duty Firefighter Deaths 

Year Percent 

1999 87% 

1998 77% 

1997 81% 

1996 72% 

1995 85% 

The number of deaths by type of duty being performed in 1999 is shown in Table 2 and 

presented graphically in Figure 4. As in previous years, the largest number of deaths 

occurred during fireground operations. There were 60 fireground deaths, which accounted 

for 54 percent of the fatalities, up from 46 percent in 1998 and 44 percent in 1997. Of the 

60 fireground deaths, more than 2 in 5 (25) resulted from heart attacks that occurred on the 

fire scene. Other fireground deaths included 14 from asphyxiation, 8 from burns, 8 from 

internal trauma, and 3 electrocutions. One (1) firefighter died of heat stroke as he worked 

as an EMT on a wildland fire incident and 1 firefighter drowned at the scene of a woods 

fire. 

Table 2. Type of Duty – 1999 Number Percent 

Fireground Operations 60 54% 

Responding/Returning from Alarm 26 23% 

Other On-duty 11 10% 

Non Fire Emergencies 7 6% 

After an Incident 5 4% 

Training 3 3% 

TOTAL 112 100% 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 12 

Twenty-six (26) firefighters died while responding to or returning from emergency 

incidents. This has been the second leading type of duty in which firefighter deaths have 

occurred each year since 1993. The number of firefighters killed performing this type of 

duty is up sharply from 1998 when 14 firefighters were killed, but similar to the number of 

deaths that occurred in 1995 when 29 firefighters died. In 1999, 23 of these deaths 

involved volunteer firefighters. 

Of the 26 firefighters who died while responding to or returning from alarms, 13 died of 

heart attacks, 2 died of strokes or CVA’s, and 11 died from traumatic injuries. Two (2) 

firefighters died in collisions involving their personal vehicles, 1 firefighter was killed 

when he was ejected through the windshield of a pumper after a collision, 1 firefighter was 

killed when the rescue truck in which he was a passenger hit a tree, 1 firefighter fell from a 

ladder truck as it responded to an automatic fire alarm, and a total of 6 firefighters were 

killed in collisions, most of them rollovers. 

Figure 4 - Fatalities by Type of Duty (1999)

Training

3% (3)

Responding/ 

Returning from 

Alarm

23% (26)

Fireground 

Operations

54% (60)

After an Incident

4% (5)

Non Fire 

Emergencies

6% (7)

Other On Duty

10% (11)
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 13 

There were 11 deaths that occurred during other on-duty activities. These deaths include 5 

firefighters who died from heart attacks while on-duty and 2 who died from pulmonary 

embolisms. One (1) firefighter was killed when a part of a front-end loader that he was 

using to clear snow from fire hydrants failed and struck the firefighter, 1 firefighter was 

killed in an explosion of fireworks residue as he supervised a controlled burn, 1 firefighter 

suffered a stroke or CVA as he was engaged in a physical fitness workout, and 1 firefighter 

died of heart inflammation while on-duty. 

Seven (7) deaths were related to activities at the scene of non fire emergency incidents; this 

is half of the number reported in 1998. 2 of the deaths involved fire police officers, 1 died 

of a heart attack, and 1 died after being struck by a tractor trailer truck as he directed 

traffic. Two (2) firefighters died of heart attacks while engaged in vehicle extrication 

incidents, 1 firefighter died of a heart attack as he aided an injured high school football 

player, 1 firefighter died of a heart attack while engaged in a trench rescue incident, and 1 

firefighter was killed when he was struck by a car at the scene of an earlier motor vehicle 

collision. 

Five (5) firefighters died in 1999 after the conclusion of an incident. Three (3) deaths 

were heart attacks, 1 was a stomach aneurysm, and the fifth was a fire investigator who was 

killed when he was crushed by the collapse of a chimney in the attic of a building where he 

was conducting an investigation. 

In 1999, 3 firefighters died during training exercises. This number is significantly lower 

than the 12 that were experienced in 1998 and more in line with the experience of recent 

years. In 1997, 5 firefighters died while training, 6 died in 1996, and the total for 1995 was 

3. The firefighter deaths in 1999 included 1 firefighter who drowned during a dive training 

exercise, 1 firefighter who collapsed and died of a heart attack during a physical fitness 

test, and 1 firefighter who was killed as a result of head and facial trauma after attempting 

an emergency egress procedure during a training exercise. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 14 

Career, Volunteer, and Wildland Deaths by Type of Duty 

Figure 5 depicts career, volunteer, and wildland firefighter deaths by type of duty. 

Wildland career, wildland seasonal, and wildland contractor deaths were grouped together. 

This chart demonstrates the disproportionate number of fatalities experienced by volunteer 

firefighters responding to and returning from alarms as compared to career and wildland 

firefighters. This is a continuing trend. The large number of career firefighter deaths while 

on-duty but not involved in an incident or training activity, may be attributed to the fact 

that career firefighters are on-duty for longer periods of time than volunteer firefighters. 

The on-duty periods for volunteer firefighters generally are related to an emergency 

incident or other official functions such as training. Some volunteer fire departments staff 

stations overnight (similar to a career department) but their number is small when 

compared to the total number of volunteer fire departments. 

Figure 5 - Career, Volunteer, and Wildland Deaths by Type of Duty 

(1999)

35

6

23

4

3

22

1

3

2

7

2

3

1

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Fireground

Operations Training

Number of Deaths

Wildland

Career

Volunteer
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 15 

Type of Emergency Duty 

Ninety-three (93) firefighters died while engaged directly in emergency service delivery, 

including deaths that were the result of injuries sustained on the incident scene or en route 

to the incident scene (4 died immediately after an emergency incident). Figure 6 shows the 

percentage of firefighters killed in firefighting, emergency medical services, hazardous 

materials, false alarms, and technical rescue-related incidents. Seventy-six (76) firefighters 

were killed in relation to fires, 12 in relation to EMS calls, 1 associated with a hazardous 

materials emergency, and 1 was killed while engaged in a technical rescue. The 

firefighters killed in relation to false alarms consisted of 1 firefighter who experienced a 

heart attack at a call that involved the prank activation of a fire alarm pull station, 1 

firefighter who died of a heart attack at the scene of a fire alarm activation caused by carpet 

installation activity, and 1 firefighter who fell from a ladder truck en route to what turned 

out to be a false alarm. 

Note - 93 of 112 – On-Scene or Responding 

Figure 6 - Type of Emergency Duty (1999)

Emergency 

Medical

13% (12)

Firefighting

82% (76)

False Alarm

3% (3)

Technical Rescue

1% (1)

Hazardous 

Materials

1% (1)
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 16 

Cause of Fatal Injury 

As used in this study, the term “cause of injury” refers to the action, lack of action, or 

circumstances that resulted directly in the fatal injury, while the term “nature of injury” 

refers to the medical cause of the fatal injury or illness, often referred to as the 

physiological cause of death. A fatal injury usually is the result of a chain of events, the 

first of which is recorded as the cause. For example, if a firefighter is struck by a 

collapsing wall, becomes trapped in the debris, runs out of air before being rescued, and 

dies of asphyxiation, the cause of the fatal injury is recorded as “struck by collapsing wall” 

and the nature of the fatal injury is “asphyxiation.” Similarly, if a wildland firefighter is 

overrun by a fire and dies of burns, the cause of the death would be listed as 

“caught/trapped,” and the nature of death would be “burns.” This follows the convention 

used in the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) casualty reports. 

Figure 7 shows the distribution of deaths by cause of fatal injury or illness; Table 3 

presents the exact number. 

Figure 7 - Fatalities by Cause of Fatal Injury (1999)

Struck by/Contact 

with an Object

10% (11)

Caught or Trapped

10% (11)

Stress or 

Overexertion

49% (54)

Fell or Jumped

4% (5)

Other

6% (7)

Collisions

10% (11)

Collapse

5% (6)

Lost

6% (7)
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 17 

Table 3. Cause of Fatal Injury - 1999 Number Percent 

Stress or Overexertion 54 49% 

Collisions 11 10% 

Caught or Trapped 11 10% 

Struck By/Contact with an Object 11 10% 

Lost 7 6% 

Other 7 6% 

Collapse 6 5% 

Fell or Jumped 5 4% 

 112 100% 

As in most previous years, the largest cause category is stress or overexertion, which was 

listed as the primary factor in 49 percent of the deaths, up from 46 percent in 1998, and 43 

percent in 1997, but returning to the 50 percent level that has been experienced in the last 

several years. Firefighting is extremely strenuous physical work and is likely one of the 

most physically demanding activities that the human body performs. Most firefighter 

deaths attributed to stress result from heart attacks. Of the 54 stress-related fatalities in 

1999, 52 firefighters died of heart attacks and 2 died of CVA’s. Seven (7) of the 54 deaths 

for which the cause is listed as stress/overexertion occurred during non emergency 

activities. 

Eleven (11) firefighters were killed in collisions. Two (2) Indiana firefighters died as the 

result of injuries that were received in a tanker rollover, 1 firefighter was ejected through 

the windshield of a pumper after a collision, 2 firefighters were killed in separate crashes 

involving their personal vehicles during a response, 1 firefighter was killed as he rode in 

the officer’s seat of a heavy rescue that crashed into a tree while responding to a hazardous 

materials incident, and 5 firefighters died in separate crashes involving tankers or pumpers. 

Tied for the second leading cause of firefighter fatalities was being caught or trapped, 

which also accounted for 11 deaths (10 percent), down from 18 percent in 1998. These 

deaths included 3 multi fatality incidents: 1 in Washington, DC where 2 firefighters were 

caught by fire progress, one in Keokuk, Iowa, where 3 firefighters were trapped in a 

flashover that occurred as they searched an apartment for fire victims; and, 1 in Cranston, 

Kentucky, where 2 firefighters were overcome by fire progress as they built a fire break in 

a forest fire. An Illinois firefighter was killed in an electrical explosion, a Missouri 

firefighter drowned during a training exercise, an Arkansas firefighter was burned as he 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 18 

prepared a hose line for use on a fire involving a recreational vehicle when the fuel tank 

failed and surrounded him with fire, and a New York firefighter was killed in an explosion 

as he supervised the disposal of fireworks residue. 

Also tied for the second leading cause of firefighter fatalities for 1999 was being struck by 

or coming into contact with an object. There were 11 deaths in this category, including 3 

firefighters who were killed in separate electrocutions, all on brush or wildland fires. Two 

(2) firefighters acting as fire police officers were killed when they were struck by passing 

vehicles, 1 firefighter was struck by a passing vehicle as he filled a fire department tanker, 

1 firefighter was struck by a car that skidded out of control as he worked on the scene of an 

earlier collision, 1 firefighter died after being hit by a falling rock on a wildland fire, 1 

firefighter was killed when he was struck by a part of a loader that he was repairing, and 2 

firefighters were struck and killed by fire department vehicles on the scene of wildland 

fires. 

Seven (7) firefighters died when they became lost inside burning structures. This total 

includes the 6 firefighters killed in a cold storage warehouse in Massachusetts and a 

Missouri firefighter killed when he became disoriented in a warehouse fire. 

Six (6) firefighters were killed in collapses. Three (3) Texas firefighters died while 

fighting a church fire when the roof collapsed and trapped them, a New York firefighter 

was killed when a chimney collapsed and crushed him as he investigated a fire, a 

California firefighter was killed in a structural collapse, and an Indiana firefighter was 

killed when he was trapped by a roof collapse in a residential fire. 

Five (5) firefighters were killed when they fell or jumped. This total includes a 

Pennsylvania firefighter who fell from a ladder truck as it responded to a call, a California 

firefighter who attempted an emergency egress method and fell to the ground, a 

Pennsylvania firefighter who fell through a floor at a structure fire and received a fatal back 

injury, a wildland firefighter who fell 150 feet to his death, and a California firefighter who 

fell or jumped off a pumper as it began to move and was crushed by its rear wheels. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 19 

Seven (7) firefighters were killed in incidents that are not otherwise classified. These 

incidents include a Washington, DC, firefighter who was attacked and injured by a dog and 

later died, a Tennessee firefighter who drowned at a woods fire, a New York firefighter 

who ran out of air in a basement fire, a firefighter who died of a heart disease not related to 

stress, 1 firefighter who experienced a CVA (stroke), and 2 firefighters who suffered 

pulmonary embolisms while on-duty. 

Nature of Fatal Injury 

Table 4 and Figure 8 show the distribution of the 112 deaths by the medical nature of the 

fatal injury or illness. The leading nature of death in 1999 was heart attacks, which 

accounted for 52 deaths, up from 38 firefighter fatalities in 1998, and 36 in 1997. 

Table 4. Nature of Fatal Injury Number Percent 

Heart Attacks 52 46% 

Internal Trauma 25 22% 

Asphyxiation (includes drowning) 16 14% 

Burns 8 7% 

CVA/Stroke 3 3% 

Electrocution 3 3% 

Other 3 3% 

Pulmonary Embolism 2 2% 

TOTAL 112 100% 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 20 

Figure 9 provides a detailed breakdown of heart attacks by type of duty. Twenty-five (25) 

of the heart attacks occurred at the fire scene and 13 occurred while en route to or returning 

from an emergency incident. This represents a major increase from 1998, when 17 and 6, 

respectively, died. One (1) occurred at a training incident, down from 7 in 1998, and 5 

occurred during non-fire incidents, the same as in 1998. Five (5) heart attacks occurred 

during other on-duty times and 3 occurred just after the firefighter responded to an 

incident. 

Figure 8 - Fatalities by Nature of Fatal Injury (1999)

Asphyxiation

14% (16)

Electrocution

3% (3)

Internal Trauma

22% (25)

Heart Attacks

46% (52)

Pulmonary Embolism

2% (2) Other

CVA/Stroke 3% (3)

3% (3)

Burns

7% (8)
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 21 

Internal trauma was the second leading nature of death, responsible for 25 deaths (down 

from 27 in 1998, and 32 in 1997). This total includes 1 firefighter who was crushed by a 

falling chimney, 8 firefighters who were killed in fire apparatus collisions, 2 firefighters 

who were killed in collisions involving their personal vehicles, 2 fire police officers who 

were struck by vehicles, 4 firefighters who were killed in falls, 2 firefighters who were 

struck and killed by fire department vehicles, 2 firefighters who were struck by non fire 

department vehicles, 1 firefighter who was struck and killed by falling rocks, 1 firefighter 

who was killed in an explosion as he supervised the disposal of fireworks residue, 1 

firefighter who was struck by a piece of equipment that he was repairing, and a firefighter 

who fell through a floor during a structure fire. 

Asphyxiation was the third leading medical reason for firefighter deaths, responsible for 16 

deaths (1 more than the totals for the two previous years). Four (4) incidents claimed 10 

firefighters: 4 of the Worcester firefighters, 2 in Kentucky, 2 of the Keokuk firefighters, 

and 2 of the Texas firefighters killed while fighting a church fire. Two (2) firefighters 

drowned, a California firefighter was trapped by a structural collapse, a Missouri firefighter 

became disoriented in a warehouse fire, a New York firefighter ran out of air in a basement 

fire, and an Indiana firefighter was trapped by a roof collapse in a residential fire. Twelve 

Figure 9 - Heart Attacks by Type of Duty (1999)

1

3

5

5

13

25

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Fire Scene

Responding/Returning

Other On-Duty

Non-Fire Scene

After an Incident

Training
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 22 

(12) of these deaths occurred during structural firefighting, 2 occurred in a wildland fire, 

and 2 were drownings. 

Eight (8) of the 112 firefighter fatalities that occurred in 1999 were attributed to burns. 

This total included 2 of the Worcester firefighters, 2 District of Columbia firefighters, 2 of 

the firefighters killed in Keokuk, Iowa, 1 of the firefighters killed in a Texas church fire, an 

Illinois firefighter killed as the result of an electrical explosion, and an Arkansas firefighter 

killed while fighting a fire in a recreational vehicle. 

Three (3) firefighters were killed by strokes (CVA’s), one of which occurred in the fire 

station as a firefighter completed a physical fitness workout. One (1) firefighter suffered a 

stroke as he drove a pumper to a fire or explosion involving an electrical transformer; the 

pumper left the road and crashed into a concrete culvert but the injuries he received in the 

crash were not severe. The third firefighter suffered a stroke as he responded to a brush 

fire. 

Three (3) firefighters died from electrocution. One (1) firefighter tripped or fell as he 

advanced a booster line and fell face first onto a live line, 1 firefighter came into contact 

with a fence that had been energized by a power line, and 1 firefighter was killed as he 

stomped out some burning embers that were found in an alley; however, unbeknownst to 

anyone, an electrical line had fallen and was hidden by brush. 

Two (2) on-duty firefighters died from pulmonary embolisms. 

The nature of 3 other firefighter deaths were heat stroke while serving as an EMT on a 

wildland fire, heart inflammation while on-duty, and a stomach aneurysm after an incident. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 23 

Firefighters’ Ages 

Figure 10 shows the distribution of firefighter deaths by age and cause of death. Younger 

firefighters were more likely to have died as a result of traumatic injuries from an apparatus 

accident or after becoming caught or trapped during firefighting operations. Stress was 

shown to play an increasing role in firefighter deaths as age increased. 

Figure 10 - Fatalities by Age & Cause (1999)

0

5

10

15

20

25

Collapse 1111 1 1

Fell or Jumped 3 2

Caught/Trapped 16 1 2 1

Struck by/or contact with object 4 1 2 13

Other 112 12

Stress/Overexertion 1 1 3 3 3 11 10 8 14

Lost 12211

Collision 331 2 2

Under 21 21 to 25 26 to 30 31 to 35 36 to 40 41 to 45 46 to 50 51 to 55 56 to 60 61 and 

Over
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 24 

This also is reflected in Figure 11, which shows the distribution of deaths by age and 

medical nature of injury. Trauma, electrocution, and asphyxiation were responsible for 

most of the deaths of younger firefighters, while heart attacks were much more prevalent 

among older firefighters. Heart attacks accounted for 65 percent of firefighter deaths 

where the firefighter was age 41 or higher. 

Figure 11 - Age and Nature (1999)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

Heart Attack 1 2 3 3 11 10 9 13

Other 11 1

Asphyxiation 123 3222 1

Burns 42 11

Electrocution 3

CVA/Stroke 1 2

Internal Trauma 1332352 33

Pulmonary Embolism 2

Under 

21

21 to 

25

26 to 

30

31 to 

35

36 to 

40

41 to 

45

46 to 

50

51 to 

55

56 to 

60

Over 

60
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 25 

Fixed Property Type 

There were 60 fireground deaths in 1999. Table 5 and Figure 12 show the distribution by 

fixed property use. 

Table 5. Property Use for Fireground Deaths Number Percent 

Residential 23 38% 

Outdoor Property 16 27% 

Storage 7 12% 

Commercial 6 10% 

Institutional 4 7% 

Street/Road 3 5% 

Public Assembly 1 2% 

TOTAL 60 101%* 

* - Total greater than 100% due to rounding 

Figure 12 – Fatalities by Fixed Property Use 

Outdoor Property

27% (16)

Street/Road

5% (3)

Residential

38% (23)

Commercial

10% (6)

Public Assembly

2% (1)

Institutional

7% (4)

Storage

12% (7)
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 26 

Fireground Deaths 

Structural fires accounted for 41 fireground deaths. As in most years, residential 

occupancies accounted for the highest number of these fireground fatalities, with 23 deaths 

(more than half of all structural fire deaths). Residential occupancies usually account for 

70 to 80 percent of all structure fires and a similar percentage of the civilian fire deaths 

each year1

. The frequency of firefighter deaths in relation to the number of fires is much 

higher for non-residential structures. 

Fires that occurred on outdoor properties and “street/road” accounted for a total of 19 

deaths. 

Type of Activity 

Table 6 and Figure 13 show the type of fireground activity that the 60 firefighters were 

engaged in at the time they sustained their fatal injuries or illnesses. 

Table 6. Type of Activity for Fireground Deaths Number Percent 

Advancing Hose Lines/Fire Attack 16 27% 

Search and Rescue 10 17% 

Water Supply 8 13% 

Other 5 8% 

Incident Command 4 7% 

Cutting Fire Breaks (Wildland) 4 7% 

Support Duties 4 7% 

Investigating 3 5% 

Salvage/Overhaul 3 5% 

Scene Safety 3 5% 

TOTAL 60 101%* 

*- Total greater than 100% due to rounding.

 

1

 Complete 1999 NFIRS fire incidence data were not available at the time of this report, but residential fires 

typically account for between 70 and 80 percent of all civilian fatalities each year. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 27 

Sixteen (16) firefighters died while engaged in fire attack and advancing hose lines. This is 

a small but significant decrease compared to the 18 firefighters killed in 1998 during such 

activity and the 21 firefighters killed performing this activity in 1997. Eight (8) of the 16 

firefighters killed were engaged in structural firefighting, 7 died at brush or wildland fires, 

and 1 died at a vehicle fire. 

Ten (10) firefighters were killed during search and rescue operations (up three from the 

level in 1998 and five from the levels experienced in 1997 and 1996). Six (6) were lost in 

a warehouse in Massachusetts as they searched for fire victims and lost firefighters, 3 died 

in an apartment fire in Iowa as they searched for fire victims, and 1 died in a basement fire 

in New York when he ran out of air while searching. 

Figure 13 - Fatalities by Type of Activity (1999)

Support Duties

7% (4)

Salvage/Overhaul

5% (3)

Scene Safety

5% (3)

Incident Command

7% (4)

Search and Rescue

17% (10)

Investigating Water Supply 5% (3) 13% (8)

Other

8% (5)

Cutting Fire Breaks 

(Wildland)

7% (4)

Advancing Hose Lines/ Fire 

Attack

27% (16)
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 28 

Eight (8) firefighters were killed while engaged in water supply operations (twice the level 

of 1998 and 1997). Seven (7) of the eight were heart attacks: 3 at structure fires, 2 at 

vehicle fires; and, 2 at brush fires. One (1) firefighter was killed when he was struck by a 

passing vehicle as he was filling a tanker in support of a structural firefighting operation. 

Four (4) firefighters died while performing incident command activities, 3 of heart attacks 

and 1 of asphyxiation as he performed command duties in the interior of a warehouse fire. 

Four (4) firefighters died while cutting fire breaks, twice the number of 1998. Two (2) 

wildland firefighters died in California in different incidents; 1 was struck by a boulder and 

1 fell 150 feet to his death. Two (2) Kentucky firefighters were killed when they were 

overcome by fire progress in a woods fire. 

Four (4) firefighters died while performing support duties at fires, one up from in 1998. 3 

deaths occurred at structural fires. One (1) firefighter died of heat stroke as he performed 

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) duty at a wildland fire in California. 

Three (3) firefighters died while investigating fires or fire scenes. One (1) firefighter in 

Illinois was killed in an electrical explosion, a District of Columbia firefighter was attacked 

and later died after being injured by a dog as he investigated a report of fire, and a 

Massachusetts firefighter died from a heart attack experienced at a report of a fire. 

Three (3) firefighters died while performing salvage or overhaul duties; all three were at 

structural fires and all three were heart attacks. 

Three (3) firefighters died while performing scene safety duties; 2 of heart attacks and 1 

after being struck by a vehicle. 

Five (5) firefighters died in circumstances not classified above, including a firefighter who 

drowned at a woods fire, a firefighter who suffered a heart attack at the scene of a nursing 

home fire, 2 firefighters who were killed at wildland fire scenes when they were struck by 

fire apparatus, and a Texas firefighter who suffered a heart attack after he and other 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 29 

firefighters discovered a fire while off duty (he was considered on-duty from the moment 

the fire was discovered). 

Time of Injury 

The distribution of all 1999 firefighter deaths according to the time of day when the fatal 

injury occurred is illustrated in Figure 14 (nine incidents were not reported by time of day). 

Figure 14 - Fatalities by Time of Fatal Injury (1999)

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

1:00 - 2:59 a.m.

3:00 - 4:59 a.m.

5:00 - 6:59 a.m.

7:00 - 8:59 a.m.

9:00 - 10:59 a.m.

11:00 a.m. - 1259 p.m.

1:00 - 2:59 p.m.

3:00 - 4:59 p.m.

5:00 - 6:59 p.m.

7:00 - 8:59 p.m.

9:00 - 10:59 p.m.

11:00 p.m. - 12:59 a.m.
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 30 

Month of the Year 

Figure 15 illustrates firefighter fatalities by month of the year. Firefighter fatalities peaked 

in December with 19 deaths. December 1999 was the worst month for firefighter deaths 

since before 1994. Other than the fact that wildland fires and their associated injuries and 

deaths occur in the wildland season, no trends were identified. 

Figure 15 - Deaths by Month of the Year (1999)

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 31 

State and Region 

The distribution of firefighter deaths by State is shown in Table 7.2 Thirty-two States and 

the District of Columbia each had at least 1 firefighter fatality. Pennsylvania had the 

highest number of deaths with 13 followed by Massachusetts with 12. Figure 16 shows the 

firefighter fatalities divided by region of the country and their status as career, volunteer, or 

wildland firefighters.

 

2

 This list attributes the deaths according to the State in which the fire department or unit is based, as 

opposed to the State in which the death occurred. They are listed by those States for statistical purposes, and 

for the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the National Fire Academy. 

Figure 16.

Firefighter Deaths By Region 1999

Career - 4

V olun teer - 25

W ildlan d - 2

Total - 31

WEST

Career - 3

V olun teer - 3

W ildlan d - 2

Total - 8

NORTHCENTRAL

Career - 8

V olun teer - 21

Total - 29

NORTHEAST

Career - 2 2

V olun teer - 22

Total - 44

SOUTH
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 32 

Table 7. 1999 States with On-duty Firefighter Fatalities 

State Number of Deaths State Number of Deaths

Alabama 1 Mississippi 2 

Arkansas 3 Missouri 6 

California 6 Nebraska 1 

Connecticut 1 New Jersey 4 

District of Columbia 3 New Mexico 1 

Florida 1 New York 8 

Georgia 2 North Carolina 1 

Illinois 3 Ohio 7 

Indiana 5 Oklahoma 2 

Iowa 3 Oregon 1 

Kentucky 2 Pennsylvania 13 

Louisiana 3 South Carolina 3 

Maryland 2 Tennessee 1 

Massachusetts 12 Texas 10 

Michigan 1 Vermont 1 

Minnesota 1 Virginia 1 

 West Virginia 1 

 

Total - 112 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 33 

Analysis of Urban/Rural/Suburban Patterns in Firefighter Fatalities 

The United States Bureau of the Census defines “urban” as a place having a population of 

at least 2,500 or lying within a designated urban area. Rural is defined as any community 

that is not urban. Suburban is not a census term but may be taken to refer to any place, 

urban or rural, that lies within a metropolitan area defined by the Census Bureau, but not 

within one of the central cities of that metropolitan area. 

Fire department areas of responsibility do not always conform to the boundaries used for 

the census. For example, fire departments organized by counties or special fire protection 

districts may have both urban and rural coverage areas. In such cases, it may not be 

possible to characterize the entire coverage area of the fire department as rural or urban, 

and firefighter deaths were listed as urban or rural based on the particular community or 

location in which the fatality occurred. 

The following patterns were found for 1999 firefighter fatalities. These statistics are based 

on answers from the fire departments and, when no data from the department were 

available, the data are based upon population and area served reported by the fire 

departments. 

Table 8. Urban/Suburban Rural Federal or State 

Parks/Wildland 

Total 

Firefighter 

Deaths 

62 45 5 112 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 34 

SPECIAL TOPICS 

Vehicle Collisions Involving Firefighters 

In 1999, 14 firefighters died as the result of collisions involving fire apparatus, collisions 

involving firefighters’ personal vehicles, or by falling from fire apparatus. A short 

synopsis of each incident follows. 

• Firefighter Kenneth Alan Strain (age 28) of the Hembly Bridge 

Volunteer Fire Department in North Carolina was killed on May 2, 

1999, when he lost control of a pumper while returning from an EMS 

call. Firefighter Strain pulled the pumper to the right to allow traffic to 

pass him when he lost control, was unable to regain control, and hit a 

tree. Firefighter Strain was wearing a seatbelt. 

• Firefighter Cilton Jay Dauzat (age 63) of the White Tail Ridge 

Volunteer Fire Department in Texas was killed on August 5, 1999, when 

he fell or slipped from the back step of a pumper and was run over as the 

pumper backed down a hill. 

• Firefighter Timmy Ray Dawson (age 34) of the Center Rock Volunteer 

Fire Department in South Carolina was killed on August 31, 1999, when 

the right wheels of a pumper he was driving left the roadway. 

Firefighter Dawson overcompensated for this condition and the pumper 

left the right side of the road and rolled several times. Speed was a 

factor in this incident. Firefighter Dawson was not wearing a seat belt. 

Two (2) other firefighters who were passengers in the vehicle received 

minor injuries; they were wearing seatbelts. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 35 

• Firefighter Kenneth C. Cashman (age 29) of the Auglaize Township Volunteer 

Fire Department in Ohio died on September 13, 1999, when his personal 

vehicle was struck by a dump truck during a response. Firefighter Cashman 

was wearing a seatbelt. 

• Captain William Malcolm Bethune (age 58) of the Texas City Fire 

Department in Texas was killed on October 5, 1999, when he was 

ejected through the windshield of his pumper. The pumper had been 

involved in a collision while responding to an EMS call and struck a 

bridge support. Captain Bethune was not wearing a seatbelt. 

• Firefighter Elvis Benson Maxwell (age 49) of the Grant Parish Fire 

District #5 in Louisiana was killed on October 7, 1999, when he lost 

control of the tanker he was driving. Firefighter Maxwell was not 

wearing a seatbelt. 

• Firefighter Karen Jane Savage (age 44) of the Hawkins Bar Volunteer 

Fire Department in California was killed on October 16, 1999, when she 

fell or jumped from a pumper that was beginning to move and was 

crushed by the pumper’s rear wheels. 

• Firefighter Brian K. Burnett (age 23) and Captain Robert Charles Ulrich 

(age 57) of the Scipio Township Volunteer Fire Department in Indiana 

were injured and subsequently died as the result of the failure of the 

tanker to negotiate a curve during a response on October 28, 1999. The 

pumper left the roadway and rolled several times. Firefighter Burnett 

was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected and crushed by the tanker as 

it rolled. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 36 

• Firefighter Michael J. Sims, Sr. (age 38) of the Highland Hose Company 

in Tarentum, Pennsylvania, was killed on November 2, 1999, when he 

fell from a ladder truck during a response. The apparatus was equipped 

with seatbelts and a safety gate. It is unknown if Firefighter Sims used 

either the seatbelt or the safety gate. 

• Firefighter David Zan Lancaster (age 24) of the Elliott Volunteer Fire 

Department in Mississippi was killed on November 7, 1999, when he 

was involved in a collision while driving his personal vehicle on a 

response. It is unknown whether Firefighter Lancaster was wearing a 

seatbelt. 

• Firefighter Bert Andrew Bruecher (age 46) of the Village of Pleak 

Volunteer Fire Department in Texas was killed on November 14, 1999, 

when the tanker he was driving failed to negotiate a curve. The tanker 

left the roadway and rolled. Firefighter Bruecher was partially ejected 

and pinned under the truck. 

• Firefighter Paul Franklin Ezernack, Jr. (age 28) of the North Sabine Fire 

Protection District in Louisiana was killed on December 15, 1999, when 

an embankment gave way under the right wheels of the tanker he was 

driving. Firefighter Ezernack attempted to regain control but the tanker 

left the roadway and rolled. Firefighter Ezernack was thrown 170 yards. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 37 

• Firefighter Bradley Curtis McNeer (age 22) of the Chesterfield County 

Fire Department in Virginia was killed on December 18, 1999, when the 

rescue truck in which he was a passenger collided with a tree. The 

driver had diverted his attention from the roadway, veered off the right 

side of the road, overcompensated as he brought the truck back onto the 

road, and overcompensated again to avoid collisions with other vehicles 

on the roadway. He then struck a tree on the right side of the road. 

Firefighter McNeer was wearing a seat belt. 

These deaths illustrate the need for firefighters riding on or driving fire apparatus to 

wear their seatbelts, and the need for fire apparatus drivers to be given training on 

the proper procedure to be used if the right wheels of a vehicle leave the roadway 

while the vehicle is in motion. 

SeatBelts 

Seatbelts are the most basic piece of safety equipment provided with a motor 

vehicle. In 1999, a number of drivers and apparatus occupants were killed when 

they were ejected from fire apparatus that was involved in a collision or rollover. 

Fire departments must take steps to assure that seatbelts are used by all firefighters. 

Some suggested steps for assuring their use include. 

• All vehicles operated by the fire department must be equipped with seatbelts. 

Older vehicles that may not be equipped with belts may be retrofitted by the 

manufacturer. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 38 

• Each fire department should have written policies that require seat belt use by 

all emergency vehicle drivers and passengers. This requirement must be strictly 

enforced in all vehicle use situations, including response to emergencies, 

returning from emergencies, and all other driving. 

• Firefighters must remain in their seatbelts throughout the entire emergency 

response. It is unacceptable to leave the protection of a seatbelt to don 

protective clothing or self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) while the 

vehicle is moving. In addition, unrestrained SCBA’s can become projectiles in 

a collision and must be mounted in positive latching brackets if carried in the 

cab. Other items carried in the cab, like flashlights, clipboards, and map books 

also must be secured. 

• Signs or placards should be placed in each fire department vehicle to remind 

firefighters of seatbelt use requirements. 

• A seatbelt must be present and used by each vehicle occupant. If there are more 

seats than seatbelts, vehicle capacity should be limited to the number of seated, 

belted positions. 

• Riding on the exterior of the vehicle, at any stage of the emergency, should be 

expressly forbidden in fire department Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s). 

There is no safe place to ride on the exterior of an emergency vehicle. The only 

exception allowed by NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational 

Safety and Health Program, is for hose loading. There are a number of controls 

that are required by the standard. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 39 

Regaining Control of the Vehicle

As can be seen from the incident descriptions on the previous pages, a very common 

scenario is for the right wheels of the apparatus to leave the road for some reason, for the 

driver to fight to regain control of the vehicle, and for the vehicle to collide with a fixed 

object such as a tree or to roll over when the apparatus leaves the left side of the road. 

Fire apparatus are wide vehicles and fire apparatus drivers/operators may have a tendency 

to hug the right side of the road. The following guidelines can help to reduce the incidence 

of this type of collision or to reduce the severity of such collisions. 

• Fire apparatus drivers/operators must limit their speed to one that is reasonable for the 

road conditions, the size of the vehicle, the configuration of the vehicle, the topography 

of the response route (curves, hills), and visibility (fog, dark, precipitation). Many fire 

departments have adopted speed limits for responding apparatus that are a maximum of 

10 miles per hour above the posted speed limit if conditions permit. In some areas or 

States, fire apparatus may not be permitted to travel above the speed limit in any 

situation. Many of the collisions described in this section had speed as a contributing 

factor. 

• Younger or inexperienced drivers demand special attention to reinforce the 

importance of speed control and decisions about the need to respond safely. 

• If possible, avoid small roads with no improved shoulder. This is not possible or 

practical in all situations, especially emergency response. If a driver/operator has the 

opportunity to do so, small roads with unimproved shoulders should be avoided. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 40 

• The apparatus driver/operator should use as much of the road as is needed to operate 

safely. Especially during an emergency response where traffic is yielding, a position 

closer to the center of the road will prevent slipping off to the right. In some situations, 

such as in curves and on hills, the best place for the responding apparatus is in their 

defined lane at a slower speed. 

• If a vehicle leaves the right side of the road and conditions permit, the driver should 

take his or her foot off of the throttle and slow to a speed that allows the vehicle to 

come back onto the roadway safely. “Fighting” to get the vehicle back on the road at 

speed may lead to a collision or rollover. 

• A publication available from the USFA, “Emergency Vehicle Driver Training,” 

provides excellent information on driver safety for emergency vehicles. The 

publication FA-110 is free and can be obtained through the internet as a PDF document 

or as hard copy at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/usfapubs or by writing to: 

 United States Fire Administration 

 Publications Center 

 16825 South Seton Avenue 

 Emmitsburg, MD 21727 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 41 

• Additional emergency vehicle operations information may be found from the following 

sources. A cost or charge for the material may be involved.

Emergency Vehicle Response Safety 

VFIS 

183 Leader Heights Road 

P.O. Box 2726 

York, PA 17405 

(800) 233-1957 

http://www.vfis.com/vfis/cets/seminar.htm

 Safe Passage 

 National Volunteer Fire Council 

 1050 17th Street, NW 

 Suite 1212 

 Washington, DC 20036 

 (888) 275-6832 

 http://www.nvfc.org
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 42 

Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment 

In 1999, 16 firefighters died in situations where the provision and use of personal 

protective clothing possibly could have prevented their deaths. It is impossible to express 

their chances of survival in absolute terms; however a discussion of these situations is 

appropriate so that we may learn from these experiences. The following firefighter deaths 

did or likely involved the absence, lack of use, inappropriate use, or failure of personal 

protective clothing and equipment: 

• On February 16, 1999, Firefighter Robert C. Stanmire (age 52) of the Forest Grove 

Volunteer Fire Company of Vineland, New Jersey, died of a heart attack suffered while 

he was responding to a brush fire. Firefighter Stanmire was wearing full structural 

protective clothing. 

• On March 16, 1999, Firefighter Charles James “Chuck” Vodak (age 45) died of a heart 

attack after fighting a prairie fire for more than 4 four hours in structural firefighting 

clothing. 

• On April 6, 1999, Captain Kenneth Allen Nickell (age 28) and Firefighter/EMT Kevin 

Rex Smith (age 30) of the Route 377 Volunteer Fire Department in Kentucky were 

killed when they were overcome by fire progress in a woods fire. Both firefighters 

were equipped with brush firefighting protective clothing, but were not equipped with 

personal fire shelters. 

• On May 30, 1999, Firefighter Lewis Jefferson Matthews (age 29) of the District of 

Columbia Fire Department was killed when he and other firefighters were overcome by 

fire progress in a residential fire. Firefighter Matthews was equipped with a manually 

activated Personal Alarm Safety System (PASS) device that was found in the “off” 

mode. Another firefighter trapped by the same fire had an automatically activated 

PASS device that sounded and aided rescuers in his discovery. Despite being removed 

from the fire area sooner than Firefighter Matthews, the other firefighter also died. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 43 

• On August 8, 1999, Firefighter Ronald Wade Meshell (age 30) of the Huttig Fire 

Department in Arkansas was killed while fighting a fire in a recreational vehicle (RV). 

Firefighter Meshell was downhill from the RV when the vehicle’s fuel tank failed, 

surrounding Firefighter Meshell with a pool of burning fuel. Firefighter Meshell had 

loaded his personal protective clothing on the truck but was not wearing it at the time. 

He was burned over 96 percent of his body surface. 

• On December 3, 1999, 6 firefighters of the Worcester Fire Department in 

Massachusetts were killed when they became disoriented and lost in a smoky 

warehouse fire. The presence or status of PASS devices for these firefighters is 

unknown at this time. NIOSH is investigating the incident and may provide more 

information on this subject in its report. 

• On December 20, 1999, Battalion Chief John H. Tvedten (age 47) of the Kansas City, 

Missouri, Fire Department died when he became lost in a warehouse fire. The presence 

or status of his PASS device is unknown at this time. 

• On December 22, 1999, Assistant Chief David M. McNally (age 48), Firefighter Jason 

L. Bitting (age 29), and Firefighter Nathan R. Tuck (age 39) of the Keokuk Fire 

Department in Iowa were killed in a flashover in an apartment fire. All 3 firefighters 

wore PASS devices that were integrated with their SCBA’s. The PASS devices failed 

to sound but their failure is not considered a factor in these deaths. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 44 

These deaths point to the need for each firefighter to be provided with, and to use, personal 

protective clothing and equipment that is appropriate for the hazard. The following 

guidelines may be used to assist fire department managers and firefighters: 

• Firefighters must be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) that is 

appropriate for the hazard. Brush gear and fire shelters provide appropriate 

protection in wildland fire situations. This type of equipment is inexpensive when 

compared to structural firefighting protective clothing and sometimes may be 

procured at discounted prices from State forestry departments and the Federal 

wildland fire programs. Structural firefighting clothing is not appropriate for 

wildland fires. The stress placed on a firefighter by the ambient atmosphere, as 

well as the weight and confines of structural protective clothing, are excessive for 

wildland circumstances. 

• Firefighters must wear protective clothing and activate protective equipment items 

which are available to them. Firefighter Meshell had his protective clothing with 

him but was not wearing it; and a number of firefighters were wearing PASS 

devices that were not activated. 

• SCBA must be worn in all situations that are or may become Immediately 

Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH). This includes vehicle fires. 

• Protective equipment failures, such as the one in Keokuk, Iowa, must be 

investigated by trained professionals. Clothing and equipment that have been 

involved in a failure incident should be impounded, stored in paper bags or 

cardboard boxes to prevent corrosion, and examined by someone trained to do so. 

NIOSH is a resource that has conducted a number of studies of SCBA’s that have 

experienced failures. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 45 

CONCLUSIONS 

The analysis of firefighter deaths in 1999 indicates that the overall long-term trend toward 

fewer firefighter fatalities has suffered a step backward. The 112 deaths that occurred in 

1999 represent a level that is 16 percent higher than the trend over the last decade. 

Firefighters continue to provide more services to their communities; the addition of 

emergency medical services provision, hazardous materials response, and technical rescue 

service has brought risks and accompanying firefighter deaths. 

There were 28 firefighter deaths associated with brush, grass, or wildland fires in 1999, a 

marked increase from the experience of the past 4 years. This total is despite the fact that 

there were no deaths caused by wildland firefighting aircraft crashes. Three (3) of these 

deaths were from electrocutions, all involving firefighters under the age of 21. Three (3) 

firefighters died on fire scenes after being run over by fire apparatus, and a total of 4 

firefighters died after being occupants of fire apparatus that rolled while responding to 

brush fires. Fires involving vacant land sometimes may be viewed as routine incidents. 

The unfortunate brush, grass, and wildland death toll of 1999 should point to the fact that 

there is no such thing as a routine incident. One of the special topics in this report 

addresses appropriate protective clothing for these types of incidents. Firefighters can be 

overprotected and/or underprotected for these types of incidents if the proper equipment is 

not provided. 

A disproportionate number of volunteer firefighters are being killed while responding to 

and returning from alarms. Almost one third of all volunteer firefighter deaths occurred 

while performing this type of duty. Of the 23 volunteer firefighters who died performing 

this type of duty in 1999, 11 died of heart attacks, 10 died in vehicle collisions, including 4 

who died in rollovers and 2 who died in collisions involving their personal vehicles, 2 died 

of CVA’s (strokes), and 1 died in a fall. Six (6) of the 10 volunteer firefighters who died in 

vehicle collisions were under the age of thirty. One of the special topics of this report 

addresses safety during emergency response. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

Page - 46 

In December 1999, the eyes of the world were on Worcester, Massachusetts. Six (6) 

firefighters died after 2 firefighters became disoriented in a windowless structure while 

searching for fire victims and called for help. Other firefighters entered the building to 

search for the lost firefighters and subsequently gave their lives. Their deaths reminded the 

world of the hazards of firefighting. The month of December 1999 was the worst in terms 

of firefighter fatalities in a number of years with a total of 19 firefighters dead in 12 

incidents, including the tragic deaths of 3 firefighters in Keokuk, Iowa three days before 

Christmas. 

Stress-induced heart attacks remained the top cause of firefighter deaths. Continued focus 

on firefighter health and wellness likely may reduce the impact of this killer in the future. 

Continued attention to basic health maintenance, physical fitness, periodic medical exams, 

the use of seatbelts, emergency vehicle operator training, PASS devices, SCBA’s, and 

other protective clothing and equipment items will be the cornerstone for future efforts to 

reduce this loss of life. 

Although there is hope that the future brings with it less tragedy, even 1 firefighter death 

brings tragedy and hurt to families and communities. One hundred (100) communities 

suffered this supreme loss in 1999. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-1 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

If additional information is available regarding a firefighter fatality, the reader is directed to 

these sources. Where possible, hyperlinks that direct the reader to additional information 

are provided. If links have expired or if the reader does not have Internet access, contact 

information for these sources is provided at the end of the appendix when available. 

1/5/99 

Carl Arnold Olsen, Firefighter 

Age 51, Volunteer 

Kiln Volunteer Fire Department, Mississippi 

Firefighter Olsen was killed when he was struck by a car as he worked to refill a water 

tanker (tender). The incident occurred at approximately 7 p.m. The driver of the car was 

blinded by the lights of the tanker. Firefighter Olsen was not wearing any reflective 

material at the time he was struck. Firefighter Olsen’s wife is also a volunteer firefighter 

and was on the scene at the time of the fatal incident. 

1/8/99 

Daniel J. O’Connell, Firefighter 

Age 58, Volunteer 

Putnam Lake Fire Department, New York 

Firefighter O’Connell responded with his department to a report of a structure fire. The 

fire involved an oil burner in a furnace and was extinguished with the use of a dry chemical 

extinguisher. Firefighter O’Connell, who had some experience with this type of 

equipment, was ordered to investigate further and make sure that the fire was out. He was 

exposed to soot and dry chemical residue. He left the house and collapsed on the front 

lawn in cardiac arrest. EMS treatment was begun immediately and Firefighter O’Connell 

was transported to the hospital. It is the opinion of Firefighter O’Connell’s doctor that the 

heart attack was caused by exposure to smoke and chemicals. Firefighter O’Connell 

suffered from injuries to the brain caused by a lack of oxygen, and died on January 25, 

1999. No autopsy was performed. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-2 

1/9/99 

Jason A. Gouckenour, Firefighter 

Age 22, Volunteer 

Worthington-Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department, Indiana 

Firefighter Gouckenour entered a structural fire in a house alone with a hose line. He was 

equipped with full turnout gear and an SCBA, but was not equipped with a PASS device. 

It is believed that he tripped over a coffee table and became entangled in a couch. He 

removed his SCBA to call for help and was overcome by extremely heavy heat and smoke 

conditions. Firefighters on the scene attempted a rescue but were driven back by intense 

heat and flames and finally by the collapse of the house’s roof. Firefighter Gouckenour’s 

body was found approximately 10 feet inside the front door of the structure. The cause of 

death was asphyxiation due to smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide. Firefighter 

Gouckenour joined the fire department after his home burned 2 years before his death. 

Additional information about this incident can be found in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality 

Investigation 99-F-02. 

1/10/99 

Tracy Dolan Toomey, Firefighter 

Age 52, Career 

Oakland Fire Department, California 

Firefighter Toomey was crushed and killed when the second floor of a turn-of-the-century 

residential structure collapsed into the first floor. The fire eventually went to 6 alarms. A 

total of 4 firefighters were trapped by the collapse, including Firefighter Toomey. 

Additional information about this incident can be found in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality 

Investigation 99-F-03. 

1/11/99 

Martin Richard Wauson, Forestry Technician 

Age 55, Wildland Part-Time 

United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Arkansas 

Forestry Technician Wauson was participating in an annual requalification test for seasonal 

firefighting duty with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The test required the participant to 

carry a 45 pound backpack and cover 3 miles within 45 minutes. Forestry Technician 

Wauson had just passed the 1-mile mark when he collapsed. CPR and defibrillation were 

begun immediately by medical personnel at the site; however, Forestry Technician Wauson 

was not revived. The autopsy revealed that Forestry Technician Wauson’s death was 

caused by hypertensive arteriosclerotic disease. As a result of Wauson’s death, the USFS 

temporarily suspended use of the pack test. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-3 

1/16/99 

James R. Tolan, Firefighter 

Age 55, Career 

Dunmore Fire Department, Pennsylvania 

Firefighter Tolan had responded to a report of a structural fire as the driver and sole 

occupant of a ladder truck. When he arrived on the scene, he exited his apparatus and told 

his shift commander that he was not feeling well. He was taken to the hospital by 

ambulance, was treated for a heart attack, and subsequently was discharged from the 

hospital. Firefighter Tolan never returned to work. He became ill again in June, was 

readmitted to the hospital, and died on June 9, 1999. 

1/19/99 

James H. McGroarty, Firefighter/Fire Investigator 

Age 43, Career 

Syracuse Fire Department, New York 

Fire Investigator McGroarty was in the attic of a residential structure that had experienced 

a fire 5 days before. A private fire investigator and an electrical consultant also were in the 

attic with Investigator McGroarty. During the course of the investigation, a chimney, 

which had been supported by the roof prior before the fire, collapsed onto Investigator 

McGroarty and inflicted severe injuries. The chimney was too heavy for the personnel on 

the scene to lift and it stayed in place until additional personnel arrived. Medical treatment 

was initiated immediately after Investigator McGroarty was freed and was continued at the 

hospital, to no avail. The cause of death on the autopsy was listed as multiple injuries 

caused by falling debris from a recent fire. Additional information about this incident can 

be found in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-06. 

1/27/99 

Ralph J. Loyd, Firefighter 

Age 90, Volunteer 

Greenville Fire Protection District, Illinois 

Firefighter Loyd had been a member of the Greenville Fire Protection District and its 

predecessors for 70 years. Firefighter Loyd drove a fire department equipment truck to the 

scene of a reported grain elevator fire. As he was standing by the truck shortly after arrival, 

he collapsed from a heart attack. Medical aid was rendered at the scene. Firefighter Loyd 

died the next day, January 28, 1999. No autopsy was performed. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-4 

1/29/99 

Joseph R. “Dick” Murphy, Firefighter 

Age 64, Career 

Boston Fire Department, Massachusetts 

Firefighter Murphy was preparing to back his command vehicle into the station after 

returning from a report of smoke in an apartment building. Firefighter Murphy did not 

complain of any illness at the scene. As he prepared to back in, he collapsed on the 

steering wheel from a heart attack. The chief officer who was riding in the vehicle 

attempted to shift the vehicle into park but was unsuccessful. The command vehicle, a 

Chevrolet Suburban, proceeded in reverse and collided with a pumper located in the 

apparatus bay. Despite the immediate administration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation 

(CPR) and automatic external defibrillator (AED) shocks by firefighters and the subsequent 

arrival of advanced life support (ALS) on the scene, Firefighter Murphy was pronounced 

dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. The autopsy listed the cause of death as 

occlusive coronary heart disease. Additional information about this incident can be found 

in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-12. 

2/9/99 

Gerald "Jerry" Myers, Fire Safety Officer 

Age 59, Volunteer 

Sumpter Fire Department, Oregon 

Firefighter Myers was clearing snow from around fire hydrants with a backhoe. A 

mechanical problem occurred with the backhoe and Firefighter Myers brought the 

equipment to a repair facility to fix the problem. During the course of the repairs, 

Firefighter Myers was struck by a part of the equipment and died of a traumatic injury. 

2/12/99 

Jimmy “Wayne” Kittle, Captain 

Age 49, Career 

Whitfield County Fire Department, Georgia 

Captain Kittle suffered a massive pulmonary embolism while on-duty at the fire station and 

died. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-5 

2/15/99 

Brian William Collins, Assistant Fire Chief 

Age 35, Volunteer 

River Oaks Volunteer Fire Department, Texas 

Phillip Wayne Dean, Captain 

Age 29, Volunteer 

River Oaks Volunteer Fire Department, Texas 

Gary Charles Sanders, Firefighter 

Age 20, Volunteer 

Sansom Park Fire Department, Texas 

Chief Collins, Captain Dean, and Firefighter Sanders were members of an attack team 

working in the interior of a church that was involved in fire when the roof collapsed and 

trapped the three in the fire area. The fire was set in a shed next to the church and spread 

into the attic rafters of the church building itself. Firefighters were attacking an attic fire 

from the interior of the structure and were being ordered to the exterior as the collapse 

occurred. Firefighters were on the roof at the time of the collapse and 1 firefighter fell into 

the church but was not seriously injured. The fire was determined to be an arson. 

Assistant Chief Collins died of extensive thermal burns. He had a carboxyhemoglobin 

level of 6.25 percent. Captain Dean died of smoke inhalation with thermal injuries. He 

had a carboxyhemoglobin level of 52.5 percent. Firefighter Sanders died of smoke 

inhalation with thermal injuries. He had a carboxyhemoglobin level of 72.5 percent. 

Brian Collins was a career Lieutenant and Phillip Dean was a career Fire Engineer with the 

Fort Worth Fire Department. 

2/15/99 

Terry Lee Myers, Driver/Operator 

Age 50, Volunteer 

Vigilant Hose Company, Emmitsburg, Maryland 

Driver/Operator Myers was working as a pump operator at the scene of a brush fire on the 

campus of Mount Saint Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He had been working 

for about 45 minutes when he collapsed of a heart attack. Driver/Operator Myers had not 

complained of any sickness prior to his attack. Emergency medical care was provided by 

members of his Department, the local ambulance squad, and by paramedics. Despite their 

efforts, Driver/Operator Myers was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The brush fire 

was caused by the spread of an unattended fire being used to dispose of cleared brush and 

trees. Additional information about this incident can be found in NIOSH Fire Fighter 

Fatality Investigation 99-F-43.
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-6 

2/16/99 

Robert C. Stanmire, Sr., Firefighter 

Age 52, Volunteer 

Forest Grove Volunteer Fire Company, Vineland, New Jersey 

Firefighter Stanmire suffered a heart attack as he and other members of his department 

prepared to respond to a brush fire. Firefighter Stanmire was stricken in the fire station as 

he boarded a piece of fire apparatus while dressed in full turnouts. Fellow firefighters 

began CPR immediately, and ALS was provided by the local rescue squad, but Firefighter 

Stanmire was dead upon arrival at a local hospital. The brush fire was arson. No autopsy 

was performed. 

2/18/99 

Burton Frank Chestnut, Firefighter 

Age 67, Volunteer 

Brazos Volunteer Fire Department, Texas 

Firefighter Chestnut was on a personal errand with two other Brazos firefighters when they 

came upon a fire in a woodpile that was against a structure. Firefighter Chestnut remained 

at the scene to begin notifying residents of the fire while other firefighters went to retrieve 

their fire apparatus. When the other firefighters returned, they found Firefighter Chestnut 

dead of an apparent heart attack. 

2/19/99 

Terry “Ted” Oliver, Assistant Fire Chief 

Age 58, Volunteer 

Eaton Rapids Fire Department, Michigan 

Assistant Chief Oliver was directing the overhaul and salvage of a bedroom fire that had 

been extinguished. He ascended the stairs to the second floor of the house to check on the 

progress of work in the fire area. Upon reaching the top of the stairwell, he collapsed and 

died of an apparent heart attack. He was removed from the structure and taken to the 

hospital by an ambulance that was on the scene of the fire. Assistant Chief Oliver’s son is 

a firefighter and he was on the scene when his father was stricken. He was the first 

firefighter to die in the line of duty for the 125-year-old department. 

2/28/99 

Alan W. Ducheck, Captain 

Age 46, Paid-on-Call 

DeSoto Fire and Rescue, Missouri 

Captain Ducheck was assisting with an extended vehicle extrication when he suffered a 

heart attack. He died on March 1, 1999. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-7 

3/12/99 

Jerome Taylor, Captain 

Age 69, Volunteer 

Hillburn Fire Department, New York 

Captain Taylor collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack while directing traffic at a 

structure fire. 

3/16/99 

David L. Packard, Firefighter 

Age 56, Career 

Boston Fire Department, Massachusetts 

Firefighter Packard was preparing for duty when his engine company was dispatched to a 

motor vehicle collision. Firefighter Packard did not respond on the call (he was on the 

oncoming shift and the call was handled by the off going shift) and was found by other 

firefighters upon their return to quarters from the call. He had collapsed in the bunkroom 

of an apparent heart attack. Despite immediate aid by on-scene firefighters, the use of an 

AED, and ALS treatment by paramedics, Firefighter Packard died. No autopsy was 

performed. The cause of death as listed on his death certificate was asystole caused by 

coronary artery disease. Additional information about this incident can be found in NIOSH 

Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-17. 

3/16/99 

Charles James “Chuck” Vodak, Firefighter 

Age 45, Volunteer 

Dunning Fire Department, Nebraska 

Firefighter Vodak and other members of his department had been fighting a prairie fire for 

more than 4 hours. Firefighter Vodak complained of chest pains and experienced a heart 

attack. Other firefighters performed CPR on Firefighter Vodak for 1 hour as they waited 

for an ambulance to arrive at the isolated fire location. The path of the fire was 10 miles 

wide in some places and it eventually consumed 70,000 acres. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-8 

3/17/99 

Walter J. Flyntz, Firefighter 

Age 44, Career 

Bridgeport Fire Department, Connecticut 

Firefighter Flyntz responded as part of an engine company to a report of a fire in the 

basement of an apartment building that was undergoing renovation. Upon arrival at the 

scene, he assisted with the connection of his engine to a hydrant and then helped check for 

fire extension on the upper floors of the building. After clearing the second floor, 

Firefighter Flyntz went to the third floor to check for extension. Shortly after his arrival on 

the third floor, he collapsed. He was discovered by a renovation worker who, in turn, 

notified other firefighters. Despite the efforts of firefighters on the scene and efforts by 

other emergency workers, Firefighter Flyntz expired. The cause of death was listed as 

atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Additional information about this incident can be 

found in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-18. 

3/23/99 

Paul Haislopp, Captain 

Age 50, Volunteer 

Centerville Fire Department, Ohio 

Captain Haislopp experienced a heart attack at his fire station as he moved fire apparatus in 

preparation for a response to a structure fire. 

4/2/99 

Aubrey R. Tillman, Firefighter 

Age 57, Career 

Charleston Fire Department, South Carolina 

Firefighter Tillman had been on-duty for 14 hours and had participated in physically 

demanding training for 3 1⁄2 hours of his shift. At approximately 10 p.m., Firefighter 

Tillman experienced a witnessed temporary loss of consciousness. As other firefighters 

came to his aid, Firefighter Tillman regained consciousness and complained of severe chest 

pains. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital under ALS care. His condition 

deteriorated in the ambulance and further deteriorated in the hospital emergency room. 

Firefighter Tillman died at 11:37 p.m. The death certificate listed “probable acute 

myocardial infarction” as the immediate cause of death. No autopsy was performed. 

Additional information about this incident can be found in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality 

Investigation 99-F-15. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-9 

4/6/99 

Kenneth Allen Nickell, Captain 

Age 28, Volunteer 

Route 377 Volunteer Fire Department, Kentucky 

Kevin Rex Smith, Firefighter/EMT 

Age 30, Volunteer 

Route 377 Volunteer Fire Department, Kentucky 

Captain Nickell and Firefighter Smith responded to a wildland fire in the Daniel Boone 

National Forest near Cranston, Kentucky. They were part of a 7-person team that was 

constructing a fire line in hardwood leaf litter on the forest floor. Nickell and Smith were 

in the lead and using a rake and a gasoline-powered leaf blower to construct the line. As 

the fire line was being constructed, spot fires were breaking over the fire line and several 

members of the team doubled back to control the spot fires. Captain Nickell and 

Firefighter Smith continued to construct the fire line. The fire was growing in intensity and 

the wind was picking up so the crew leader gave the order for all firefighters to pull back. 

Captain Nickell acknowledged the order and indicated that he and Firefighter Smith would 

pull back. Shortly thereafter, another radio transmission was received from 

Captain Nickell indicating that he and Firefighter Smith were burned or on fire. Evidence 

suggests that the two tried to outrun the fire uphill but were slowed by terrain. It appeared 

as if the firefighters attempted to run back through the fire to reach the burned area. At 

some point, they succumbed to the flames and collapsed. The cause of death for both 

firefighters was listed as asphyxia due to environmental oxygen deprivation, smoke 

inhalation, and acute carbon monoxide poisoning. Neither firefighter was equipped with a 

fire shelter. Additional information about this incident can be found in NIOSH Fire 

Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-14. A report also is available from the Kentucky 

Division of Forestry entitled “Report of the Accident Investigations Team for the Island 

Fork Fire – April 6, 1999 – Near Cranston, Kentucky.” 

4/8/99 

John E. Murphy, Deputy Fire Chief 

Age 64, Paid-on-Call 

Russell Fire Department, Massachusetts 

Deputy Chief Murphy was engaged in fighting a wildland fire for 4 hours. He collapsed 

and was down for 10 to 15 minutes before being discovered by another firefighter. CPR 

was begun immediately thereafter and continued as Deputy Chief Murphy was transported 

to a waiting ambulance in the bed of the Fire Chief’s pickup (due to terrain). CPR 

continued through transport in the BLS ambulance, ALS treatment, and treatment in a 

hospital emergency room. Despite all efforts, Chief Murphy expired in the emergency 

room. The cause of death was listed as coronary atherosclerosis. Additional information 

about this incident can be found in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-32. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-10 

4/12/99 

Phillip M. Pinkowski, Jr., Firefighter 

Age 59, Volunteer 

Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department, Vermont 

Firefighter Pinkowski collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack while acting as a 

pump operator at a residential structure fire. 

4/15/99 

Robert D. Peters, Firefighter 

Age 71, Volunteer 

West Lake Fire Department, Pennsylvania 

Firefighter Peters responded to an ambulance call and was not feeling well at the call. 

After the call was concluded, he went home. That afternoon, he was found at home by a 

relative. He was nearly unconscious. Despite surgery, Firefighter Peters died as the result 

of a stomach aneurysm. 

4/28/99 

David J. Watts, Captain 

Age 56, Paid-on-Call 

Nantucket Fire Department, Massachusetts 

Captain Watts was engaged in active structural firefighting for 2 1⁄2 hours in a multipleoccupancy wood frame building that was constructed about 1849. After the fire was 

controlled, Captain Watts returned home and suffered a heart attack in the shower shortly 

after arriving home. CPR was administered, first by his wife and later by firefighters, and 

an AED was used by other firefighters who responded to Captain Watts’ residence. He 

was transported by ambulance to a local hospital where he was stabilized. Captain Watts 

was transferred to a hospital in Boston by air but he never regained consciousness and died 

on May 2, 1999. The cause of death was listed as coronary thrombosis and ventricular 

tachycardia. Additional information about this incident can be found in NIOSH Fire 

Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-19. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-11 

5/2/99 

Kenneth Alan Strain, Firefighter 

Age 28, Volunteer 

Hemby Bridge Volunteer Fire Department, North Carolina 

Firefighter Strain was the sole occupant and driver of a 1996 pumper. He was returning to 

the station after being canceled en route to a motor vehicle collision. He pulled the pumper 

to the right side of the road to allow for the passage of other traffic when the right rear 

wheels of the pumper left the paved surface of the road and fell into a ditch. Firefighter 

Strain was unable to regain control, and the pumper struck a tree. Firefighter Strain was 

killed instantly and was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the highway patrol, 

speed was not a factor. Firefighter Strain was wearing his seatbelt. It took other 

firefighters 2 hours to free Firefighter Strain from the wreckage. Additional information 

about this incident can be found in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-16. 

5/3/99 

Eric Noel Casiano, Firefighter 

Age 41, Career 

Philadelphia Fire Department, Pennsylvania 

Firefighter Casiano and his company were fighting a structural fire in a residential 

occupancy. During the fire fight, Firefighter Casiano fell through a floor but appeared to 

be uninjured. After his company had been released and was back at quarters, everyone 

returned to bed. A short time later, Firefighter Casiano’s company was dispatched to 

another call. Other firefighters found him down and without vital signs. Despite 

immediate CPR and ALS arrival within 4 minutes, Firefighter Casiano died. His autopsy 

revealed that he had a massive hemorrhage within his back muscles which damaged his 

spinal cord. The hemorrhage was caused by the fall. 

5/4/99 

Arthur A. Tullis, Fire Chief 

Age 61, Part-Time (Paid) 

LaGrange Park Volunteer Fire Department, Illinois 

Chief Tullis and members of his fire department and a neighboring department had 

responded to an automatic fire alarm activation in a retirement home. Chief Tullis was 

first on the scene and was exiting the building to command the arrival of other units when 

he collapsed from an apparent heart attack. ALS was provided immediately by other 

firefighters, but Chief Tullis could not be revived. The cause of death was heart disease. 

The alarm activation was caused by carpet installers. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-12 

5/14/99 

Lewis Edward Williams, Fire and Rescue Captain 

Age 47, Volunteer 

Fort Oglethorpe Fire & Rescue, Georgia 

Captain Williams worked for 2 1⁄2 hours on the scene of a trench collapse which trapped 

one worker. He participated in various tasks, including the unloading of supplies, and 

command. He collapsed at the command post without warning or any complaint of 

sickness. Despite immediate EMS and ALS care, Captain Williams died. The cause of 

death was listed as a heart attack. The trapped construction worker was rescued 

successfully. Additional information about this incident can be found in NIOSH Fire 

Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-49.

5/30/99 

Lewis Jefferson Matthews, Firefighter Anthony Sean Phillips, Sr., Firefighter 

Age 29, Career Age 30, Career 

District of Columbia Fire Department District of Columbia Fire Department 

Firefighter Matthews and Firefighter Phillips were members of two different engine 

companies working on the first floor of a townhouse that was experiencing a fire. Both 

crews had entered the front door of the townhouse at street level. The fire was confined to 

the basement. The basement, at grade at the rear of the structure, was opened by a truck 

company and a small fire was observed. A company officer at the basement door requested 

permission to hit the fire but his request was denied by the incident commander since he 

knew that crews were in the building and he did not want to have an opposing hose stream 

situation. The fire grew rapidly and extended up the basement stairs into the living areas of 

the townhouse where Firefighter Matthews, Firefighter Phillips, and other firefighters were 

working. 

With the exception of Firefighter Matthews and Firefighter Phillips, all firefighters exited 

the building after the progress of the fire made the living area of the townhouse untenable. 

On the exterior of the building, firefighters realized that Firefighter Matthews was not 

accounted for. Firefighters reentered the building and followed the sound of a PASS 

device. They removed the firefighter with the activated PASS to the exterior of the 

building. Once outside, firefighters realized that the firefighter who had been rescued was 

not Firefighter Matthews, but was, in fact, Firefighter Phillips. The search continued and 

Firefighter Matthews was discovered and removed approximately 4 minutes later. 

Firefighter Phillips’ PASS device was of the type that is automatically activated when the 

SCBA is activated and it worked properly. Firefighter Matthews’ PASS was a manually 

activated type and it was found in the “off” position. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-13 

Both firefighters received immediate medical care on the scene and were transported 

rapidly to hospitals. Firefighter Phillips was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital 

and Firefighter Matthews died the following day, May 31, 1999. 

Firefighter Phillips died as the result of burns over 60 percent of his body surface area and 

his airway. Firefighter Matthews died as the result of burns over 90 percent of his body 

surface area and his airway. 2 other firefighters were injured fighting the fire. One (1) of 

these 2 firefighters, who suffered burns over 60 percent of his body surface area, survived 

and was released from the hospital in late August. At the time of his release, it was not 

clear if this firefighter would ever return to work. 

Additional information about this incident can be found in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality 

Investigation 99-F-21. 

5/31/99 

Joseph F. Tagliareni, Jr., Firefighter 

Age 34, Volunteer 

Secaucus Fire Department, New Jersey 

Firefighter Tagliareni was driving an engine company in response to a report of an 

automobile fire. He started to feel ill, pulled the apparatus to the side of the road, exited 

the apparatus, walked to the rear of the engine, and collapsed of a heart attack. Other 

firefighters began CPR immediately and ALS-level care was provided before transporting 

Firefighter Tagliareni to the hospital. Firefighter Tagliareni was in a coma for 13 days 

before his death on June 13, 1999. The autopsy found hypertrophy and dilatation of the 

heart, and pneumonia. 

6/2/99 

Rudolf Cohen, Deputy Fire Chief 

Age 67, Career 

Gary Fire Department, Indiana 

Chief Cohen collapsed and died of heart failure while working at his desk. No autopsy was 

performed. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-14 

6/3/99 

Vincent Fowler, Captain 

Age 47, Career 

Fire Department City of New York, New York 

Captain Fowler and a probationary firefighter were searching for victims and fire in the 

basement of an occupied residential structure. The basement was extremely congested 

with furniture, newspapers, magazines, and other items. Water had been applied to the fire 

and it appeared to be under control. The low air alarms on Captain Fowler’s SCBA and the 

probationary firefighter’s SCBA were sounding. Captain Fowler delayed his own exit 

from the basement as he called for and accounted for his probationary firefighter and he 

subsequently ran out of air. Captain Fowler and the probationary firefighter buddybreathed until Captain Fowler collapsed. The probationary firefighter dragged Captain 

Fowler until he was joined by other firefighters. Because of the congested conditions in the 

basement, it took an extended period of time for Captain Fowler to be removed from the 

building. Captain Fowler died the next day on June 4, 1999. 

The cause of death was listed as smoke inhalation with carbon monoxide inhalation. 

Captain Fowler’s carbon monoxide level was 60 percent. 

6/4/99 

Richard Anthony Heinze, Firefighter 

Age 47, Career 

Newark Fire Department, New Jersey 

Firefighter Heinze had just returned from a fire run that turned out to be a malfunctioning 

fire alarm system. He retired to the bunkroom shortly after returning to the station. 

Approximately 40 to 50 minutes after returning to the station, other firefighters heard a 

loud “thump” and found Firefighter Heinze on the floor of the bunkroom gasping for air. 

He soon became unconscious. Firefighters immediately began CPR and an ambulance was 

summoned. Despite medical care that included defibrillation, Firefighter Heinze was 

pronounced dead at the hospital. Firefighter Heinze had complained of pain in his jaw and 

a headache earlier in the shift. The cause of death was listed as hypertensive and 

atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Additional information about this incident can be 

found in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-31.
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-15 

6/8/99 

Clyde Peterson, Assistant Fire Chief 

Age 70, Volunteer 

Hilltop Lakes Volunteer Fire Department, Texas 

Chief Peterson had just finished commanding the response of his fire department to a fire 

involving a stake bed truck filled with asphalt shingles. As he was returning to his vehicle, 

he was struck by an apparent heart attack. He was discovered by other firefighters when 

they noticed that he was missing. CPR was begun immediately. No autopsy was 

performed. The cause of the fire was listed as suspicious. 

6/9/99 

Phillip P. Cirrito, Houseman/Firefighter 

Age 47, Career 

Merion Fire Company of Ardmore, Pennsylvania 

Firefighter Cirrito had been on-duty for approximately 22 hours. During the shift, he had 

responded to 2 fire incidents and had assisted with the installation of radio equipment on a 

new pumper. The day was extremely hot with temperatures above 90o F. At 

approximately 5:50 a.m., an ambulance was dispatched to the fire station to a report of a 

firefighter gasping for air. Firefighter Cirrito died sometime later that day. The cause of 

death was listed as a pulmonary thromboembolism and hypertensive cardiovascular 

disease. 

6/13/99 

Arch Russell Sligar, Jr., Firefighter 

Age 52, Volunteer 

Bethany Volunteer Fire Department, West Virginia 

Firefighter Sligar was riding in the officer’s seat of a pumper responding to a mutual-aid 

structure fire. The apparatus driver noticed that Firefighter Sligar was not talking and that 

he had slumped over in the officer’s seat. The apparatus was stopped, Firefighter Sligar 

was removed from the apparatus, and CPR was begun. ALS arrived within 2 minutes and 

defibrillated Firefighter Sligar. He regained consciousness for a short time but suffered 

another arrest in the ambulance en route to the hospital. He was pronounced dead about 40 

minutes after arrival at the hospital. The cause of death was listed as a heart attack. No 

autopsy was performed. Additional information about this incident can be found in NIOSH 

Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-24. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-16 

6/11/99 

Wayne Robert Luecht, Assistant Chief 

Age 47, Career 

Northbrook Fire Department, Illinois 

Firefighters from the Northbrook Fire Department responded to a report of an electrical 

problem in a department store located in a mall. Crews discovered a smell of smoke in the 

building and located some electrical equipment that had burned. There was no hazard of 

fire extension so crews were released to return to quarters and the on-duty Fire Prevention 

staff were requested to the scene. Assistant Chief Luecht, the Fire Marshal, arrived and 

accompanied a private electrical contractor as he investigated the cause of the power 

outage and fire. As the electrician was testing an electrical panel, a white-blue flash, 

concussion, and fireball occurred, enveloping the electrician and Chief Luecht. Although 

severely burned over 90 percent of his body surface, Chief Luecht directed the response to 

the emergency and directed firefighters to assist other victims before he allowed them to 

provide him treatment. Chief Luecht was alert and oriented throughout his treatment and 

spoke with others until he was placed on a ventilator at the hospital. Chief Luecht fought 

for 10 days until he succumbed to his injuries on June 21, 1999. The electrician was killed 

and 2 department store employees were injured. 

6/16/99 

Clifford Thomas Moore, Fire Captain 

Age 38, Career 

Manteca Fire Department, California 

Captain Moore was participating in training exercises at a regional training facility. 

Captain Moore was proctoring the hose aloft and ladder rescue evolutions. During the 

second evolution, the incident commander initiated an emergency evacuation of the 

building as part of the training. Captain Moore attempted an emergency evacuation 

method from the second story window of the training tower onto a ground ladder that had 

been placed at the window. Captain Moore fell from the window and received critical 

facial and head injuries. He was treated by paramedics on the scene and transported to the 

hospital. Despite aggressive efforts to save his life, Captain Moore was pronounced dead 

at the hospital. The Manteca Fire Department conducted a board of inquiry into the 

incident. The report is available for download at the Manteca Fire Department Web site. 

Additional information about this incident can be found in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality 

Investigation 99-F-25.
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-17 

6/17/99 

Paul Francis McGrath, Firefighter 

Age 50, Career 

Pittsburgh Fire Department, Pennsylvania 

Firefighter McGrath was a member of a truck company that was fighting a 3 alarm 

defensive fire in a 3-story brick building that had last been used as living quarters for 

nursing students. Firefighter McGrath participated in numerous tasks on the fireground, 

including establishing a water supply to his truck company for master stream operations, 

ventilation, placement of ground ladders, and forcible entry. The fire had just been brought 

under control when the call went out that a firefighter was down. Firefighter McGrath had 

become dizzy at the aerial ladder turntable while operating the ladder pipe and was assisted 

to the ground by other firefighters. Upon reaching the ground, he collapsed of an apparent 

heart attack. ALS was provided by on scene EMS crews and Firefighter McGrath was 

transported to the hospital but later died. The cause of death was listed as “arteriosclerotic 

cardiovascular disease.” The fire was found to be arson, and suspects were arrested. 

Firefighter McGrath was born at the hospital located on the same grounds as the nurse’s 

residence that burned. Additional information about this incident can be found in NIOSH 

Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-22. 

6/18/99 

Ronald Gregory Phillips, Firefighter Paramedic 

Age 32, Career 

Sylvania Township Fire Department, Ohio 

Firefighter Phillips had just begun his daily physical fitness workout when he collapsed. 

He had been working out with dumbbells on a bench. His collapse was not witnessed but 

others in the area heard noise and found him unconscious. ALS treatment was provided 

and he was transported to the hospital. Despite every effort, Firefighter Phillips never 

regained consciousness and died. An autopsy was performed and the cause of death was 

listed as a ruptured cerebral aneurysm. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-18 

6/23/99 

Matthew Eric Black, Firefighter 

Age 20, Volunteer 

Lakeport Fire Department, California 

A large branch from a mature oak tree fell on some power lines and brought them down. 

The Lakeport Fire Department was dispatched to control a grass fire that resulted from the 

fallen power lines. Firefighters were advised upon dispatch that power lines were down. 

Firefighter Black’s place of work was about 11⁄2 miles from the fire scene, so he responded 

directly to the scene in his personal vehicle and joined up with an engine company. 

Firefighter Black asked if he could advance a booster reel line and extinguish a pile of 

burning debris; and permission was granted. According to witness accounts, Firefighter 

Black appeared to stumble after heaving on the hose after it hung up. Firefighter Black fell 

face down on the live wire and was electrocuted. Other firefighters on the scene used a 

handtool to remove the wire from under Firefighter Black and dragged him away from the 

wire. He was found to have no pulse or respiration. CPR was begun immediately. ALS 

arrived within 9 minutes and Firefighter Black was transported to the hospital. Despite 

aggressive efforts to revive him, Firefighter Black was pronounced dead at the hospital. 

The cause of death was listed as electrocution. Additional information about this incident 

can be found in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-26. 

7/4/99 

Roger B. McEwen, Sr., Captain 

Age 52, Volunteer 

Hanover Volunteer Fire Department, Alabama 

Captain McEwen had been working on the scene of a mobile home fire for about 1 hour. 

During the course of the fire fight, Captain McEwen had advanced and operated hose lines, 

had helped other firefighters with their SCBA’s, and was operating a fire pump at the time 

of his illness. He cried out for help and collapsed to the ground, the victim of an apparent 

heart attack. ALS providers were on scene and began care immediately. Despite efforts on 

the scene and during transport, Captain McEwen was pronounced dead at the hospital. No 

autopsy was performed. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-19 

7/7/99 

Costello Nathaniel "Colonel" Robinson, Firefighter/Technician 

Age 64, Career 

District of Columbia Fire Department 

Firefighter Robinson was the most senior active firefighter on the District of Columbia Fire 

Department. He and his engine company were dispatched, along with other units, to the 

report of a fire in a densely populated area of the District. As Firefighter Robinson and 

other firefighters were searching for a fire, Firefighter Robinson was attacked from behind 

by an unrestrained pit bull terrier dog. Firefighter Robinson was injured by the attack and 

unable to walk. He was transported to a local hospital and scheduled for knee surgery to 

repair the damage caused by the dog attack. On July 9th, the day that his knee surgery was 

scheduled, Firefighter Robinson became acutely short of breath and unresponsive. 

Medical aid was provided, but Firefighter Robinson did not survive. Autopsy findings 

included “hypertensive cardiovascular disease” and “blunt impact trauma [to the knee] with 

avulsion of [the] right quadriceps tendon.” Additional information about this incident can 

be found in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-40. 

7/7/99 

Lawrence D. Lehman, Fire Police Lieutenant 

Age 51, Volunteer 

South Lebanon Township Fire Police - Friendship Fire Company, Pennsylvania 

Fire Police Lieutenant Lehman was performing crowd control and traffic duties at the 

scene of a wildland fire. Firefighters had been on the scene for less than 1 hour when Fire 

Police Lieutenant Lehman collapsed of an apparent heart attack. EMS was provided 

immediately; however, Fire Police Lieutenant Lehman was pronounced dead at the 

hospital. 

7/12/99 

David Vernon Parks, Firefighter Photographer 

Age 69, Volunteer 

Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department, Pennsylvania 

Firefighter Parks was engaged in routine maintenance of an engine company apparatus 

when he was stricken with a heart attack and later died. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-20 

7/15/99 

Bryan Christopher Pottberg, Firefighter Paramedic 

Age 25, Career 

Lee's Summit Fire Department, Missouri 

Firefighter Paramedic Pottberg was participating in a scheduled rescue diver drill. 

Firefighter Paramedic Pottberg was underwater performing a search evolution when he 

failed to surface. Other firefighters searched for him. He was brought to the surface 

approximately 11 minutes after firefighters noticed that something was wrong. He 

received immediate medical attention in the boat and while en route to the hospital. He 

was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. The autopsy listed the cause of death as 

drowning. It is unknown why Firefighter Paramedic Pottberg had difficulty. Additional 

information about this incident can be found in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 

99-F-29. 

7/18/99 

Martin Michael Stiles, Inmate Firefighter 

Age 40, Wildland Part-Time 

Los Angeles County Fire Department, California 

Firefighter Stiles was a part of a Los Angeles County Fire Department Strike Team 

working a wildland fire incident in Ventura County. His crew was assigned to construct a 

handline around a slopover that extended over a dozer line on a ridge. Firefighter Stiles 

slipped over a ridge and fell to his death 150 feet below. The time of the fatal incident was 

approximately 1:50 a.m. 

7/27/99 

David Dwayne Hartwick, Firefighter 

Age 35, Volunteer 

New Braunfels Fire & Rescue, Texas 

Firefighter Hartwick was at home asleep when his fire department was dispatched to a 

structure fire. Firefighter Hartwick was found dead in the morning, the victim of a heart 

attack. His pager had been reset after the page for the structure fire. It is assumed that 

Firefighter Hartwick rose to respond to the structure fire and then died of the heart attack. 

This fact cannot be established with 100 percent certainty. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-21 

7/29/99 

Richard F. Devine, Firefighter 

Age 49, Career 

Philadelphia Fire Department, Pennsylvania 

Firefighter Devine was assigned to an engine company working on the scene of a structure 

fire. Firefighter Devine was the nozzle person and extinguished a fire on the second floor 

of the structure. After taking a short break outside of the structure after the fire was 

controlled, Firefighter Devine re entered the structure to assist with overhaul. Upon his 

arrival at the second floor, he collapsed of an apparent heart attack. CPR was begun 

immediately by other firefighters, ALS was provided by fire department paramedics, and 

Firefighter Devine was transported to the hospital. Firefighter Devine was pronounced 

dead at the hospital when further medical efforts proved fruitless. The autopsy listed the 

cause of death as “arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease” with heat stress cited as another 

significant condition. The fire was caused by a child playing with matches. Additional 

information about this incident can be found in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 

99-F-50. 

7/30/99 

Kenneth F. Clinch, Firefighter 

Age 52, Volunteer 

Mount Marion Fire Department, New York 

Firefighter Clinch and members of his fire department were fighting a car fire on the New 

York State Thruway. Firefighter Clinch had driven a water tanker (tender) to the scene 

and was directed to stretch a 2-1/2” line from the tanker to the pumper. The day was hot 

and humid. He stretched 100 feet of line from the tanker to the pumper, made the 

connection to the pumper, and was headed back to the tanker when he collapsed of an 

apparent heart attack. On scene firefighters immediately went to his aid and ALS was 

requested. The ambulance arrived within 8 minutes. Firefighter Clinch was breathing and 

had a weak pulse when he left the scene for the hospital; however, he died later that day. 

The autopsy reported the cause of death as occlusive coronary artery disease. 

8/5/99 

Richard Clarence Bacon, Assistant Chief 

Age 46, Volunteer 

Dunstable Volunteer Fire Department, Massachusetts 

Assistant Chief Bacon had driven a fire department pumper to the scene of a reported 

structure fire. The fire was minor, and all units were ordered to return to the station. Upon 

returning to the station, Assistant Chief Bacon was completing some paperwork when he 

was observed to be in medical distress. Firefighter/EMT’s in the station began treatment, 

including CPR, and Chief Bacon was transported to the hospital. Assistant Chief Bacon 

did not survive his heart attack. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-22 

8/5/99 

James Everett. Clark, III, Senior Firefighter 

Age 42, Career 

Midwest City Fire Department, Oklahoma 

Senior Firefighter Clark was a member of a squad company that had been dispatched to the 

report of a motor vehicle collision on I-40 in Midwest City. The roads were wet from rain 

and rain had begun to fall again. A ladder company also was dispatched on the call. The 

squad arrived on the scene and discovered that the collision was minor. The ladder arrived 

and positioned itself upstream of the squad to divert traffic away from the incident scene; 

all of the unit’s emergency lights were operating. Approximately 2 minutes after arriving 

on the scene, the ladder was hit from behind by a passenger vehicle. Firefighters 

dismounted the ladder apparatus to check on the condition of the driver. The ladder 

firefighters were joined by Senior Firefighter Clark, who had heard the collision. After the 

patient from the second collision was moved to an area that was thought to be safe 

(between the ladder apparatus and the wall), the company officer of the ladder company 

walked further upstream in traffic in an attempt to wave traffic away from the scene of both 

collisions. At this point, another passenger vehicle lost control and spun into the space 

between the ladder apparatus and the retaining wall. Senior Firefighter Clark placed 

himself between the oncoming car and the driver of the car that had collided with the 

ladder apparatus. 2 firefighters and the driver of the car that hit the ladder apparatus were 

injured. The injured received immediate medical care on the scene, en route to the 

hospital, and after arriving at the hospital. Senior Firefighter Clark died as the result of 

head injuries on August 8, 1999. Additional information about this incident can be found in 

NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-27. 

8/5/99 

Michael Eugene "Cuppie" Cupp, Sr., Fire Chief 

Age 48, Volunteer 

Cygnet Volunteer Fire Department, Ohio 

Chief Cupp and members of his fire department had just completed the extinguishment of a 

brush fire on a vacant lot. As Chief Cupp returned to his truck, he collapsed of an apparent 

heart attack. Despite EMS care on the scene, en route to the hospital, and in the hospital, 

Chief Cupp was pronounced dead later that night. The cause of death was a massive 

myocardial infarction. No autopsy was performed. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-23 

8/5/99 

Cilton Jay Dauzat, Firefighter 

Age 63, Volunteer 

White Tail Ridge Volunteer Fire Department, Texas 

Firefighter Dauzat had responded with members of his fire department to a wildland fire 

that resulted from the failure of a local homeowner to contain an intentional fire in a pile of 

logs. Unbeknownst to the driver of a pumper, Firefighter Dauzat had mounted the back 

step. The pumper was attempting to ascend a hill. Despite two tries, the pumper was 

unable to climb the hill and when the apparatus backed down off of the hill, the driver 

discovered the he had run over Firefighter Dauzat. It is believed that Firefighter Dauzat 

lost his footing. The cause of death was listed as severe chest and head injuries. 

8/8/99 

Ronald Wade Meshell, Firefighter 

Age 30, Volunteer 

Huttig Fire Department, Arkansas 

Firefighter Meshell responded, along with others from his department, to a mutual-aid call 

for a fire in a motor home. The owner of the motor home had just filled the fuel tank, 

driven the motor home to his residence, and parked the vehicle at the top of his driveway. 

Upon arriving home, the owner noticed smoke coming from under the hood; he could not 

extinguish the fire and called the fire department. Firefighter Meshell and a Deputy Fire 

Chief arrived in a pumper. The Huttig pumper arrived on the scene and parked about 40 

feet downhill from the motor home. Firefighter Meshell was ordered to pull a 1-1/2” line 

from the rear of the Huttig pumper to assist a firefighter from another department that had a 

booster line from the other department’s pumper on the fire. Before the line could be 

charged, the fuel tank on the motor home ruptured and sent a flood of burning fuel down 

hill toward firefighter Meshell, another firefighter, and both pumpers. Firefighter Meshell 

was not wearing any firefighting protective clothing, although he had loaded his protective 

clothing on the pumper prior to response. He was surrounded by flames for an estimated 

15 seconds and was burned over 96 percent of his body surface and his airway. Firefighter 

Meshell died on August 16, 1999. Additional information about this incident can be found 

in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-34. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-24 

8/9/99 

Arthur J. Heckman, Firefighter 

Age 66, Volunteer 

Macks Creek Fire Department, Missouri 

Firefighter Heckman was the first to arrive at a wildland fire that was threatening 

structures. Firefighter Heckman had pulled a pumper behind a house to fill it with water. 

He was found slumped over the wheel, the victim of an apparent heart attack. 

8/14/99 

Frank William Wood, Firefighter 

Age 54, Volunteer 

Flourtown Fire Company, Pennsylvania 

Firefighter Wood and members of his department were fighting a room fire in a nursing 

home. Firefighter Wood assisted with the rescue of an unconscious staff member and then 

collapsed of an apparent heart attack. He was rushed to the hospital but subsequently died. 

8/26/99 

David Thomas Nall, Assistant Chief 

Age 40, Volunteer 

Town of Jay Volunteer Fire Department, Florida 

Assistant Chief Nall responded to an emergency medical incident on a high school football 

field. Chief Nall assisted with the treatment of the patient and was helping to load the 

child in an ambulance when he complained of chest pains. He collapsed and CPR was 

initiated. Chief Nall was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead 

about 1 hour later. No autopsy was performed. 

8/27/99 

Stephen Joseph Masto, Firefighter 

Age 28, Firefighter 

Santa Barbara Fire Department, California 

Firefighter Masto was working as an EMT at a wildland fire, roaming among other 

firefighters and providing first aid to anyone who became injured. He worked a 6 a.m. to 

6 p.m. shift, was equipped with a portable radio, and carried a canteen. He did not return 

to camp at the end of his shift, and a search was initiated. Firefighter Masto was 

discovered dead about 12 hours later in steep terrain. The cause of death was found to be 

heat stroke; there was no evidence of trauma or other medical conditions that contributed to 

his death. Firefighter Masto’s shift as an EMT was on August 27, 1999 and he was found 

on August 28, 1999. Firefighter Masto was wearing brush gear. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-25 

8/31/99 

Timmy Roger Dawson, Firefighter 

Age 34, Volunteer 

Center Rock Volunteer Fire Department, South Carolina 

Firefighter Dawson was the driver of a 1994 pumper responding to a motor vehicle 

collision. Two other firefighters were passengers in the pumper. The right wheels of the 

pumper left the road and Firefighter Dawson attempted unsuccessfully to bring the truck 

back under control. Firefighter Dawson overcompensated, and the pumper went off the left 

side of the road, through a yard, and rolled several times. The pumper’s speed was 

estimated at 60 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone. Firefighter Dawson was not 

wearing a seatbelt. The other firefighters riding on the pumper received minor injuries. 

The cause of death was listed as blunt trauma. 

9/13/99 

Kenneth C. Cashman, Firefighter 

Age 29, Volunteer 

Auglaize Township Volunteer Fire Department, Ohio 

Firefighter Cashman was responding to a stove fire in a residence. A dump truck loaded 

with stone pulled out in front of Firefighter Cashman and his car collided with the dump 

truck. Firefighter Cashman was killed instantly. Firefighter Cashman was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision and was operating a red dash light and a siren. The dump 

truck driver was charged with aggravated vehicular homicide. 

9/15/99 

Terri LeAnn Hood, Firefighter 

Age 31, Volunteer 

McColloch Volunteer Fire Department, Indiana 

Firefighter Hood was helping firefighters from a 5-county area battle a 450-acre wildland 

fire. Firefighter Hood was protecting a tobacco barn with other firefighters when 

conditions worsened and firefighters decided to withdraw. In heavy smoke and confusing 

conditions, Firefighter Hood was run over by a pumper backing away from the barn. She 

was killed instantly. Additional information about this incident can be found in NIOSH 

Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-35.
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-26 

9/27/99 

Lewis Edward "Rawhide" Anderson, Firefighter 

Age 68, Volunteer 

River Falls Volunteer Fire Department, South Carolina 

Firefighter Anderson was directing traffic around an earlier traffic collision. He was 

positioned about a 1/2 mile north of the collision scene. The weather was rainy and 

Firefighter Anderson was wearing bright yellow rain gear and using a stop/slow sign. He 

was struck by an 18-wheel truck which also struck a fire department vehicle on the scene. 

The truck then left the scene. Firefighters were notified by another truck driver that 

Firefighter Anderson was down. They went to his aid and administered CPR and other 

medical care. Firefighter Anderson died on September 30, 1999. According to the police 

report, the truck driver was operating his vehicle at a reckless speed. According to the 

certificate of death, Firefighter Anderson was killed by a cerebral contusion and edema due 

to blunt force trauma of [the] head. 

10/3/99 

Gregory Edwin Pacheco, Firefighter 

Age 20, Wildland Part-Time 

Carson National Forest, United States Forest Service, New Mexico 

Firefighter Pacheco was a member of a forest firefighting crew constructing a fire line on 

the La Jolla fire near San Diego, California. He was ascending steep terrain when a large 

rock fell and hit Firefighter Pacheco on the head, injuring him severely. One (1) other 

firefighter received moderate injuries and was released back to his crew. Firefighter 

Pacheco died on October 5, 1999. The cause of death was listed as a closed head injury. 

10/4/99 

Jeffrey Scott Thompson, Firefighter 

Age 20, Volunteer 

Howell County Rural Fire District #1, Missouri 

Firefighter Thompson and other members of his fire department responded to a grass fire 

that was caused when some powerlines fell. The line had fallen on a fence, energizing it. 

The Fire Chief warned all firefighters that fences in the area were energized and to avoid 

them. Firefighter Thompson and 2 other firefighters were advancing a booster line to 

control the fire when they came in contact with a fence. All 3 were electrocuted. EMS 

care was provided by other firefighters on the scene and the injured were evacuated by air. 

Firefighter Thompson died that day. The 2 other firefighters survived their injuries, 

although some of the injuries were very serious. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-27 

10/5/99 

William Malcolm Bethune, Captain 

Age 58, Career 

Texas City Fire Department, Texas 

Captain Bethune was riding in the officer’s seat of an engine company responding, with 

lights and siren, to a medical emergency. As the engine company entered an intersection 

against the red light, it struck a passenger car, veered off the roadway, and struck a cement 

freeway support column. Captain Bethune, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected 

through the front windshield of the pumper. He struck the pavement and received severe 

injuries. Captain Bethune was provided with EMS care on the scene and flown to a trauma 

center. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at the trauma center. The cause of death was 

listed as blunt trauma to the head. The driver of the pumper also was severely injured; the 

firefighter riding in the back of the cab had only minor injuries. A police investigation of 

the incident attributed the cause of the accident to the failure of the passenger car to yield 

to a responding emergency vehicle. The driver of the passenger car acknowledged that he 

had seen the responding engine approaching but thought that he could get through the 

intersection before the engine got there. The report also concluded that Captain Bethune’s 

failure to wear a seatbelt was a major factor in his death. Captain Bethune was the first 

firefighter fatality for the Texas City Fire Department since most members of the Texas 

City Fire Department were killed in an explosion 52 years before. Additional information 

about this incident can be found in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 99-F-36.

10/7/99 

Marvin Huisman, First Assistant Chief 

Age 56, Volunteer 

Wilmont Fire Department, Minnesota 

Chief Huisman and other firefighters were battling a brush fire. Chief Huisman had 

assisted with the extension of hose lines and was operating a fire pump. He suffered a 

heart attack and died. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-28 

10/7/99 

Elvis Benson Maxwell, Firefighter/Operator 

Age 49, Volunteer 

Grant Parish Fire District #5, Louisiana 

Firefighter Maxwell was responding as the driver of a fire department tanker (tender) to a 

structure fire at night and in the rain. He lost control of the vehicle, left the roadway, and 

overturned. An EMS unit en route to the fire came upon the scene and discovered 

Firefighter/Operator Maxwell still inside the vehicle with no vital signs. ALS was 

administered at the scene and en route to the hospital. Firefighter/Operator Maxwell was 

pronounced dead in the emergency room. Firefighter/Operator Maxwell was not wearing a 

seatbelt and was partially ejected in the collision. The cause of death was listed as blunt 

trauma. 

10/16/99 

Karen Jane Savage, Firefighter/EMT 

Age 44, Volunteer 

Hawkins Bar Volunteer Fire Department, California 

Firefighter/EMT Savage and other members of her department responded to a wildland fire 

that had developed into firestorm conditions. The fire eventually consumed 26,000 acres 

and destroyed 75 homes. Firefighter/EMT Savage and other firefighters stopped at a 

support vehicle to get supplies. As Firefighter/EMT Savage handed supplies to other 

firefighters on a pumper, the vehicle began to move. Firefighter/EMT Savage fell or 

jumped from the pumper and was crushed by the pumper’s rear wheels. Additional 

information about this incident can be found in NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 

99-F-42.

10/18/99 

Charles C. Young, Firefighter/EMT 

Age 77, Volunteer 

Ross Township Fire Department, Ohio 

Firefighter/EMT Young responded to a very upsetting incident involving the suicide of a 

teen. He returned from the incident and was speaking with his wife on the phone about the 

call when he was stricken with a heart attack. His wife was unsure of where he was so it 

took firefighters 10 to 20 minutes to find and treat him. Despite efforts by members of his 

department and others, Firefighter/EMT Young died. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-29 

10/28/99 

Brian K. Burnett, Firefighter 

Age 23, Volunteer 

Scipio Township Volunteer Fire Department, Indiana 

Robert Charles Ulrich, Captain 

Age 57, Volunteer 

Scipio Township Volunteer Fire Department, Indiana 

Firefighter Burnett and Captain Ulrich were responding in a tanker (tender) to the report of 

a brush fire, Firefighter Burnett who was driving, failed to negotiate a curve in the road; the 

apparatus left the road and crossed into a cornfield, where it rolled several times. 

Firefighter Burnett was ejected from the vehicle and the vehicle rolled on top of him. 

Captain Ulrich was trapped in the tanker, which was on its roof, until he was extricated by 

other firefighters. Both firefighters were transported to the hospital. 

Captain Ulrich died on November 4, 1999. He had been released from the intensive care 

unit to a regular hospital floor. Captain Ulrich was seemingly well and recovering from his 

injuries. He was discovered pulseless and non-responsive; emergency care was provided 

but was not successful. The autopsy concluded that Captain Ulrich died of a cardiac 

arrhythmia. It is not known if the cardiac problems were related to the collision. Captain 

Ulrich did have some health factors that contribute to cardiac disease. Captain Ulrich was 

wearing his seatbelt at the time of the collision. 

Firefighter Burnett died on January 22, 2000. He was making a slow recovery. The family 

had been told that he might be home in a week or so but that he would need further 

therapy. No cause of death for Firefighter Burnett is available. Firefighter Burnett was not 

wearing his seatbelt at the time of the collision. 

10/29/99 

David Merle Pack, Forestry Aide I 

Age 63, Wildland Full-Time 

Tennessee Department of Agriculture - Forestry Division, Tennessee 

Forestry Aide I Pack responded to what was described as a “routine” woodland fire. Other 

firefighters spoke with him as they responded to the incident. At the conclusion of the 

incident, Forestry Aide I Pack’s pickup truck was found at the edge of a pond near the fire 

area with the headlights on and the engine running. After a foot search failed to locate 

Forestry Aide I Pack, a search dog was called in. The dog led searchers to Forestry Aide I 

Pack’s body in the pond. His body was recovered. The reason for Forestry Aide I Pack’s 

presence in the pond is unknown. His cause of death was drowning. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-30 

10/29/99 

Walter F. Vaughan, Fire Police Officer 

Age 80, Volunteer 

Warminster Fire Department, Pennsylvania 

Fire Police Officer Vaughan was directing traffic around the scene of a reported structure 

fire. He was struck by a passenger car and sustained multiple injuries. He was transported 

to the hospital where he was placed on a ventilator. Fire Police Officer Vaughan died on 

November 13, 1999. At the incident he was wearing a reflective safety vest and helmet and 

using a wand-type flashlight to direct traffic. The driver of the passenger vehicle was cited 

for careless driving and failure to obey an authorized person directing traffic. 

11/2/99 

Michael J. Sims, Sr., Firefighter 

Age 38, Volunteer 

Highland Hose Company, Tarentum, Pennsylvania 

Firefighter Sims was responding to an automatic fire alarm activation as a passenger in a 

1965 open cab aerial ladder apparatus. As the truck made a turn, Firefighter Sims fell from 

the vehicle and sustained severe injuries. His fall was not witnessed, but another firefighter 

heard the impact of Firefighter Sims striking the pavement. Emergency medical care was 

provided, and Firefighter Sims was airlifted to a hospital. Firefighter Sims died the 

following day. The status of his seatbelt was not known. The apparatus was equipped with 

seatbelts and a safety gate. 

11/3/99 

Jerry Wayne Ramey, Firefighter Trainee 

Age 18, Volunteer 

West Fork Fire Department, Arkansas 

Firefighter Trainee Ramey responded with members of his department to a fire in the utility 

easement behind a home. A very small fire was found, which was out except for a few 

burning embers. Firefighter Ramey attempted to stomp out the embers when he came into 

contact with a 7,200-volt electrical line which had been hidden from view in tall grass. 

Firefighter Trainee Ramey fell on top of the line and was removed by other firefighters. 

Emergency medical aid was provided and Firefighter Trainee Ramey was transported to the 

hospital where he was pronounced dead. Firefighter Trainee Ramey had joined the fire 

department after a younger brother had died of an asthma attack at a local high school 

football game. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-31 

11/4/99 

William Walter Korte, Firefighter 

Age 59, Volunteer 

Southampton Fire Department, New York 

Firefighter Korte was performing scene safety duties as other members of his department 

performed a vehicle extrication. Firefighter Korte had just finished closing a road for 

traffic control. He was standing by the fire police truck talking to another firefighter when 

he dropped to the ground. Firefighter Korte died of an apparent heart attack. No autopsy 

was performed. 

11/7/99 

David Zan Lancaster, Firefighter 

Age 24, Volunteer 

Elliott Volunteer Fire Department, Mississippi 

Firefighter Lancaster was killed as the result of a motor vehicle collision in his personal 

vehicle while responding to a car fire. 

11/14/99 

Bert Andrew Bruecher, Firefighter 

Age 46, Volunteer 

Village of Pleak Volunteer Fire Department, Texas 

Firefighter Bruecher was the driver and lone occupant of a tanker (tender) that was 

responding to a fire involving 200 round bales of hay that were near a home and a propane 

tank. The tanker entered a curve at high speed, left the road, and rolled over. A shift in the 

water load may have contributed to the collision. Firefighter Bruecher was partially ejected 

and was pinned under the truck. Two (2) 14 year-old-boys were arrested and one was 

charged with second degree arson for setting the fire. As a part of a plea bargain, the boy 

was placed on probation until he is 18. 

11/16/99 

Brian Andrew Lee, Firefighter 

Age 38, Career 

Fire Department Jersey City, New Jersey 

Firefighter Lee and his fire company had just returned from an emergency response and 

were resupplying their engine company. Firefighter Lee began to experience severe 

stomach pains. An ambulance was called and Firefighter Lee was loaded for transport to 

the hospital. While en route to the hospital, Firefighter Lee went into cardiac arrest and 

was not revived. The cause of death was listed as natural, an inflammation of the heart 

caused by a disease called sarcoidosis.
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-32 

11/18/99 

Henri Fred Broussard, Fire Chief 

Age 69, Volunteer 

Maurice Volunteer Fire Department, Louisiana 

Maurice firefighters responded to a fire that involved the cab of an 8,600-gallon gasoline 

tanker next to several above ground fuel tanks and a large LP gas tank at a local gas station. 

Chief Broussard drove the first engine to the scene and was met there by other firefighters. 

As the firefighters dressed in their protective clothing, Chief Broussard stretched the initial 

attack line and then returned to the pumper to operate the pump from the top-mounted 

pump panel. Shortly after arriving back at the pumper, Chief Broussard suffered a heart 

attack. Immediate medical aid was provided by other firefighters and the crew of an on 

scene ambulance. Chief Broussard was transported to a local hospital where he was 

pronounced dead upon arrival. No autopsy was performed. 3 other firefighters were 

injured at the incident. 

11/18/99 

James Melvin Dunham, Safety Officer/Firefighter 

Age 36, Volunteer 

Saint Jo Fire Department, Texas 

Firefighter Dunham drove a fire department rescue truck to the scene of a mutual-aid 

vehicle collision that required extrication. As he was setting up the power unit for a 

hydraulic rescue tool, Firefighter Dunham was seen to stumble and hit his head on the 

ground. Other firefighters rendered immediate aid, including the use of an AED. 

Advanced life support was provided on the scene and Firefighter Dunham was flown to a 

hospital by helicopter. Despite all efforts, Firefighter Dunham did not survive. The cause 

of death was listed as “occlusive coronary artery atherosclerosis.” 

11/20/99 

Jackie Mac Garnett, Firefighter 

Age 54, Volunteer 

Quapaw Volunteer Fire Department, Oklahoma 

Firefighter Garnett and his department were dispatched to a wildland fire. Firefighter 

Garnett rose to respond and suffered a heart attack. He was transported to a local hospital, 

stabilized, and then flown to a regional hospital. He was taken to surgery and died a short 

time later. No autopsy was performed. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-33 

11/20/99 

Alton L. "Al" Lewis, First Assistant Fire Chief 

Age 55, Volunteer 

Montour Falls Fire Department, New York 

First Assistant Fire Chief Lewis had just returned home after responding to a vehicle 

collision with a building. He suffered a heart attack in his driveway and died. 

11/20/99 

Wayne C. Yost, Assistant Fire Chief 

Age 48, Volunteer 

Cochranville Fire Company, Pennsylvania 

Assistant Chief Yost had responded to a shed and wildland fire. He complained of not 

feeling well at the scene and went home. Shortly after his arrival at home, an ambulance 

was called. Assistant Chief Yost had suffered a heart attack. He was brought back at his 

home by members of a local response team. Assistant Chief Yost died on November 27, 

1999. 

12/2/99 

Brad A. Michener, Firefighter 

Age 24, Volunteer 

Scipio-Republic Fire Department, Ohio 

Firefighter Michener had driven a heavy rescue truck to the scene of a brush fire and then 

back to the station at the conclusion of the incident. Firefighter Michener left the station in 

his personal vehicle and returned home. His home was about a block from the fire station. 

As he exited his vehicle at home, he collapsed in his backyard of an apparent heart attack. 

Firefighter Michener died the next day, December 3, 1999. Firefighter Michener had a preexisting heart condition but had been released to full duty by his personal physician. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-34 

12/3/99 

Paul Arthur Brotherton, Firefighter Timothy Paul Jackson, Firefighter 

Age 41, Career Age 51, Career 

Worcester Fire Department Worcester Fire Department 

Joseph T. McGuirk, Firefighter Jeremiah Michael Lucey, Firefighter 

Age 38, Career Age 38, Career 

Worcester Fire Department Worcester Fire Department 

James Francis Lyons, Firefighter Thomas Edward Spencer, Lieutenant 

Age 34, Career Age 42, Career 

Worcester Fire Department Worcester Fire Department 

Members of the Worcester Fire Department responded to a fire in the Worcester Cold 

Storage Warehouse. The building was a windowless 6-story structure. Upon arrival at the 

scene, firefighters found a large warehouse with light smoke conditions and a fire on the 

second floor. Search and rescue and fire attack operations were initiated. Within seconds, 

conditions in the fire building changed and thick black smoke reduced visibility to zero. 

All fire department personnel were ordered down from upper floors and a head count was 

taken. The head count revealed that 2 firefighters were not accounted for. A “Mayday” 

radio transmission was received from Firefighter Brotherton indicating that he and 

Firefighter Lucey, both of Rescue One, were lost and running out of air. A search for the 

trapped firefighters was initiated with 18 firefighters searching for the 2 that were lost. 

Lieutenant Spencer, Firefighter Jackson, Firefighter McGuirk, and Firefighter Lyons 

entered the fifth floor to conduct a search. Contact with the team was lost and all 6 

firefighters perished. Although it has not yet been released, NIOSH is conducting a review 

of this incident. The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental, the result of a candle 

knocking over during a domestic dispute by some transients living in the building. The 

transients were charged with manslaughter for failing to report the fire. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-35 

12/7/99 

Roy Kenneth Crago, Firefighter 

Age 65, Volunteer 

Fallston Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Company, Inc., Maryland 

Firefighter Crago and members of his fire department were dispatched to a report of a 

transformer explosion. Firefighter Crago arrived at the fire station in his personal vehicle 

and responded as the driver of an engine company apparatus. Two (2) other firefighters 

were on board. At some point during the response, Firefighter Crago suffered a stroke. 

The engine left the road, skidded down an embankment, and crashed into a concrete 

culvert. Other firefighters removed Firefighter Crago from the apparatus and began CPR. 

ALS was provided by other firefighters and Firefighter Crago was transported to the 

hospital. Despite all efforts, Firefighter Crago died on December 10, 1999. The cause of 

death was listed as a subarachnoid hemorrhage caused by a brain aneurysm. Firefighter 

Crago was not wearing his seatbelt, but the injuries he received as a result of the crash were 

not life threatening. 

12/10/99 

Richard L. Van Wert, Fire Chief 

Age 58, Volunteer 

Schaghticoke Fire Department, New York 

Chief Van Wert was supervising the disposal of fireworks residue in a controlled burn at a 

local fairgrounds. Chief Van Wert noticed a spark heading toward a van containing at least 

100 pounds of additional residue that was to be disposed of. He yelled for the fireworks 

worker to run but was unable to escape the explosion himself. The van exploded and 

burned. Chief Van Wert was killed instantly. Chief Van Wert’s actions were credited with 

saving the fireworks company employee. 

12/13/99 

Gregory Eugene Rodgers, Firefighter/EMT 

Age 50, Volunteer 

Dresden Volunteer Fire Department, Ohio 

Firefighter Rodgers responded as the passenger of a water tanker (tender) that responded to 

a mutual-aid barn fire. The driver of the tanker was his son, a Firefighter/EMT. Firefighter 

Rodgers assisted with the setup of a portable tank and suction equipment and helped the 

tanker dump its load of water at the fire scene. Once empty, the tanker responded to a 

hydrant about 2 miles from the fire scene and connected to it. Firefighter Rodgers was 

found on the ground and unresponsive by the driver of the tanker. ALS was called from 

the fire scene, and the driver began CPR. Firefighter Rodgers was transported to the 

hospital but succumbed to a heart attack. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-36 

12/15/99 

Paul Franklin Ezernack, Jr., Firefighter 

Age 28, Volunteer 

North Sabine Fire Protection District, Louisiana 

Firefighter Ezernack was responding in a 1,500-gallon tanker (tender) to a report of a brush 

fire. An embankment gave way under the right wheels of the tanker. Firefighter Ezernack 

attempted to regain control, but the tanker left the roadway and rolled over. Firefighter 

Ezernack was ejected from the vehicle and was reported to have been thrown 170 yards. 

Firefighter Ezernack was pronounced dead at the scene. 

12/18/99 

Bradley Curtis McNeer, Firefighter 

Age 22, Volunteer 

Chesterfield County Fire Department, Virginia 

Firefighter McNeer was riding in the officer’s seat of a heavy rescue responding to a gas 

leak in a residence. He and the driver were the only occupants of the vehicle. Neither 

firefighter was familiar with the route to the incident, and Firefighter McNeer was having 

difficulty finding the address in the apparatus map book. The driver decided to reduce his 

response mode to non-emergency and pull over to look at the map book himself. As he 

was preparing to pull over or stop, the right rear wheels of the apparatus left the road and 

went into a ditch. The driver was able to steer the unit out of the ditch, but oversteered to 

the left and struck a car. The driver then saw another oncoming vehicle and overcorrected 

to the right ending up back in the ditch. The heavy rescue struck a large tree. Firefighter 

McNeer was wearing a seatbelt but the severity of the crash was too great. Firefighter 

McNeer received a fatal head injury. A fire department investigation concluded that “The 

accident was caused by the driver taking his eyes off the road as he reached for the light 

switch. Attempting to drive the vehicle out of the ditch, and the speed of the vehicle, 

contributed to the severity of this accident.” 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-37 

12/20/99 

John H. Tvedten, Battalion Chief 

Age 47, Career 

Kansas City Fire Department, Missouri 

Chief Tvedten was a sector officer working inside a warehouse that was involved in fire. 

Visibility in the warehouse was good, and firefighters were putting water on the fire. 

About 45 minutes into the incident, interior conditions changed rapidly as thick black 

smoke enveloped the building. Command ordered the building to be evacuated and Chief 

Tvedten ordered firefighters to leave. The emergency evacuation signal was given over 

radios and by fire apparatus air horns at the scene. During the evacuation, Chief Tvedten 

became disoriented and lost. Chief Tvedten was in radio communication with Command. 

6 search teams swept the building but were not able to locate Chief Tvedten until it was too 

late. 

12/20/99 

Theodore A. Ferrante, Jr., Firefighter 

Age 43, Career 

Revere Fire Department, Massachusetts 

Firefighter Ferrante and members of his ladder crew responded to an alarm of fire in a 

highrise building. The cause of the alarm was found to be a prank pull station activation. 

At the scene of the incident, Firefighter Ferrante complained of chest pains but told his 

company officer that he just needed to lie down and he would feel better. Approximately 2 

hours later, Firefighter Ferrante began to experience severe pain. An ambulance was called 

as other firefighters rendered aid. Firefighter Ferrante was transported to a local hospital 

where he died in the early morning hours of December 21, 1999. The cause of death was a 

heart attack. 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-38 

12/22/99 

Jason L. Bitting, Firefighter David M. McNally, Assistant Chief 

Age 29, Career Age 48, Career 

Keokuk Fire Department, Iowa Keokuk Fire Department, Iowa 

Nathan R. Tuck, Firefighter 

Age 39, Career 

Keokuk Fire Department, Iowa 

The Keokuk Fire Department was dispatched to a fire in a residential structure. The 

structure was a house built in 1910 that had been divided into three apartments. The 

department responded with an engine, a quint, and a Chief’s vehicle with a total of 3 

Firefighters, a Lieutenant, an Assistant Chief, and the Fire Chief. The response of the 

Chief and one Firefighter was delayed because they were returning from a previous 

incident. Upon arrival, Assistant Chief McNally, Firefighter Bitting, and Firefighter Tuck 

entered the building in full turnouts and SCBA for search and rescue. A mother and child 

were trapped on the roof above the porch and 3 other children were trapped inside. 

Firefighters rescued 1 infant child who was transported to the hospital by a police officer. 

Firefighters rescued a second infant child who was transported to the hospital by a police 

Captain and the Fire Chief. The Fire Chief was away from the scene for approximately 3 

minutes. Firefighters were searching for the third child when a flashover occurred and 

trapped all 3. An aggressive fire attack was mounted by firefighters who were arriving as 

part of a callback of off-duty members but the effort was not able to save the lives of the 3 

firefighters. 

All 3 firefighters were wearing PASS devices that were integrated with their SCBA’s. The 

PASS devices failed to sound an alarm when the firefighters became incapacitated. The 

Fire Chief does not believe that the failure of the PASS devices contributed to the deaths. 

The SCBA’s and PASS devices are undergoing testing to determine why they did not 

operate. 

Assistant Chief McNally was found on the second floor at the top of the stairs with the 

third child. The cause of death was listed as smoke inhalation and exposure to extreme 

heat. Chief McNally’s carboxyhemoglobin level was 15 percent. Firefighter Bitting was 

found in the front bedroom on the second floor of the apartment. The cause of death was 

listed as exposure to intense heat. Firefighter Bitting’s carboxyhemoglobin level was 1 

percent. Firefighter Tuck was found on the first floor of the apartment in the living room 

area. The cause of death was listed as smoke inhalation and exposure to heat. Firefighter 

Tuck’s carboxyhemoglobin level was 25 percent. 

In addition to the 3 firefighters killed in this incident, the 2 infant children and a 7-year-old 

child perished. The fire was caused by activation of a stove burner by a child. Two (2) 

high chair trays that were stored on top of the stove were the initial objects involved in the 

fire. Smoke detectors in the home did not operate. 
 1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-39 

12/29/99 

Ronald Eugene Kaltreider, Safety Officer 

Age 39, Volunteer 

Pleasant Hill Volunteer Fire Company, Pennsylvania 

Safety Officer Kaltreider had been at the fire station for most of the day performing yearend computer work and assuring that his department was prepared for Y2K. As he 

discussed the upcoming purchase of some communications equipment with another 

firefighter, he suffered a heart attack. Firefighters immediately began attempts to revive 

Firefighter Kaltreider, but they were unsuccessful. Firefighter Kaltreider had a history of 

heart disease dating back to 1990. 

12/31/99 

Robert Dale Pollard, Firefighter 

Age 64, Volunteer 

Southern Stone County Fire Protection District, Missouri 

Firefighter Pollard was driving a rescue vehicle to a wildland fire. While en route, he 

collapsed and was treated by first responders and then airlifted to a hospital. Firefighter 

Pollard died the next day on January 1, 2000, of a cerebral bleed (stroke/CVA). 
1999 Firefighter Fatality Report 

APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY OF 1999 INCIDENTS 

PAGE A-40 

Additional information about many of the firefighter fatalities presented 

in this appendix is available from the sources below. Where known, the 

report number for each incident is listed in the appendix along with the 

incident description. Many reports are available through the mail and 

the Internet. 

 

Kentucky Division of Forestry

502-564-4496 

http://www.nr.state.ky.us/nrepc/dnr/forestry/dnrdof.html

National Fire Protection Association 

1 Batterymarch Park 

P.O. Box 9101 

Quincy, MA 02269 

(617)-770-3000 

http://www.nfpa.org

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 

Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program 

1095 Willowdale Road 

Mail Stop P-180 

Morgantown, WV 26505-2888 

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/firehome.html

(800)-35-NIOSH 

Manteca Fire Department, California 

http://www.ci.manteca.ca.us/fire/bluegum.html