U.S. Fire Administration

Firefighter Fatalities

in the United States

in 2003
Firefighter Fatalities

in the United States in 2003

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Federal Emergency Management Agency

U.S. Fire Administration

August 2004

In memory of all firefighters

who answered their last call in 2003

To their families and friends

To their service and sacrifice
U.S. Fire Administration

Mission Statement

As an entity of the Federal Emergency Management 

Agency, the mission of the United States Fire Administration 

is to reduce life and economic losses due to fire and related 

emergencies, through leadership, advocacy, coordination, 

and support. We serve the Nation independently, in 

coordination with other Federal agencies, and in partnership 

with fire protection and emergency service communities. 

With a commitment to excellence, we provide public 

education, training, technology, and data initiatives.

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the

U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA’s continuing 

mission within the new department is to lead the effort to 

prepare the Nation for all hazards and effectively manage 

Federal response and recovery efforts following any 

national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation 

activities, trains first responders, and manages Citizen 

Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program, and the U.S. 

Fire Administration.
V

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, United States Forest Service personnel, the Department of Justice, the National Fire Protection 

Association (NFPA), the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, and many others contributed important 

information for this report.

C2 Technologies, Inc., of Vienna, Virginia, conducted this analysis for the United States Fire Administration 

(USFA) under contract EME-2003-CO-0282.

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 greatly reduced through efforts to improve training and operations at emergency 

scenes, and by increasing firefighter health and safety.

Photographic Acknowledgments

The USFA would like to extend its thanks to the following individuals for providing photographs for this 

report:

Front Cover Image: Rick Cinclair, Worcester Telegram & Gazette

A firefighter braces against blowing snow at the funeral for Firefighter Martin H. McNamara, V.

Betty Jenewin, Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Lancaster, Massachusetts, firefighter Martin H. McNamara, V, was killed while he fought a fire in the

basement of this house. .............................................................................................................................14

Ohio State Highway Patrol

Scene of the crash that claimed the life of Firefighter Richard A. Long of the Gallipolis (Ohio)

Volunteer Fire Department. The apparatus left the right side of the roadway, came back onto the

road, and rolled. ........................................................................................................................................22

Dave Schwarz, St. Cloud Times

St. Cloud, Minnesota, Assistant Chief Don Billig was killed when he was struck by a pickup truck

at the scene of an emergency. ....................................................................................................................23

Glenn Hartong, Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati Fire Chief Robert Wright carries the flag that covered Firefighter Oscar Armstrong’s

casket as he prepares to present it to Armstrong’s mother. .........................................................................62
VII

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..............................................................................................................................V

Photographic Acknowledgments...............................................................................................................V

BACKGROUND........................................................................................................................................... 1

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

Who is a Firefighter?................................................................................................................................. 3

What Constitutes an On-Duty Fatality?...................................................................................................... 3

Sources of Initial Notification ................................................................................................................... 4

Procedure for Including a Fatality in the Study ......................................................................................... 5

2003 FINDINGS ......................................................................................................................................... 7

Career and Volunteer Fatalities................................................................................................................... 8

Multiple Firefighter Fatality Incidents ....................................................................................................... 9

Wildland Firefighting Fatalities ................................................................................................................. 9

TYPE OF DUTY.........................................................................................................................................11

Responding/Returning...........................................................................................................................13

Fireground Operations............................................................................................................................14

Training...................................................................................................................................................15

Nonfire Emergencies...............................................................................................................................16

After the Incident ....................................................................................................................................16

Other On-Duty .......................................................................................................................................16

Career, Volunteer, and Wildland Fatalities by Type of Duty.......................................................................16

Type of Emergency Duty .........................................................................................................................17

CAUSE OF FATAL INJURY ........................................................................................................................19

Stress or Overexertion.............................................................................................................................20

Vehicle Collisions.....................................................................................................................................20

Caught or Trapped...................................................................................................................................22

Falls .......................................................................................................................................................22

Struck by Object .....................................................................................................................................23

Other ......................................................................................................................................................23

NATURE OF FATAL INJURY.....................................................................................................................25

Heart Attack ............................................................................................................................................26

Internal Trauma .......................................................................................................................................27

Burns ......................................................................................................................................................28

Asphyxiation ...........................................................................................................................................28

Crushed ..................................................................................................................................................28

Drowning................................................................................................................................................28

Heat Exhaustion ......................................................................................................................................28

Other ......................................................................................................................................................29
VIII 

FIREFIGHTER AGES..................................................................................................................................31

FIXED PROPERTY USE FOR STRUCTURAL FIREFIGHTING FATALITIES.............................................33

TYPE OF ACTIVITY..................................................................................................................................35

Fire Attack ...............................................................................................................................................36

Suppression Support ...............................................................................................................................36

Water Supply ...........................................................................................................................................36

Scene Safety.............................................................................................................................................37

Ventilation ...............................................................................................................................................37

Other Duties ...........................................................................................................................................37

TIME OF INJURY......................................................................................................................................39

MONTH OF THE YEAR ...........................................................................................................................41

STATE AND REGION ................................................................................................................................43

ANALYSIS OF URBAN/RURAL/SUBURBAN PATTERNS IN FIREFIGHTER FATALITIES.....................49

CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................................51

SPECIAL TOPICS.......................................................................................................................................53

Alcohol Use in the Fire Service ...............................................................................................................53

Risk Management....................................................................................................................................56

APPENDIX SUMMARY OF 2003 INCIDENTS .........................................................................................63

Pre-2003 Incidents ...............................................................................................................................106
1

BACKGROUND

For 27 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 toward 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.

One of the USFA’s main program goals is a 25-percent reduction in firefighter fatalities in 5 years, and a 50-

percent reduction within 10 years. The emphasis placed on these goals by the USFA is underscored by the 

fact that these goals represent one of the five major objectives that guide the actions of the USFA.

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, during Fire Prevention Week. Additional 

information regarding the Memorial Service can be found at www.firehero.org or by calling the National 

Fallen Firefighters Foundation at (301) 447-1365.

Other resources and information regarding firefighter fatalities, including current fatality notices, the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial database, and links to the Public Safety Officer’s Benefit (PSOB) program 

can be found at www.usfa.fema.gov.
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 is to identify all on-duty firefighter fatalities that occurred in the United 

States and its protectorates in 2003 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 2003 overall findings, this study includes two special topics related to alcohol use and fire 

service risk management.

Who is a Firefighter?

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

the District of Columbia, and the Territories of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. It includes career and volunteer firefighters; full-time public 

safety officers acting as firefighters; State, Territory, 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 fulltime 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.

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 fundraising; and being oncall, under orders, or on standby 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 firefighter who becomes ill while performing 

fire department duties and suffers a heart attack shortly after arriving home or at another location may be 

considered on duty since the inception of the heart attack occurred while the firefighter was on duty.
4 

On December 15, 2003, the President of the United States signed into law the Hometown Heroes Survivors 

Benefit Act of 2003. After being signed by the President, the Act became Public Law 108-182. The law presumes that a heart attack or stroke are in the line of duty if the firefighter was engaged in nonroutine stressful 

or strenuous physical activity while on duty and the firefighter becomes ill while on duty or within 24 hours 

after engaging in such activity. The full text of the law is available at: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgibin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=108_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ182.108.pdf.

The inclusion criteria for this study will be affected by this change in the law. Previous to December 15, 

2003, firefighters who became ill as the result of a heart attack or stroke after going off duty needed to register some complaint of not feeling well while still on duty in order to be included in this study. For firefighter 

fatalities after December 15, 2003, firefighters will be included in this study if they become ill as the result 

of a heart attack or stroke within 24 hours of a training activity or emergency response. Firefighters who 

become ill after going off duty where the activities while on duty were limited to nonstressful tasks that did 

not involve physical exertion such as clerical, administrative, or nonmanual in nature, will not be included 

in this study.

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

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 when the disease could be attributed to a 

documented occupational exposure.

Injuries and illnesses are included even when death is considerably delayed 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 in which the incident took place.

For example, three firefighters died in 2003 as the result of injuries or exposures that they received while on 

duty previous to 2003. The USFA was notified of the death of one firefighter in 2001 that was not known 

or included in the firefighter fatality report for that year.

Information about these four deaths is included in the appendix of this report, but they are not addressed in 

the body of the report unless the death affects retrospective statistical comparisons.

There is no established mechanism for identifying fatalities that result from illnesses such as cancer that develop over long periods of time, which may be related to occupational exposure to hazardous materials or 

products of combustion. It has proved to be very difficult over the years to provide a complete evaluation of 

an occupational illness as a causal factor in firefighter deaths due to the following limitations: insufficient 

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

hazard exposures, and the exposures firefighters may receive while off duty.

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 Officer’s Benefit (PSOB) program 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.
5

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), 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 Fires Investigation Program 

and performs an ongoing analysis of data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).

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 to verify the incident, its location, 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 may also be gathered from NFPA 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. With the exception of firefighter deaths 

after December 15, 2003, the same criteria were used for this study as in previous annual studies. Additional information may be requested, either by followup with the fire department directly, from State vital 

records offices, or from other agencies. The determination as to whether a fatality qualifies as an on-duty 

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.
7

2003 FINDINGS

One hundred and eleven firefighters died while on duty in 2003. This level of fatalities continues a disturbing upward trend in the number of firefighter fatalities. Even if the horrible toll of September 11, 2001, is 

set aside momentarily, more firefighters are dying each year on duty in the last several years than would be 

expected after the lower loss years in the 1990’s.

Figure 1. On-Duty Firefighter Fatalities (1977-2003)

With the deaths of 111 firefighters in 2003, this is the eighth time in the past 10 years, and the eleventh time 

within the past 15 years, when the total number of firefighter fatalities has reached or exceeded 100. The 

lowest years on record are 1992 with 77 fatalities and 1993 with 81 fatalities (Figure 1).

The 111 deaths in 2003 are 111 percent of the 10-year average and 108 percent of the 5-year average. The 

111 deaths resulted from a total of 98 incidents. There were seven multiple firefighter fatality incidents.

In 2001, 344 firefighters were killed as a result of the attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York 

City on September 11, 2001. When conducting multiyear comparisons of firefighter 

fatalities in this report, it may be necessary to 

set these deaths apart for illustrative purposes. This action is by no means a minimization of the supreme sacrifice made by these 

firefighters.

While the total number of firefighter fatalities has been trending downward over the 

past 20 years, the number of firefighter 

deaths per fire incident has actually risen. 157 171 126 140 135 126 113 119 126 121

131

136

119

107108

77

81

105102

99100

93

113

103

449

100

111

0

100

200

300

400

500

197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003

Year

Number of Deaths

Seven Firefighters were murdered in 2003 while responding to or

working at the scene of fires started by arsonists.

This total includes two Memphis firefighters who died in a commercial 

structure fire started by an employee to hide a crime.

The median age for firefighters who died while on duty in 2003 was

46 years and 5 months. Two 16-year-old firefighters died in 2003

and the oldest firefighter to die was 81 years of age.
8 

The chart below (Figure 2) compares the total number of firefighter fatalities each year that are associated 

with responses to fires and the total number of fire incidents reported by NFPA International through 2002 

(2003 data is not yet available). Despite a downward dip in the early 1990’s, the level of firefighter fatalities 

is back up to the same levels experienced in the 1980’s. If the firefighter deaths at the WTC are included in 

the 2001 data, the number rises to 23.1 firefighter fatalities per 100,000 fires.

Figure 2. Firefighter Fatalities per 100,000

Career and Volunteer Fatalities

Firefighter fatalities in 2003 include 81 volunteer firefighters and 30 career firefighters (Figure 3). Among 

the volunteer firefighter fatalities, 59 were from local or municipal volunteer fire departments, and 22 were 

seasonal or contract members of wildland fire agencies. All of the career firefighters who died were members of local or municipal fire departments. Three of the firefighters who died in 2003 were female and 108 

were male.

Figure 3. Career versus Volunteer Fatalities

3.4

3.9

3.73.7

3.9

4.1

4.0

2.7

3.3

2.8

2.6

3.7

3.1

2.8

3.5

2.9

4.0

3.3

3.2

3.5

0

1

2

3

4

5

198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000

2001 w/o

WTC

2002

CAREER

30 Fatalities

VOLUNTEER

81 Fatalities

MUNICIPAL FD

30 Fatalities

METRO DEPTS

17 Fatalities

OTHER DEPTS

13 Fatalities

Wildland Seasonal/

Part-time

22 Fatalities

MUNICIPAL/LOCAL FD

59 Fatalities

SUBURBAN/URBAN VFD

19 Fatalities

RURAL VFD

40 Fatalities

FIREFIGHTER ON DUTY FATALITIES 2003

111 Total Fatalities
9

Multiple Firefighter Fatality Incidents

The 111 deaths resulted from 98 incidents. There were seven multiple firefighter fatality incidents resulting 

in the deaths of 20 firefighters.

Table 1. Multiple Firefighter Fatality Incidents

Year Number of Incidents Number of Fatalities

2003 7 20

2002 9 25

2001 8 362

2001 w/o WTC 7 18

2000 5 10

1999 6 22

1998 10 22

1997 8 17

1996 3 8

Eight Oregon-based wildland contract firefighters died when their van was involved in a head-on crash with 

a tractor-trailer truck as they returned to base after fighting wildland fires in Idaho; two Memphis firefighters 

were killed while they fought an arson-caused fire in a commercial occupancy; two Idaho wildland firefighters were killed when their position was overrun by fire as they constructed a helicopter landing area; two 

firefighters were killed in Arizona as the result of a helicopter crash at a wildland fire; two Ohio firefighters 

were killed when a burning silo exploded; two Nevada-based wildland aircraft pilots died in the crash of 

their airtanker in California; and two Oregon firefighters died when their helicopter become entangled in 

wires as they conducted a water reconnaissance mission.

In 2003, four fire departments suffered the loss of multiple firefighters in separate incidents. The Charlotte 

Fire Department lost firefighters as the result of incidents in January and April; the Fire Department City of 

New York lost firefighters in September and December; the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Whiteriver, Arizona, 

lost firefighters in May and July; and the Cool Springs Volunteer Fire Department in North Carolina suffered 

firefighter deaths in July and September.

Wildland Firefighting Fatalities

The number of deaths associated with brush, grass, or wildland firefighting in 2003 was 29. This total includes part-time and seasonal wildland firefighters and municipal or volunteer firefighters engaged in fighting a wildland fire. This is the highest level of firefighter fatalities since 1994 when 14 firefighters perished 

on Storm King Mountain in Colorado; 36 

firefighters died in association with wildland 

fires that year.

Eight firefighters based in Oregon died in the 

crash of a passenger van; two Idaho firefighters were killed when their position was overrun with fire as they constructed a helicopter landing area; six firefighters died of heart attacks at wildland 

incidents; four firefighters died in vehicle crashes, two in tankers, one in a pumper-tanker, and one in a 

After a year of no burnover deaths in 2002, four firefighters died in 

2003 when their positions were overrun by rapid fire progress.

Three of these deaths were during fire control operations and

one occurred at a planned burn. 
10 

pickup truck; and firefighters in Arizona and Colorado were killed when fire advanced rapidly and overcame 

their ability to escape.

In 2003, there were seven firefighter deaths associated with wildland aircraft firefighting duties. This total 

includes fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Two Arizona firefighters died in a helicopter crash in July, two 

Nevada-based airtanker pilots died in California in October, two Oregon firefighters died in a helicopter 

crash in October, and an Oregon-based firefighter died as the result of a helicopter crash in Washington State 

in July. This is the highest number of firefighter deaths due to aircraft crashes since nine firefighters were 

killed in 1994.

Table 2. Firefighter Fatalities Associated with Wildland Firefighting

Year Number of Fatalities

2003 29

2002 23

2001 15

2000 17

1999 26

1998 14

1997 12

1996 9

Table 3. Wildland Firefighting Aircraft Fatalities

Year Number of Fatalities

2003 7

2002 6

2001 6

2000 6

1999 0

1998 3

1997 5

1996 0

1995 3

1994 9

2003 had the highest level of wildland fire-related firefighter deaths and 

the highest number of aircraft-related deaths since 1994.
11

TYPE OF DUTY

Activities related to emergency incidents resulted in the deaths of 78 firefighters (Figure 4). This includes 

all firefighters who died while responding to an emergency, while at an emergency scene, or while returning from the emergency incident. Nonemergency activities accounted for 33 fatalities. Nonemergency 

duties include training, administrative activities, or performing other functions that are not related to an 

emergency incident. A multiyear historical perspective concerning the percentage of firefighter deaths that 

occurred during emergency duty is presented in Table 4.

Figure 4. Firefighter Fatalities by Type of Duty (2003)

Emergency

70% (78)

Nonemergency

30% (33)
12 

Table 4. Emergency Duty Firefighter Fatalities

Year Percentage of All Fatalities

2003 70%

2002 73%

2001 65%

2001 w/o WTC 92%

2000 71%

1999 87%

1998 77%

1997 81%

1996 72%

The number of deaths by type of duty being performed in 2003 is shown in Table 5 and presented graphically in Figure 5. For the first time in over a decade, more firefighters died while responding and returning 

than for any other type of duty in 2003. There were a total of 36 deaths while responding to or returning 

from an emergency incident in 2003. Vehicle crashes accounted for 24 deaths, including the eight Oregon 

firefighters who were killed in a crash involving their van, six firefighters killed in personal vehicle crashes 

while responding, and four aircraft-related deaths.

Table 5. 2003 Firefighter Fatalities by Type of Duty

Type of Duty Number of Fatalities

Responding and Returning 36

Fireground Operations 31

Other On-Duty 20

Training 12

Nonfire Emergencies 10

After an Incident 2

Total 111
13

Figure 5. Fatalities by Type of Duty (2003)

Responding/Returning

Thirty-six firefighters died while responding 

to or returning from emergency incidents 

in 2003. Vehicle crashes claimed 24 lives, 

eight firefighters suffered heart attacks, two 

firefighters were struck by vehicles, and two 

firefighters died in falls while responding.

The largest number of firefighters killed in a single incident in 2003 occurred when eight Oregon firefighters were killed in a crash as they returned from fighting wildland fires in Idaho. The firefighters were the 

occupants of a van that crossed the centerline of the roadway to pass a truck. The van was hit head-on by a 

tractor-trailer truck traveling in the opposite direction. Firefighters in the van had been consuming alcohol 

but a reliable assessment of the driver’s blood alcohol level had not been established by the time this report 

was prepared.

Six firefighters died in 2003 as they responded to emergencies in their personal vehicles. The deceased firefighter was not wearing a seatbelt in four of the five cases where the status of seatbelt usage was known. Two 

of the firefighters killed in personally owned vehicle (POV) crashes were under 20 years of age, two were in 

their 20’s, and two were age 30 or older.

Two firefighters were killed in each of two aircraft crashes. In one, a helicopter crashed in Arizona and killed 

its pilot and a helitack firefighter who was a passenger in the aircraft. The second incident involved the crash 

of a Nevada-based airtanker as it was repositioned from fires in Arizona to fires in California. The airtanker 

crashed shortly before reaching its intended destination.

2

10

12

20

31

36

0 10 20 40 50

Training

Responding

or Returning

Fireground

Operations

Other

On-Duty

Nonfire

Emergencies

After an

Incident

A Wyoming Fire Explorer was killed in the crash of a water tanker. 

The Fire Explorer was a passenger in the tanker; the driver had a blood 

alcohol level of .16 at the time of the crash.
14 

Six firefighters were killed as they responded to emergencies in fire department vehicles. Two deaths involved tanker crashes, and crashes involving a pickup truck, a fire department sedan, an engine-tanker, and 

an ambulance claimed one life each.

Eight firefighters suffered fatal heart attacks as they responded to or returned from emergencies. Two fire 

police officers experienced heart attacks as they drove to emergencies, two firefighters had heart attacks immediately upon returning to their stations after a response, one firefighter collapsed just after his arrival at 

the scene of an emergency, one firefighter became ill while responding and was provided with medical attention when he arrived at the scene, one firefighter was struck with a heart attack after starting the engine 

on his apparatus prior to leaving the station, and one firefighter suffered a heart attack while hiking in to the 

scene of a wildland fire.

Two firefighters were killed in falls while responding, including a California career firefighter who fell from 

a responding engine and a New York volunteer firefighter who fell from a ladder at home after being dispatched to an emergency. One firefighter was struck by a passing vehicle as he crossed the roadway at the 

scene of a vehicle crash and one firefighter was crushed by a pumper as it backed into quarters after a fire 

response.

Table 6. Firefighter Fatalities While Responding to or Returning From an Incident

Year Number of Fatalities

2003 36

2002 13

2001 23

2000 19

1999 26

1998 14

1997 21

1996 22

Fireground Operations

Thirty-one firefighters died while engaging in 

activities at the scene of a fire in 2003. There 

were three multiple firefighter fatality incidents that took place on the fireground. Two 

Memphis firefighters died in an arson-caused 

fire in a discount store, two Idaho firefighters were killed when rapidly advancing fire 

overtook their position as they constructed 

a helicopter landing zone during a wildfire, 

and two Ohio firefighters were killed when 

they were thrown to the ground from the top 

of a burning silo containing scrap wood and 

sawdust that suddenly exploded.

Lancaster, Massachusetts, firefighter Martin H. McNamara, V, was killed while he fought 

a fire in the basement of this house. 
15

Sixteen firefighters suffered fatal heart attacks at the fire scene. Seven heart attacks occurred in relation to 

structure fires, four were related to wildland fires, two were suffered as the result of nonstructural fires, two 

were fire police officers at fire scenes, and one occurred during the response to an automatic alarm.

In addition to the Memphis firefighters described above, five firefighters were killed while in the interior 

of burning structures. A firefighter in Pennsylvania was killed after the collapse of a chimney, an Ohio firefighter was burned in a residential structure fire, a New York firefighter was killed in a commercial building 

fire, a Massachusetts firefighter was killed in a residential structure fire, and a Texas firefighter was killed 

during a fire in a specialty automotive occupancy.

A California firefighter was overrun by rapid fire progress at a fire near San Diego, and suffered fatal burns; a 

North Carolina firefighter suffered a knee injury and died later in the year as a complication of knee surgery; 

a Minnesota firefighter was killed when he was struck by a civilian vehicle at the scene of a fire incident; and 

an Oregon-based helicopter pilot was killed in a crash while fighting a wildland fire in the State of Washington.

Training

 Twelve firefighters died while engaged in training. Three firefighters died when they suffered heart attacks 

while performing physical fitness duties on duty. A North Carolina firefighter suffered a heart attack shortly 

after taking command of a live-fire structural fire training exercise, and a North Carolina firefighter suffered 

a heart attack during an annual wildland firefighting certification test.

Five firefighters were killed in vehicle-related incidents during training. A Maryland firefighter died when 

his vehicle was struck and pushed off of the road as he returned from a paramedic training class, a Tennessee 

firefighter fell from the tailgate of a pickup truck as it was driven in a training facility after the completion 

of training, a Louisiana firefighter died in the crash of a water tanker during training, an Oregon firefighter 

was killed when the pumper in which he was riding left the roadway and struck a tree, and a Louisiana 

firefighter was killed when he was struck by a civilian vehicle after dismounting his fire truck (to retrieve a 

part that had fallen off) as he returned from training.

Two firefighters died during recruit training: one in Texas and one in Florida. In addition to other factors, 

both firefighters had heart conditions that were difficult to detect in a normal physical examination.

Table 7 offers a multiyear perspective on training fatalities.

Table 7. Firefighter Fatalities During Training

Year Number of Fatalities

2003 12

2002 11

2001 14

2000 13

1999 3

1998 12

1997 5

1996 6
16 

Nonfire Emergencies

Ten firefighters died at nonfire emergencies. Seven of the deaths were heart attacks, two firefighters were 

struck by civilian vehicles as they worked on emergency scenes, and one firefighter was killed in the crash 

of a Texas helicopter during the recovery efforts for the Space Shuttle Columbia.

After the Incident

Two firefighters suffered heart attacks after the conclusion of their work shift. A Massachusetts firefighter 

working on a wildland fire in Montana died during the night after complaining of feeling unwell the night 

before and a Maryland firefighter died shortly after going off duty.

Other On-Duty

A total of 20 firefighters died while on duty but their deaths were not associated with the response to any 

particular emergency. One multiple firefighter fatality incident took the lives of two Oregon firefighters. The 

firefighters were conducting a reconnaissance mission using a helicopter to search for and document water 

sources for wildland firefighting. The helicopter became entangled in wires crossing a river and crashed into 

the water below.

Thirteen firefighters died as the result of heart attacks suffered on duty. Five career firefighters suffered heart 

attacks while on duty, two volunteer firefighters were struck with heart attacks as they attended to fire department business in the fire station, two firefighters suffered heart attacks while working on fire department 

fundraising events, two fire police officers died while directing traffic for parades, one firefighter suffered a 

heart attack while clearing brush behind the fire station, and one firefighter became ill after responding to 

a crash involving a fire truck.

An Arizona firefighter was killed when a fire progressed unexpectedly at a controlled burn, a Nebraska firefighter was killed while transporting a patient by ambulance when the vehicle was struck from behind by a 

tractor-trailer truck, an Idaho firefighter was killed in a vehicle crash as he gathered supplies for an extended 

wildland fire fight, an Illinois firefighter was killed as the result of a crash involving the lawn tractor that he 

was operating, and a Pennsylvania firefighter died during a standby at his fire station when he fell from a 

ladder.

Career, Volunteer, and Wildland Fatalities by Type of Duty

Figure 6 depicts career, volunteer, and wildland firefighter deaths by type of duty. Wildland career, wildland 

seasonal, and wildland contractor deaths were grouped together. As in past years, there were a disproportionate number of fatalities experienced by volunteer firefighters responding to and returning from alarms 

as compared to career firefighters. The large number of wildland firefighters in the responding to and returning 

from category reflects the deaths of eight Oregon firefighters in a single incident.
17

Table 8. Career, Volunteer, and Wildland Fatalities by Type of Duty

Fireground

Operations

Nonfire 

Emergency

Responding/

Returning from Alarm Training OtherOn-Duty

After

Incident

Career 12 0 4 6 7 1

Volunteer 16 9 19 5 10 0

Wildland 3 1 13 1 3 1

Figure 6. Career, Volunteer, and Wildland Fatalities by Type of Duty (2003)

Type of Emergency Duty

In 2003, 65 firefighters died while engaged directly in the delivery of emergency services. This number 

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

scene, and firefighters who became ill on an incident scene and later died. It does not include firefighters 

who became ill or died while returning from an incident (such as a vehicle collision while returning from 

an incident). Figure 7 shows the number of firefighters killed in firefighting, emergency medical services, 

technical-rescue-related incidents, and other emergency incidents in 2003.

Forty-six firefighters were killed in relation to fires, 16 firefighters were killed in relation to EMS calls, two 

firefighters were killed at emergencies that involved hazardous materials, and one firefighter died while responding to a technical rescue (water rescue).

1

6

7

12

4

0

0

9

5

10

16

19

1

1

1

3

3

13

0 5 10 15 20

Responding

or Returning

Number of Fatalities

Wildland

Volunteer

Career

Fireground

Operations

After an 

Incident

Nonfire

Emergencies

Other On Duty

Training
18 

Figure 7. Type of Emergency Duty (2003)

Emergency

Medical

24.6% (16)

Technical

Rescue

1.5% (1)

Firefighting

70.8% (46)

Hazardous

Materials 3.1%

(2)
19

CAUSE OF FATAL INJURY

The term cause of injury refers to the action, lack of action, or circumstances that resulted directly in the fatal 

injury. 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.

Table 9 and Figure 8 show the distribution of deaths by cause of fatal injury or illness.

Table 9. Cause of Fatal Injury (2003)

Cause Number of Fatalities

Stress/Overexertion 51

Vehicle Collision 34

Caught/Trapped 11

Fall 8

Struck by 5

Other 2

Total 111

Figure 8. Fatalities by Cause of Fatal Injury (2003)

51 (45.9%)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Stress/Overexertion

Vehicle Collision

Caught/Trapped

Fall

Struck by

Other

34 (30.6%)

11 (9.9%)

8 (7.2%)

5 (4.5%)

2 (1.8%)
20 

Stress or Overexertion

Firefighting is extremely strenuous physical work and is likely one of the most physically demanding activities that the human body performs. As it has been in every year for more than the past decade, the largest 

cause of firefighter deaths in 2003 was stress or overexertion. Stress or overexertion was listed as the primary factor in 51 firefighter deaths in 2003.

Most firefighter deaths attributed to stress result from heart attacks. Of the 51 stress-related fatalities in 

2003, 50 firefighters died of heart attacks and one died of heat exhaustion.

Stress or overexertion-related firefighter deaths in 2003 included 20 firefighters who were on duty, but not 

working on an emergency incident, 10 firefighters working in association with structure fires, seven firefighters who were working in relation to motor vehicle crashes, six in association with wildland fires, four 

in response to outside (nonstructural) fires, two in association with automatic fire alarms, one at an EMS 

incident, and one in relation to a hazardous materials incident.

Table 10. Fatalities Caused by Stress or Overexertion

Year Number Percent of All Fatalities

2003 51 45.9%

2002 38 38.0%

2001 43 40.9%*

2000 46 44.6%

1999 56 49.5%

1998 43 46.2%

1997 41 41.0%

1996 46 46.4%

* Does not include the firefighter deaths of September 11, 2001, in New York City.

Vehicle Collisions

The second leading cause of fatal injury for firefighters who died in 2003 was vehicle collisions. This cause 

is usually the second most common cause of firefighter fatalities. A total of 34 firefighters died in 2003 in 

vehicle crashes. The number of firefighters killed in vehicle collisions has been steadily rising (see Figure 9). 

The 34 firefighters killed in vehicle collisions in 2003 is the highest single-year total since 1990.

There were four multiple-firefighter fatality vehicle collisions in 2003. Eight Oregon-based firefighters were 

killed in a vehicle collision as they returned to Oregon after fighting wildland fires out of State. This is the 

second consecutive year with a multiple-firefighter fatality incident involving wildland firefighters traveling 

in vans. Two Oregon firefighters died when their helicopter became entangled in wires strung across a river 

as they scouted water supply locations, two firefighters died in California in the crash of an airtanker, and 

two Arizona firefighters were killed when their helicopter crashed as they worked a wildland fire.

In 2003, 6 firefighters died in Personally Owned Vehicle (POV) crashes while 

responding to emergencies and a Maryland 

firefighter died when his POV was struck by 

another vehicle and left the highway as he 

From 1990 through 2003, 50 firefighters died in POV crashes – an 

average of just under four deaths per year.
21

returned from training. All of the 6 firefighters killed while responding were volunteers, 5 were under 30 

years of age, and only 1 was found to be wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

A Kansas firefighter died in the crash of a fire department sedan while responding to an incident; an Iowa 

firefighter died when his city-owned pickup truck left the roadway and crashed as he brought supplies to a 

wildland fire; and a Louisiana firefighter died when his fire department pickup was struck by a train as he 

responded to an EMS incident.

Figure 9. Firefighter Fatalities in Vehicle Collisions

Two firefighters were killed in crashes involving ambulances. A Texas firefighter who was a front-seat passenger in an ambulance was killed when the ambulance was involved in a head-on collision with a car that 

had crossed the centerline of the roadway, and a Nebraska firefighter who was driving an ambulance was 

killed when the ambulance was struck from behind by a tractor-trailer truck as the ambulance slowed to 

pass through a construction zone.

In addition to the six aircraft-related deaths described above, two firefighters died in aircraft crashes in 2003. 

A Texas firefighter was killed in a helicopter crash as he was engaged in the Space Shuttle Columbia recovery 

mission, and an Oregon firefighter was killed in a helicopter crash while fighting a wildland fire in Washington State.

Five firefighters were killed in fire apparatus crashes. A Louisiana firefighter was killed in the crash of a tanker during driver training; a number of mechanical problems contributed to the crash. An Oregon firefighter 

riding in the right-front-seat of a pumper was killed when the apparatus left the roadway and crashed into 

a tree. A New Mexico firefighter was killed as he drove a military surplus truck that had been converted to 

a tanker to a wildland fire; faulty brakes contributed to the crash. A firefighter in Ohio was killed when the 

engine-tanker that he was driving rolled, and a Wyoming firefighter drowned when the tanker in which she 

was a passenger rolled off the road. 1919 17

22

17

11

2121

24

34

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1994199519961997199819992000200120022003
22 

A West Virginia firefighter was killed when he was crushed by a pumper as it backed into quarters. Two firefighters had been rolling hose in front of the station; one was injured and the other died in the incident.

Caught or Trapped

In 2003, 11 firefighters were killed when they were caught or trapped. Seven firefighters died in structural 

fires when they were trapped by fire progress. Rapid fire progress also claimed the lives of four wildland 

firefighters.

Two Memphis firefighters were killed when fire developed rapidly and cut off escape routes during a structure fire in a commercial occupancy, a Texas firefighter was killed while fighting a fire with explosions in 

a specialized vehicle restoration shop, a Cincinnati firefighter was killed when fire progressed rapidly in a 

single-family residential structure fire, a Pennsylvania firefighter was trapped by falling structural members 

in a structural fire, a Fire Department City of New York firefighter was killed when he became separated from 

his crew and trapped in a commercial building fire, and a Massachusetts firefighter was killed while fighting 

a fire in the basement of a multifamily residence.

Two Idaho firefighters were killed when fire overran their position as they constructed a helicopter landing 

zone, an Arizona firefighter was severely burned when he was overrun by rapidly advancing fire at a controlled burn, and a California firefighter was killed during a major wildland fire when he and his crew were 

trapped by a rapidly advancing fire.

Falls

Eight firefighters died in 2003 as the result of falls. Two Ohio firefighters were killed in the explosion of a 

silo that was involved with fire; one firefighter had been on top of the silo and the other was in the bucket 

of an aerial tower ladder when the explosion occurred. A California firefighter died after she fell from the 

jump seat of a pumper as it responded to an emergency, and a New York firefighter died when he fell from 

a ladder at home as he began his response to an emergency.

Scene of the crash that claimed the life of Firefighter Richard A. Long of the Gallipolis (Ohio) Volunteer Fire Department. The apparatus left the right side of the 

roadway, came back onto the road, and rolled.
23

Two firefighters died in falls at the fire station in 2003. A Pennsylvania firefighter died during a standby at 

the fire station when he fell from a stepladder, and an Illinois firefighter died when the garden tractor he was 

driving crashed into a ditch outside of the fire station.

Finally, a New Jersey firefighter died of head injuries he suffered when he fell at the scene of a motor vehicle crash, and a Tennessee firefighter died when he fell from the tailgate of a moving pickup truck on the 

grounds of a training facility.

Struck by Object

Being struck by an object was the fifth leading cause of fatal firefighter injuries in 2003. Five firefighters 

died after being struck by vehicles while on duty.

Four firefighters were struck at the emergency scene. A Louisiana firefighter was killed while standing by at 

a crash involving hazardous materials; the weather was foggy and a vehicle swerved to avoid traffic barriers 

and struck the firefighter. A Texas firefighter was killed after stopping at the scene of a crash on a divided 

highway; the firefighter was struck by a tractor-trailer truck after crossing the median to reach the crash 

scene. A Minnesota firefighter was killed as he and other firefighters replaced construction zone barriers after a response; a pickup truck operated by a driver who likely was impaired crashed into the firefighters and 

their vehicle. A New Jersey fire police officer was killed when he was struck by a vehicle as he performed 

traffic control duties at the scene of an earlier crash.

A Louisiana firefighter was killed when he was struck by a passing vehicle. Firefighters were returning from 

training when they stopped to retrieve a piece that had fallen from one of their vehicles.

Other

Two firefighters died in 2003 of causes that are not categorized above. A Guam firefighter died after responding to several emergencies; the cause of death was pulmonary edema following smoke exposure. A 

Charlotte, North Carolina, firefighter died of a pulmonary embolism that resulted from knee surgery to 

repair an on-duty knee injury.

St. Cloud, Minnesota, Assistant Chief Don Billig was killed when he was struck by a pickup truck at the scene of an emergency.
25

NATURE OF FATAL INJURY

Table 11 and Figure 10 show the distribution of the 111 deaths by the medical nature of the fatal injury or 

illness.

Table 11. Nature of Fatal Injury (2003)

Nature Number of Fatalities

Heart Attack 50

Internal Trauma 41

Burns 8

Asphyxiation 6

Crushed 2

Drowning 1

Heat Exhaustion 1

Other 2

Total 111

Figure 10. Fatalities by Nature of Fatal Injury (2003)

50 (45.0%)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Other

Heat Exhaustion

Drowning

Crushed

Asphyxiation

Burns

Internal Trauma

Heart Attack

41 (36.9%)

8 (7.2%)

6 (5.4%)

2 (1.8%)

1 (0.9%)

1 (0.9%)

2 (1.8%)
26 

Heart Attack

In 2003, heart attacks were the nature of death for 50 firefighters. Heart attacks are usually the leading nature of firefighter deaths. Figure 11 provides a detailed breakdown of heart attacks by type of duty.

Figure 11. Heart Attack by Type of Duty (2003)

Sixteen firefighters died of heart attacks suffered while on the scene of a fire. Seven firefighters suffered heart 

attacks while working on the scene of structure fires, four firefighters were engaged in wildland firefighting, 

two firefighters died of heart attacks suffered on the scene of nonstructural fires, a fire police officer experienced a heart attack on the scene of a 

structure fire, a fire police officer collapsed 

on the scene of a vehicle fire, and a firefighter 

became ill while responding to the scene of 

an automatic fire alarm activation.

Thirteen firefighters were struck with heart attacks while on duty but not while completing any incident or 

training-related duties. Six firefighters suffered heart attacks during normal station duties, two firefighters 

became ill while working on fire department fundraising events, two fire police officers died while working 

parade events, one firefighter suffered a heart attack while clearing brush near the fire station, one firefighter 

died of a heart attack at home after a busy shift of fire and EMS responses, and a Texas firefighter suffered a 

heart attack after working at the scene of a nonfatal fire apparatus crash.

Six firefighters died of heart attacks that occurred at nonfire emergencies. Four of the six deaths occurred 

at the scene of motor vehicle crashes. An Idaho firefighter suffered a heart attack at the scene of a carbon 

monoxide incident at a residence. Finally, a Wisconsin firefighter became ill at the scene of a medical emergency.

1 (2%)

2 (4%)

6 (12%)

6 (12%)

6 (12%)

13 (26%)

16 (32%)

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Fire Scene

Other On Duty

On-Scene Nonfire

Responding

Training

Returning

After

The median age of the firefighters who died of an on-duty heart attack

in 2003 was 52. The youngest victim was 35 years old and the

oldest was 81 years of age.
27

Six firefighters died of heart attacks that occurred while they were responding to emergencies. Two fire police officers experienced heart attacks while responding to emergencies; their vehicles crashed subsequent 

to their attacks. One firefighter became ill after starting the engine on his apparatus, one firefighter became 

ill while responding in a fire department vehicle and collapsed of a heart attack on the scene, and one firefighter dismounted his apparatus at a motor vehicle crash and immediately collapsed. An Idaho firefighter 

suffered a heart attack as he and other firefighters hiked into the location of a wildland fire.

Heart attacks struck six firefighters during training. Three firefighters became ill while performing on-duty 

fitness activities. One firefighter died during a recertification pack test for wildland firefighters, a Dallas 

firefighter died while engaged in recruit training, and one firefighter died of a heart attack on the scene of a 

live-fire structural training fire.

Two firefighters died while returning from incidents. Both firefighters returned to their stations, stowed 

their gear, and collapsed. One Massachusetts firefighter died after the conclusion of his workday; the firefighter was found in his tent by other firefighters.

Internal Trauma

In 2003, internal trauma was the nature of death responsible for 41 firefighter deaths. With the exception 

of 2001 and the traumatic deaths of hundreds of firefighters on a single day, this is the highest number of 

deaths of this nature since 1990.

Table 12. Internal Trauma Firefighter Fatalities

Year Number of Fatalities

2003 41

2002 34

2001 28*

2000 36

1999 25

1998 27

1997 32

1996 32

Eight traumatic deaths were the result of aircraft crashes, including three multiple firefighter fatality incidents. Six firefighters died in POV crashes while responding, and one firefighter died in a POV crash while 

returning from training. Six of the eight Oregon wildland firefighters died of traumatic injuries in a van 

crash.

Five firefighters were struck by vehicles while working on emergency scenes and fire department vehicle 

crashes claimed another eight firefighters.

Seven firefighters died in falls. Two falls were from vehicles, two falls were from ladders, two firefighters 

fell from a height as the result of a silo explosion, and one firefighter fell at the scene of a vehicle crash and 

struck his head.

*Does not include the firefighter fatalities of September 11, 2001, in New York City.
28 

Burns

Eight firefighters died as the result of burns in 2003: four in wildland fires and four in structure fires. Two 

Idaho firefighters suffered fatal burns when their position was overrun by rapidly advancing fire, an Arizona 

firefighter received fatal burns when a controlled burn flared up and overran his position, and a California 

firefighter was overrun and burned during a major wildland fire in the San Diego area.

Two Memphis firefighters died as the result of burns received in a commercial building structure fire, a Cincinnati firefighter suffered burns when he was trapped in a flashover, and a Texas firefighter died of burns 

received during a fire in a specialty auto supply store.

Asphyxiation

Asphyxiation was the fourth leading medical reason for firefighter deaths in 2003, responsible for six deaths. 

Two firefighters died of smoke and soot inhalation in fires in Massachusetts and New York. A Kansas firefighter died of positional asphyxiation after a vehicle crash, and a Pennsylvania firefighter died of compressional asphyxiation after a building collapse. Two of the eight Oregon wildland firefighters killed in a van 

crash died of asphyxiation.

Table 13. Firefighter Fatalities Due to Asphyxiation

Year Number of Fatalities

2003 6

2002 15

2001 18

2000 13

1999 16

1998 15

1997 15

1996 5

Crushed

In 2003, two firefighters died when they were crushed. An Ohio firefighter was crushed when the apparatus 

he was driving left the roadway and rolled, and a West Virginia firefighter was killed when he was run over 

by a fire department pumper backing into the fire station after an emergency incident.

Drowning

A Wyoming firefighter drowned after the tanker in which she was a passenger experienced a crash. The apparatus ended up on its side in a ditch; the firefighter was pinned between the apparatus and the ground. 

Water leaking from the water tank on the apparatus filled the ditch and drowned the firefighter.

Heat Exhaustion

A Florida firefighter died of heat exhaustion during a training exercise. The training scenario involved the 

use of a training prop designed to resemble a ship. The firefighter also suffered burns in the incident.
29

Other

Two firefighters died in situations where the nature of their deaths does not fall into any of the categories 

previously described. One firefighter died of pulmonary edema after fighting a fire and the other firefighter 

died of a pulmonary embolism resulting from a work-related knee surgery.
31

FIREFIGHTER AGES

Figure 12 shows the percentage distribution of firefighter deaths by age and nature of the fatal injury. Table 

14 provides counts of firefighter fatalities by age and the nature of the fatal injury.

Figure 12. Fatalities by Age and Nature (2003)

As in most years, younger firefighters were more likely to have died as a result of traumatic injuries such 

as injuries from an apparatus accident or after becoming caught or trapped during firefighting operations. 

Stress plays an increasing role in firefighter deaths as age increases.

15%

33%

40%

64%

70%

75%

100%

100%100%

30%

25%

0%0%0%

85%

67%

60%

36%

0

20

40

60

80

100

Under

21

21 to

25

26 to

30

31 to

35

36 to

40

41 to

45

46 to

50

51 to

60

61 and

over

Firefighter Age

Trauma/Asphyxiation

Heart Attack

The youngest firefighters killed in 2003 were Karlton Briscoe of Mississippi and Anndee Huber of Wyoming, both 16. The oldest firefighter 

killed was Fire Police Officer Harding Wentzell of Maine, age 81.
32 

Table 14. Firefighter Ages and Nature of Fatal Injury

Age Range Nontrauma Total Trauma Total

under 21 0 6

21 to 25 0 11

26 to 30 0 6

31 to 35 1 3

36 to 40 3 7

41 to 45 4 7

46 to 50 12 8

51 to 60 20 10

61 & over 11 2
33

FIXED PROPERTY USE FOR

STRUCTURAL FIREFIGHTING

FATALITIES

There were 19 firefighter fatalities in 2003 where the firefighters became ill while on the scene or engaged 

in structural firefighting. Table 15 shows the distribution of these deaths by fixed property use. As in most 

years, residential occupancies accounted for the highest number of these fireground fatalities, with 10 

deaths. In 2003, however, the number of deaths in commercial structures is very close to the number of 

firefighter fatalities associated with residential occupancies.

Table 16 shows the number of firefighter deaths in residential occupancies for the past 7 years. Residential 

occupancies usually account for 70 to 80 percent of all structure fires and a similar percentage of the civilian 

fire deaths each year*. Historically, the frequency of firefighter deaths in relation to the number of fires is 

much higher for nonresidential structures.

Table 15. Structural Firefighting Fatalities by Fixed Property Use in 2003

Fixed Property Use Number Percent

Residential 10 52%

Commercial 9 48%

Table 16. Firefighter Fatalities In Residential Occupancies

Year Number of Fatalities

2003 10

2002 21

2001 17

2000 21

1999 23

1998 17

1997 16

1996 19

*Complete 2003 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 according to the NFPA.
35

TYPE OF ACTIVITY

Table 17 and Figure 13 show the types of fireground activities firefighters were engaged in at the time they 

sustained their fatal injuries or illnesses. This total includes all firefighting duties such as wildland firefighting 

and structural firefighting. In 2003 there were a total of 31 firefighter deaths on the fireground.

Table 17. Type of Activity (2003)

Nature Number

Fire Attack 11

Suppression Support 6

Water Supply 5

Scene Safety 2

Ventilation 2

Other 5

Total 31

Figure 13. Fatalities by Type of Activity (2003)

11(35.5%)

6 (19.3%)

5 (16.1%)

2 (6.5%)

2 (6.5%)

5 (16.1%)

1

Fire Attack

Suppression Support

Water Supply

Scene Safety

Ventilation

Other
36 

Fire Attack

In 2003, 11 firefighters were killed as they engaged in direct fire attack, such as advancing or operating a 

hoseline at a fire scene. In years past, most fireground firefighter deaths occur while the firefighter was engaged in fire attack (see Table 18).

Two multiple-firefighter fatality incidents claimed the lives of a total of four firefighters engaged in fire attack 

in Ohio and Tennessee. Two Ohio firefighters fell from the top of a silo that was involved with fire when 

an explosion occurred, and two Memphis firefighters died in a commercial structure fire when rapid fire 

progress and structural collapse cut off their escape routes.

Rapid fire progress claimed the lives of firefighters in California, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Texas. Firefighters 

in Illinois, Indiana, and New York suffered heart attacks while engaged directly in firefighting duties.

Table 18. Firefighter Fatalities While Engaged in Fire Attack

Year Number of Fatalities

2003 11

2002 13

2001 13

2000 13

1999 16

1998 18

1997 21

1996 9

Suppression Support

Six firefighters were killed in 2003 as they supported firefighting efforts. Two Idaho firefighters were killed 

when fire progressed rapidly and overran the helicopter landing zone that they were constructing. A New 

York firefighter suffered a heart attack after working to overhaul an arson-caused exterior fire and check for 

extension. A Pennsylvania firefighter was killed while overhauling the interior of a large residence when a 

structural collapse occurred. A Texas firefighter died after suffering a heart attack as he plowed fire breaks 

around a wildland fire, and a New Jersey firefighter died as he coordinated efforts at a multi-alarm commercial structure fire.

Water Supply

Five firefighters died in 2003 while engaged in water supply duties. Four of the five deaths involved heart 

attacks for firefighters assigned as apparatus operators at incident scenes. Two of the heart attacks occurred 

at structural fires and two occurred at wildland fires. A Charlotte, North Carolina, fire apparatus engineer 

injured his knee as he stretched hose at a structural fire and later died of complications of surgery to repair 

the knee injury.
37

Scene Safety

Two fire police officers died in 2003 at fire scenes. Both officers suffered heart attacks as they performed 

their duties.

Ventilation

Two firefighters died in 2003 while engaged in ventilation duties on the roof of a burning structure; the fires 

occurred in Georgia and Pennsylvania. Both fires were human caused: one by an arsonist and the second 

by a child playing with matches.

Other Duties

Two firefighters were killed performing activities that are not classified. A Minnesota firefighter was struck 

by a vehicle as he replaced barriers at a construction site after a response into the site for a reported fire and 

a Connecticut firefighter suffered a heart attack at the scene of an automatic fire alarm.

A Wisconsin fire chief died while commanding a wildland fire. A New York firefighter died while performing search-and-rescue duties during a structural fire in a commercial building, and a Nevada-based firefighter died while operating a helicopter at a wildland fire in the State of Washington.
39

TIME OF INJURY

The distribution of all 2003 firefighter deaths according to the time of day when the fatal injury occurred is 

illustrated in Figure 14. The time of death for four firefighters either was not known or was not reported.

Figure 14. Fatalities by Time of Fatal Injury (2003)

4 (3.6%)

11 (9.9%)

3 (2.7%)

2 (1.8%)

5 (4.5%)

15 (13.5%)

19 (17.1%)

10 (9.0%)

8 (7.2%)

10 (9.0%)

9 (8.1%)

12 (10.8%)

3 (2.7%)

0 5 10 15 20

2300 - 0059

2100 - 2259

1900 - 2059

1700 - 1859

1500 - 1659

1300 - 1459

1100 - 1259

0900 - 1059

0700 - 0859

0500 - 0659

0300 - 0459

0100 - 0259

Unknown
41

MONTH OF THE YEAR

Figure 15 illustrates firefighter fatalities by month of the year. Firefighter fatalities were highest in August 

due to a number of wildland firefighting deaths.

Figure 15. Fatalities by Month of the Year (2003)

12 (10.8%)

7 (6.3%)

14 (12.6%)

7 (6.3%)

15 (13.5%)

7 (6.3%)

5 (4.5%)

6 (5.4%)

10 (9.0%)

13 (11.7%)

5 (4.5%)

10 (9.0%)

0 5 10 15 20

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January

The deadliest month for firefighters was September of 2001 when a

total of 355 firefighters died at the World Trade Center and across the 

county. The next most costly month in the last decade was July of

1994; 21 firefighters died that month including 14 on Storm

King Mountain in Colorado.
43

STATE AND REGION

The distribution of firefighter deaths by State is shown in Table 19*. Firefighters based in 36 states and Guam 

died in 2003.

The highest number of firefighter deaths based on the location of the fire service organization in 2003 occurred in Oregon with 13 deaths. Eight firefighters died in a van crash, two firefighters died in a helicopter 

crash, one Oregon-based firefighter died in a helicopter crash in Washington State, one firefighter died in an 

apparatus crash during training, and one firefighter died of a heart attack while on duty in the fire station.
44 

*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 Emergency Training Center.

Table 19. Firefighter Fatalities by State by Location of Fire Service

1 Alabama 0.9%

1 Arkansas 0.9%

3 Arizona 2.7%

3 California 2.7%

3 Connecticut 2.7%

1 Florida 0.9%

3 Georgia 2.7%

1 Guam 0.9%

2 Iowa 1.8%

5 Idaho 4.5%

4 Illinois 3.6%

3 Indiana 2.7%

1 Kansas 0.9%

1 Kentucky 0.9%

5 Louisiana 4.5%

2 Massachusetts 1.8%

2 Maryland 1.8%

1 Maine 0.9%

1 Minnesota 0.9%

2 Missouri 1.8%

1 Mississippi 0.9%

5 North Carolina 4.5%

1 Nebraska 0.9%

4 New Jersey 3.6%

1 New Mexico 0.9%

2 Nevada 1.8%

5 New York 4.5%

4 Ohio 3.6%

13 Oregon 11.7%

10 Pennsylvania 9.0%

4 Tennessee 3.6%

8 Texas 7.2%

1 Vermont 0.9%

1 Washington 0.9%

4 Wisconsin 3.6%

1 West Virginia 0.9%

1 Wyoming 0.9%
45

Figure 16. Firefighter Fatalities by Region (2003)*

* One firefighter fatality occurred in Guam.

WEST

Career - 5

Volunteer - 5

Wildland - 19

Total - 29

NORTHCENTRAL

Career - 5

Volunteer - 18

Total - 23

NORTHEAST

Career - 7

Volunteer - 20

Wildland - 1

Total -28

SOUTH

Career - 12

Volunteer - 16

Wildland - 2

Total - 30
4

6

Figure 17. Firefighter Fatalities By Incident Location
47

Figure 18. Firefighter Fatalities By Home Department Location
49

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 2003 firefighter fatalities. These statistics are based on answers from 

the fire departments and, when no data from the departments were available, the data are based upon population and area served as reported by the fire departments.

Table 20. Firefighter Fatalities by Coverage Area Type

Urban/Suburban Rural Federal or State 

Parks/Wildland Total

Firefighter Fatalities 49 41 21 111
51

CONCLUSION

The death of any firefighter while on duty is a failure of the firefighter safety system. The failure may be in 

training, incident command, wellness management, or any of a thousand contributing factors. Each death 

is a tragedy in the local community and for the entire fire service.

2003 was another year of unacceptable loss for the fire service and the Nation. A trend in the 1990’s that 

revealed a gradual reduction in the number of firefighter fatalities has been reversed with the number of 

deaths in the past few years at the levels that might have been normal in the 1980’s. Indeed, 2003 was a 

year of unfortunate records:

• The number of wildland firefighter deaths was the highest since 14 firefighters died in Colorado in 

 1994.

• The number of firefighter fatalities in aircraft-related incidents was the highest since 1994.

• The number of firefighters killed while responding to or returning from incidents was the highest in a 

 decade.

• The number of firefighters killed in vehicle crashes excluding aircraft incidents was the highest since at 

 least 1990.

• The number of deaths due to physical trauma was higher than any year since at least 1990, with the 

 exception of the high toll of September 11, 2001.

This report contains two special topics. The first addresses the issue of alcohol abuse in the general population and the fire service. Methods for identifying those in need of help and getting help for those in need 

are identified. A firefighter death in 2003 in Wyoming brought this issue to the fore. A policy statement by 

the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) provides direction to all firefighters and fire officers.

The second special topic is risk management. Many firefighter fatalities result from poor risk management 

by firefighters and fire officers. The consistent, everyday use of basic risk management techniques has the 

potential for saving the lives of firefighters and those we serve.
53

SPECIAL TOPICS

Alcohol Use in the Fire Service

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Alcohol and Drug Information 

Clearinghouse, approximately 14 million Americans - 7.4 percent of the population - meet the diagnostic 

criteria for alcohol abuse or alcoholism.

The fire service is not immune from these facts. Alcoholics live in every walk of life in our society, including 

the fire service. Through their jobs, firefighters see first-hand the effects of alcohol abuse. Firefighters often 

respond to alcohol-related vehicle crashes, domestic violence assaults, and other situations that are caused 

or made worse by alcohol.

We have no difficulty seeing the negative impact of alcohol abuse in these situations.

These problems almost always tend to have a direct impact on someone who is “outside” of the fire service. 

The people who are helped by firefighters when they are involved in an alcohol-related situation are not 

often part of the fire service family. The facts, however, are at odds with that opinion.

From 1990 through 2003, there were 17 firefighter fatalities where alcohol or drugs were a direct factor in 

the death of a firefighter – the firefighter who died was drunk or high, or another firefighter involved in the 

death was drunk or high. Until 2003, alcohol problems in the fire service, when they were talked about at 

all, always seemed to exist in large urban fire departments.

In 2003, an incident occurred that brought the issue of fire service alcohol abuse to the surface. The incident 

occurred on May 22nd:

Excerpted from WFS Quarterly Spring/Summer, 2003 Author Unknown

Wyoming student firefighter Anndee Huber, a 16-year-old who was president of her 10th grade class at Newcastle High School, 

was killed on May 22, 2003, when the fire department tanker she was riding in crashed and rolled. Huber was part of an Explorer program with the Newcastle, Wyoming, Volunteer Fire Department that allowed qualified students to respond to fire calls 

and help with exterior tasks. She and the driver of the tanker were enroute to a grass fire when the crash occurred.

Anndee Huber was the youngest of four children, and entered the Explorer program as soon as she turned 16. She was also a 

4.0 student, and active in swimming and cross-country running. Her brother, Kevin Huber, told reporters, “She was the greatest. 

How many 16-year-olds do you know who want to be firefighters? Rather than doing the things teenagers do, she was down at 

the fire hall getting her training.” Her oldest brother, Hayden, who also had been a firefighter, learned of his sister’s death as he 

arrived back in the U.S. after 6 months in the Navy in Iraq.

The driver of the tanker involved in the crash was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, and with aggravated homicide by vehicle. He was reported to have a history of alcohol problems, including a jail term in 2002 for drunken 

driving. A police investigation indicated that the driver had been in a local bar up until 15 minutes before the call came in, and 

had consumed 5 20-ounce beers in approximately 1-1/2 hours.
54 

All firefighters deaths are tragedies. It is often easy to dismiss the details of a firefighter fatality and convince 

oneself that the situation could never happen in your local fire department. The death of Anndee Huber 

was an exception to that rule. The death of this young firefighter drew immediate attention to the issue of 

alcohol abuse in the fire service.

This incident did not involve drinking by career firefighters in a fire station far away in a big city. This incident had as its consequence the death of a bright and dedicated young woman. This tragedy was widely 

reported in the fire service media.

This incident is a call to action for the fire service to recognize those within the fire service with alcohol 

abuse problems. Provide them with the help that they need, and insulate the emergency services part of the 

fire department from the social side of the fire department.

Alcohol and the Fire Service

Many fire departments, primarily volunteer and combination departments, serve as the social center of their 

communities. The fire station often encompasses a social area that may include facilities for the consumption 

of alcohol. In addition to the social opportunities that these facilities provide, the fire departments often 

derive funding from the social operations to provide emergency services. Many fire departments count on 

the revenue generated from fund drives and social events to provide funding for the fire department.

The IAFC called for its members to adopt the zero-tolerance alcohol policy. The IAFC recognized that many 

fire departments raise funds through social operations and did not call for that practice to end. The IAFC 

called for separation of those facilities to help ensure the application of the zero-tolerance standard. The impact of the IAFC policy is not limited to volunteer fire departments or those with social facilities. The 8-hour 

time between alcohol consumption and work affects all firefighters, including career firefighters.

The challenge is to find a balance between the benefits of the social operations of the fire department and 

the emergency services provided by the department. The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) has 

provided some guidance on this issue.

Zero Tolerance for Alcohol and Drinking in the Fire and Emergency Service

This policy statement is most easily described as a “zero-tolerance” standard about the use of alcohol 

by members of any fire or emergency services agency/organization at any time when they may be 

called upon to act or respond as a member of those departments.

Basically, if someone has consumed alcohol within the previous eight (8) hours, or is still noticeably impaired by alcohol consumed previous to the eight (8) hours, they must voluntarily remove 

themselves from the activities and functions of the fire or emergency services agency/organization, 

including all emergency operations and training.

No member of a fire & emergency services agency/organization shall participate in any aspect of 

the organization and operation of the fire or emergency agency/organization under the influence of 

alcohol, including but not limited to any fire and emergency operations, fire-police, training, etc.

No alcohol shall be on the premises of any operational portion of the fire department, including but 

not limited to the apparatus, the apparatus floor, the station living areas, etc.
55

How to Recognize Alcohol Abuse

The use of alcohol in a social setting is accepted by many Americans. Alcohol abuse can be difficult to discern from the controlled use of alcohol.

Answering the following four questions can help you find out if you or someone you know has a drinking 

problem:

• Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?

• Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?

• Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?

• Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

One “yes” answer suggests a possible alcohol problem. More than one “yes” answer means it is highly likely 

that a problem exists.

Most alcohol abusers will need help to recover from alcoholism. It is very difficult for alcoholics to eliminate 

their dependence on alcohol by themselves. There are a number of programs that are available at the local 

level to help.

How to Help

Firefighters and fire officers can help eliminate the presence of alcohol in the fire service in many ways. The 

principal means of fighting this problem are

• Maintain an awareness of the signs of alcoholism.

• Adopt a written policy for each fire department that deals with the use of alcohol and the eligibility of 

 firefighters to respond to emergencies and participate in fire department activities. Most importantly, 

 it is everyone’s duty to support and enforce the policy when adopted. The words on paper will not 

 mean anything unless fire officers and individual firefighters make the policy work in the real world.

• Help those with alcohol abuse problems seek help.

Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international fellowship 

of men and women who have had a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, 

apolitical, and available almost everywhere. There are no age or education requirements. Membership is 

open to anyone who wants to do something about his or her drinking problem. AA can be contacted at 

www.alcoholics-anonymous.org. The site contains a link for finding a local meeting.

Fire & emergency services agencies/organizations which raise funds by operating and/or renting 

social halls must provide a clear and distinct separation of facilities to help insure the zero-tolerance 

standard of alcohol consumption by their members who may be called upon to perform official duties.

All fire & emergency service agencies/organizations should develop written policies and have procedures in place to support and enforce this policy recommendation. Included in such a policy should 

be provisions for blood alcohol testing of any individuals involved with any accident that causes 

measurable damage to apparatus or property or injury/death of agency/organization personnel or 

civilians.
56 

There is not sufficient information in this venue to provide comprehensive guidance for those that seek to 

help someone with an alcohol abuse problem. There are many resources available at the local level to help. 

The key is recognizing the problem and then making treatment resources available.

Risk Management

This section presents information on risk management. The classic risk management method is presented 

and then followed by application of risk management techniques to nonemergency, pre-emergency, and 

emergency risk management examples.

NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program, requires the development and adoption of an organizational risk management plan. NFPA 1500 provides the following definitions:

Risk – A measure of the probability and severity of adverse effects that result from an exposure to a hazard.

Risk Management – The process of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the resources and 

activities of an organization in order to minimize detrimental effects on that organization.

NFPA 1500 requires the use of four risk management components. These components make up the classic 

risk management model.

The following section, adapted from the National Fire Academy Incident Safety Officer curriculum, illustrates the 

application of the classic risk management method.

The classic risk management model presents a systematic approach for identifying 

and planning for the control of risks. This 

methodical process for making decisions 

can be used not only for the nonemergency 

risks that all organizations must address, 

but also for the risks associated with the response to and mitigation of an emergency incident. The factors at 

each incident will always vary, but the classic risk management model applies equally to all situations.

The model used by NFPA 1500 has four primary components, or steps, which serve as a foundation for this 

process. Each one depends upon information generated by the previous step, so it is important to evaluate 

each one before moving on to the next. These four steps are discussed in detail in the following sections.

• Risk identification

• Risk evaluation

• Risk control techniques

• Monitoring

Risk Identification

What might go wrong? Compile a list of all emergency and nonemergency operations in which the department participates. Ideally, plan for the worst, but hope for the best. There are many sources to assist with 

this identification process. The first, and possibly the most effective, is the department’s loss prevention data. 

Seek input and ideas from personnel, trade journals, professional associations, and other service providers. 

The United States Fire Administration publication “Risk Management Practices in the Fire Service” is available free of charge from the 

USFA Publications Center. The publication, FA-166, is available at 

www.usfa.fema.gov under the Publications section.
57

When using ideas from other fire departments or organizations, simply consider local circumstances when 

formulating the list.

Risk Evaluation

Once the risks are identified, they can be evaluated from both a frequency and a severity standpoint. Frequency addresses the likelihood of occurrence. Typically, if a particular type of incident (e.g., back injuries) 

has occurred repeatedly, these incidents will continue to occur until effective control measures are implemented.

Severity addresses the degree of seriousness of the incident. This can be measured in a variety of ways, such 

as time away from work, seriousness of injuries that can result from an activity, cost of damage, cost of (and 

time for) repair or replacement, disruption of services, and legal costs. Using the information gathered in 

the identification step, the risks can be classified based on severity.

Taken in combination, the results of the frequency and severity determinations will help to establish priorities for determining action. Any risk that has a high probability of occurrence and will have serious consequences (high risk or severity), deserves immediate action, and would be considered a high-priority item. 

Nonserious incidents with a low likelihood of occurrence are a lower priority and can be placed near the 

bottom of the “action required” list.

Risk Control Techniques

At this point in the process, risks have been identified and evaluated, so it is time to find solutions. There are 

several approaches to take, including risk avoidance, implementation of control measures, and risk transfer.

In any situation, the best choice is risk avoidance. Simply put, this means avoid the activity that creates the 

risk. In an emergency services organization, this frequently is impractical. Lifting a stretcher presents a serious back injury risk, but you cannot avoid this risk and still provide effective service.

FREQUENCY

XY Graph for Prioritizing Risk

High Frequency

Low Risk

Low Frequency

Low Risk

High Frequency

High Risk

Low Frequency

High Risk

R

I

S

K
58 

An example of where avoidance has been very practical is the widespread use of sharps containers. The risks 

associated with recapping needles are well documented; therefore, recapping is no longer an accepted practice. This risky behavior can be avoided through the proper use of a sharps container.

The most common method used for the management of risk is the adoption of effective control measures. 

While control measures will not eliminate the risk, they can reduce the likelihood of occurrence or mitigate 

the severity. Safety programs, ongoing training and education programs, and well-defined Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) are all effective control measures.

Some typical control measures instituted to control fireground injuries include accountability, use of full 

protective clothing, a mandatory respiratory protection program, training and education, and competent 

SOP’s. These control measures coupled together make an effective program that ensures safe fireground 

operations.

Risk transfer can be accomplished in two primary ways: physically transferring the risk to somebody else 

or through the purchase of insurance. For a fire or EMS organization, the transfer of risk may be difficult if 

not impossible. As an example, some emergency service organizations have transferred part of the risk of 

hazardous materials incident response with the use of private contractors to clean up scenes after the incident is controlled.

The purchase of insurance transfers financial risk only. In addition, it does nothing to affect the likelihood 

of occurrence. Buying fire insurance on a fire station, while highly recommended to protect the assets of the 

department, does nothing to prevent the station from burning down. Therefore, insurance is no substitute 

for effective control measures.

Risk Monitoring

The last step in the process is risk management monitoring. Once control measures have been implemented, 

they need to be evaluated to measure their effectiveness. Any problems that occur in the process have to be 

revised or modified. This final step ensures that the system is dynamic and will facilitate periodic reviews of 

the entire program.

The intent of the risk management plan is to develop a strategy for reducing the inherent risks associated 

with fire department operations. Regardless of the size or type of fire department, every organization should 

operate within the parameters of a risk management plan. This is a dynamic and aggressive process that must 

be monitored and revised annually by the health and safety officer.

Risk Management Model Application

Risk management techniques may be applied to every part of the operation of a fire department to improve 

the level of safety and occupational health for fire department members. Limiting the damage and cost that 

result from on the job accidents is an activity that is best and most effectively done before the emergency 

occurs.

The following sections will discuss the application of the classic risk management model to nonemergency, 

pre-emergency, and emergency situations. Examples will also be provided.
59

Nonemergency Risk Management

There are risks to firefighter safety and health that have very little to do with the response to an emergency. 

Fire department facilities are subject to the same risks as any building so appropriate steps to secure the 

workplace should be taken. These steps can include the provision of automatic fire sprinklers, smoke detection systems, proper emergency exiting, nonslip flooring, carbon monoxide detectors, and natural gas 

detectors.

The assurance of safe and effective fire 

department apparatus and equipment 

is another area of nonemergency risk 

management. The provision of vehicles 

that comply with national standards, as a 

minimum, will address a number of potential risks. Vehicles should be regularly 

maintained, have braking systems that are 

designed for emergency response, and 

complete required pump and/or aerial 

ladder service tests.

Risk management techniques also should be applied to training. The assignment of a safety officer to burn 

drills, the use of an appropriate instructor-to-student ratio, and the use of NFPA 1403 for fires in acquired 

structures will improve the level of safety for firefighters during training.

Pre-Emergency Risk Management

Pre-emergency risk management uses the 

classic risk management model approach. 

Risks that can be managed in advance are 

identified. This is the process that occurs 

prior to the response to emergencies, but 

which will make emergency scene risk 

management easier to perform. Pre-emergency risks are those that fit between the 

nonemergency risks and the risks presented at an emergency incident.

The pre-emergency risk management elements must be identified and managed in 

order for an organization to conduct emergency operations safely and effectively. 

Therefore, pre-emergency risk management can be defined as “a process that utilizes key safety and health elements, prior 

to response, that will reduce risks involved 

during emergency operations and enhance 

customer service.”

United States Firefighter Disorientation Study

A report prepared by Captain William Mora of the San Antonio Fire 

Department analyzed 17 incidents where firefighters became disoriented 

in structures that resulted in a total of 23 firefighter fatalities.

The study reveled a disorientation sequence common to all of these

incidents that included light smoke showing upon arrival, an

aggressive interior attack, deteriorating interior conditions, and

firefighters becoming separated from handlines.

The study recommends SOP’s and training that includes a cautious

initial assessment and a managed initial attack, if warranted.

The full study is available at:

www.sanantonio.gov/safd/pdf/FirefighterDisorientationStudy.pdf

Diesel Exhaust Exposure

Exposure to diesel exhaust can cause a number of temporary

symptoms including headaches and respiratory problems. NIOSH

has determined that diesel exhaust is a potential carcinogen for

humans and long-term effects are possible.

Nonemergency risk management measures to avoid exposure to

diesel exhaust can include exhaust capture systems, a reduction in

vehicle indoor running time, duct cleaning, maintenance of a positive 

pressure in fire station living areas, and delays in door closure after

apparatus returns to the station.
60 

Pre-emergency risk management can include programs as diverse as Incident Command System (ICS) training, the purchase and provision of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and clothing such as 

SCBA’s and helmets, and the study of past incidents to learn lessons from others.

Emergency Risk Management

In contrast to the studied approach of nonemergency and pre-emergency risk management, risk management during emergencies is a constantly changing, fast-paced activity. Nonemergency and pre-emergency 

risk management activities have been completed and will assist with the safety of firefighters on the emergency scene.

Everyone on the emergency scene has a safety and risk management responsibility. Standards require the 

presence of safety officers at many incident scenes; however, safety officers cannot be everywhere and cannot be on every incident scene.

Risk versus Benefit

Every firefighter and fire officer should view every activity related to an emergency through a risk/benefit 

“filter.” This risk/benefit filtering begins when the alarm sounds and continues until all firefighters have 

returned safely from the emergency. The filter is really a shortened version of the department’s risk management program and appears in NFPA 1500:

1. Activities that present a significant risk to the safety of members shall be limited to situations where 

 there is a potential to save endangered lives.

2. Activities that are routinely employed to protect property shall be recognized as inherent risks to the 

 safety of members, and actions shall be taken to reduce or avoid these risks.

3. No risk to the safety of members shall be acceptable when there is no possibility to save lives or prop-

 erty.

This section of NFPA 1500 can be summarized as “take calculated risks to save a life, take small risks to save 

property, risk nothing to save what is already lost.”

The risk/benefit filter can be used constantly by every firefighter and fire officer involved in the emergency. 

The filtering process takes place in less than a second, but its product will help to make sure that firefighters 

and the customers that receive our service are safe.

Some examples:

• My department has been dispatched to a dumpster fire in an apartment complex. I know from per-

 sonal observation that the dumpster has no exposures. I choose to respond to my fire station at mod-

 erate speed, taking no extra risks, since a faster response time to the dumpster will have no benefit to 

 the outcome of the incident.

• Just before sunset, my department is dispatched to a water rescue in a local stream. A boater is missing 

 and bystanders suspect the boater has been trapped under a tree in the middle of the fast-moving 

 stream for 45 minutes. As the incident commander of the scene, I do not permit firefighters to enter 

 the water. In my judgment, the boater is certainly dead and no benefit will come from the risk of plac-

 ing firefighters in the water at this time.
61

• My engine company arrives on the scene of a house fire in the middle of the night. The driveway is 

 filled with cars and neighbors tell us that a family is still inside. Smoke is showing from the windows 

 and a glow can be seen in windows at the rear of the structure. As the company officer, I order an at-

 tack line to the front door and join my crew for a search of the interior. In my judgment, the deploy-

 ment of my crew to the interior was worth the risk based on the reports of trapped occupants.

• My engine company is dispatched to an emergency medical incident in a private home. Before I begin 

 to treat the patient, I put on examination gloves. In my opinion, the benefit of avoiding disease is 

 worth the risk of offending the patient.

• My fire department is dispatched to a fire in a large residence that is far from any water supply. Upon 

 our arrival on the scene, we find a well-involved structure fire and learn from the residents that everyone 

 is out of the house and accounted for. As the incident commander, I order an exterior attack on the 

 fire until a reliable water supply can be established. In my judgment, the risk of entering the structure with 

 limited water was not worth the benefit of what we might be able to save.

• My department and a number of mutual-aid fire departments have been fighting a fire in a single-story 

 warehouse for hours. Ladder pipes and deck guns have been used to control the main body of the fire, 

 yet smoldering piles of stock remain. As the incident commander, I choose not to deploy firefight-

 ers to the interior for overhaul. The risk of collapse is not worth the benefit of complete fire extin-

 guishment.

If the risk/benefit filter was used by every firefighter and every fire officer on each emergency, the result 

would likely be an immediate reduction in the tragic loss of life that this report details. The people that are 

served by the fire service expect that firefighters will take risks that are unacceptable to the general public; 

training and equipment allow firefighters to accept some risks. Firefighters are not expected to give their 

lives in vain to save what is already lost.
62 

Cincinnati Fire Chief Robert Wright carries the flag that covered Firefighter Oscar Armstrong’s casket as he 

prepares to present it to Armstrong’s mother.
63

APPENDIX

SUMMARY OF 2003 INCIDENTS

January 8, 2003 – 1050hrs

Lattie Floyd Collins, III, Firefighter

Age 36, Volunteer

Donalsonville Fire Department, Georgia

Firefighter Collins was responding in his personal vehicle to a report of a motor vehicle crash. As he neared 

the fire station, he came to an intersection and met a responding engine approaching from the opposite direction. Firefighter Collins’ vehicle and the engine stopped at their respective stops signs. Firefighter Collins 

was preparing to proceed across the intersection en route to the fire station and the engine was preparing 

to make a turn.

As Firefighter Collins proceeded through the intersection, his vehicle was struck on the right side by a vehicle traveling on the intersecting highway. The force of the collision drove Firefighter Collins’ vehicle through 

the intersection, almost striking the responding engine. Firefighter Collins had apparently not seen the vehicle that struck him due to a blind spot or as a result of being focused on the presence of the engine.

Firefighters immediately went to the aid of Firefighter Collins and found him lying across the front-seat of 

his car with his head against the passenger’s door. Firefighters could not find any vital signs but attempted 

to maintain an airway as extrication was accomplished.

Firefighter Collins was transported by ambulance to the hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. The cause of death was listed as closed head trauma complicated by positional asphyxia. Firefighter 

Collins was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. Firefighter Collins had been a member of the 

Donalsonville Fire Department for 3 months.

January 8, 2003 – 1719hrs

Melinda Jean “Mindy” Ohler, Firefighter

Age 46, Career

San Francisco Fire Department, California

Firefighter Ohler was a passenger in an engine company responding to a fire alarm. Firefighter Ohler was 

riding in the open jump seat of the reserve apparatus behind the driver. Prior to moving the apparatus, the 

officer noted that both firefighters were seated and received a hand signal and a verbal indication from Firefighter Ohler that he could begin the response.

As the apparatus traveled through a right-hand curve on a freeway on-ramp, Firefighter Ohler apparently 

unbuckled her seatbelt to reach for her hearing protection. As the apparatus turned, she lost her balance and 

fell from the apparatus. She struck her head on the pavement and sustained a serious injury.
64 

Firefighter Ohler was transported by fire department ambulance to the hospital for treatment. She remained 

in a coma until her death on January 13, 2003.

The San Francisco Fire Department was fined by CAL-OSHA for failure to have a safety rail installed on the 

apparatus involved in Firefighter Ohler’s death, as well as other apparatus of the same vintage. The fire department also was directed to enforce the use of seatbelts.

January 9, 2003 – 1932hrs

James A. “Matt” Pereira, Firefighter I

Age 40, Career

Guam Fire Department, Agat Fire Station, Guam

Firefighter Pereira had returned to quarters with the members of his fire company after responding to an 

EMS incident and an unauthorized burning incident. Firefighter Pereira was resting. Other firefighters heard 

him emit a snoring sound and attempted to wake him. He was unconscious, unresponsive, and experiencing convulsions.

CPR was initiated and an AED was applied. ALS and an ambulance were called and Firefighter Pereira was 

transported to the hospital. He was pronounced dead upon arrival.

The cause of death was listed as pulmonary edema following smoke exposure.

January 14, 2003 – 0129hrs

Joseph Michael Rotherham, Captain

Age 46, Career

Springfield Fire/Rescue Department, Illinois

Captain Rotherham and the members of his engine company responded with other companies to the report 

of a structure fire in a 1-1/2 story duplex. The first fire department unit on the scene, a battalion chief, 

reported heavy smoke.

Upon their arrival, Captain Rotherham and his crew were assigned to search the building and attempt to 

locate the fire. Captain Rotherham was wearing full structural firefighting protective clothing and equipment, including a SCBA. The fire was located in the attic and Captain Rotherham and his crew stretched an 

attack line into the building.

After ordering the line to be charged, Captain Rotherham reentered the structure and began to advance the 

line toward the fire. He became disoriented and handed the nozzle to his firefighter. After reaching the 

second floor and applying water to the fire, the Captain ordered his firefighter to abandon the line and leave 

the structure. Captain Rotherham stated that he was running out of air.

While sitting on his apparatus having his SCBA cylinder changed, Captain Rotherham suddenly collapsed. 

Firefighters began CPR immediately and Captain Rotherham was loaded into an on-scene ambulance. Advanced Life Support (ALS) procedures were provided in the ambulance and continued in a hospital emergency room. Despite these efforts, Captain Rotherham was pronounced dead at the hospital. 

The cause of death was listed as a cardiac arrhythmia due to heart disease.
65

January 17, 2003 – 2256hrs

James W. McAuley, Fire Police Officer

Age 78, Volunteer

Polk Township Volunteer Fire Department, Pennsylvania

Fire Police Officer McAuley and the members of his department were dispatched to respond to a car fire on 

a local highway. Fire Police Officer McAuley assisted with traffic control and then waited in his vehicle for 

further orders.

After the fire was extinguished, a fire truck left the scene to refill its water tank and passed the spot where 

Fire Police Officer McAuley’s vehicle was staged. As the apparatus passed, Fire Police Officer McAuley moved 

his vehicle to the side of the road.

Approximately 5 minutes later, another fire truck left the scene and found Fire Police Officer McAuley 

slumped over the steering wheel of his vehicle. A firefighter removed Fire Police Officer McAuley from his 

vehicle and started CPR. An AED was used and administered two shocks. An ambulance arrived and transported Fire Police Officer McAuley to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The cause of death was listed as a heart attack.

January 19, 2003 – 0645hrs

James Edward Taylor, Firefighter/EMT-I

Age 28, Career

Bonham Fire/Rescue, Texas

Firefighter Taylor was the front-seat passenger in a 1996 Ford F350 Type III ambulance that was responding 

to a motor vehicle crash. Firefighter Taylor was wearing a seatbelt. The ambulance was traveling at a speed 

of approximately 75 miles per hour. As the ambulance crested a hill on a two-lane road, it was met head-on 

by an oncoming passenger vehicle. After the crash, both vehicles caught fire.

Firefighter Taylor was trapped in the vehicle and the driver of the ambulance was injured. The ambulance 

driver was able to get out of the vehicle and call for assistance. The driver attempted to control the fire with 

an extinguisher but was unsuccessful due to the intensity of the fire. Arriving firefighters controlled the fire; 

Firefighter Taylor was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the passenger car also was killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be driver inattention on the part of the driver of the passenger car. The passenger car crossed the center line and struck the 

responding ambulance.

The cause of death for Firefighter Taylor was listed as blunt force injuries.

The Texas State Fire Marshal has prepared a thorough report on this incident. The report is available at 

www.tdi.state.tx.us/fire/fmloddinvesti.html

For additional information regarding this incident, please refer to NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 

and Prevention Program report F2003-05 (www.cdc.gov/niosh/face200305.html).
66 

January 19, 2003 – 0945hrs

Gary L. Staley, Firefighter

Age 33, Volunteer

Porter Volunteer Fire Department, Texas

Firefighter Staley and members of his department and mutual-aid departments were dispatched to a fire in 

a commercial occupancy. The fire involved a specialized vehicle restoration shop.

The first-arriving command officer reported a working fire and requested additional resources. Firefighter 

Staley arrived on the first engine company. Firefighter Staley and other firefighters stretched a 1-3/4-inch 

handline with Compressed Air Foam (CAF). Upon entry to the shop, they found light smoke from the ceiling to the floor. A portable positive pressure fan was placed in a doorway.

The fire began to intensify and began to roll over the top of the attack crew. One attack crewmember was 

forced to leave because his hands were burning. As this firefighter reached the exterior, air horns began to 

sound indicating that firefighters should evacuate the building. Two of the attack line crewmembers exited 

the building – both suffered burns. Firefighter Staley did not exit.

Approximately 30 seconds after the third firefighter left the building, an explosion occurred inside the 

building.

Firefighters quickly determined that Firefighter Staley was missing. A Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) was 

deployed to the interior but they were forced to exit the building when evacuation horns were sounded 

again. Ladder pipes were used to knock down the fire and the RIC was allowed to reenter the structure. The 

RIC was forced to leave again due to fire progress and an unreliable water supply. After master streams were 

used to knock down the fire again, firefighters located Firefighter Staley inside the structure.

Firefighter Staley likely became disoriented inside the structure and ran out of air. He received injuries from 

the explosion, both of his eardrums were ruptured and there was damage to his lungs consistent with the 

explosion. He was found in a prone position with the regulator removed from his SCBA facepiece. His PASS 

device was sounding but was muffled by the position of his body. 

The cause of death was listed as thermal injuries with smoke inhalation and blast injuries.

The fire began when a flooring contractor used a flammable liquid to prepare a floor. Vapors were ignited 

when a portable heater was used to speed the drying process.

For additional information regarding this incident, please refer to NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 

and Prevention Program report F2003-03 (www.cdc.gov/niosh/face200303.html).

January 20, 2003 – 1700hrs

Keith Robert Hess, Firefighter/EMT

Age 22, Career

Fannett-Metal Fire & Ambulance Company, Pennsylvania

Firefighter Hess responded with the members of his department to a fire in a large residence. After the main 

body of the fire was controlled, a process that took about 2 hours, firefighters moved into the structure to 

locate and extinguish hot spots.
67

A number of firefighters were in the structure, including Firefighter Hess. A centrally located chimney collapsed and brought down the second floor of the structure onto firefighters. Three firefighters were trapped 

by the collapse; one was able to extricate himself and get out of the structure. Firefighters entered the 

building and located the two trapped firefighters. One firefighter was removed and suffered minor injuries. 

Firefighter Hess was severely injured and he was found to be without a pulse and not breathing.

Firefighter Hess was transported by helicopter to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The cause 

of death was listed as compressional asphyxia.

Firefighter Hess was also a Lieutenant with the West End Fire and Rescue Company.

January 21, 2003 – 2030hrs

Dennis G. Mignerone, Captain

Age 50, Career

Webster Groves Fire Department, Missouri

Captain Mignerone was participating in on-duty physical fitness exercises, including weightlifting and walking on a treadmill. He began to experience chest pains and alerted other crew members.

The crew began treatment for angina and transferred Captain Mignerone to a fire department ambulance 

when his condition did not improve. While in the ambulance, he went into cardiac arrest. CPR and ALS 

procedures were initiated in the ambulance and continued upon arrival at the emergency room.

Despite efforts to save him, Captain Mignerone was pronounced dead in the hospital after resuscitation efforts were discontinued.

The death certificate listed the cause of death as acute myocardial infarction due to atherosclerotic coronary 

artery disease.

For additional information regarding this incident, please refer to NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 

and Prevention Program report F2003-24 (www.cdc.gov/niosh/face200324.html).

January 25, 2003 – 1330hrs

Michael Wayne Copeland, Captain

Age 50, Career

Charlotte Fire Department, North Carolina

Captain Copeland and his engine company were participating in a multicompany live structural fire training 

exercise. Captain Copeland’s engine was to act as the first unit on the scene of the exercise.

At the start of the training activity, Captain Copeland’s engine laid a supply line into the scene. Captain Copeland took command of the incident from his position in the cab of the apparatus, gave an arrival report, 

and assigned tasks to other companies. Captain Copeland dismounted the engine and donned his SCBA. He 

proceeded to the rear of the truck. He was observed by other firefighters bending over with his hands on 

his knees. He then sat down on the back step of the engine and began to remove his facepiece. He told a 

battalion chief that he could not catch his breath. As firefighters removed his protective clothing, Captain 

Copeland slumped into their arms.
68 

An ambulance was called and firefighters began to treat Captain Copeland. CPR was begun and Captain Copeland was lifted into the ambulance upon its arrival. ALS procedures were initiated in the ambulance and 

continued in the hospital emergency room. Despite all efforts, Captain Copeland was pronounced dead at 

the hospital.

Captain Copeland had a history of heart problems but was medically certified as eligible for full duty in 

December of 2002. The cause of death was listed as an acute myocardial infarction due to coronary atherosclerosis disease.

The Charlotte Fire Department suffered a second firefighter fatality in April of 2003.

February 1, 2003 – 0901hrs

Robert John Moseley, Engineer

Age 52, Career

Santa Barbara County Fire Department, California

Engineer Moseley and the members of his crew were working to clear a trail on a steep hill behind the fire 

station. The firefighters were using a lawn mower to accomplish the task; the trail is about 700 feet in length 

at a 20 percent grade.

Engineer Moseley was wearing web gear with a rope attached from his back to the lawn mower. While 

Engineer Moseley pulled, another firefighter pushed the lawn mower. After they reached the top of the hill, 

Engineer Moseley and the other firefighter stopped for a rest. Everything seemed fine.

The other firefighter began to descend the hill mowing a wider path. Engineer Moseley followed the firefighter down the hill. At some point, the firefighter looked behind him and observed Engineer Moseley 

lying down.

The firefighter ran to Engineer Moseley’s side and found him unresponsive and not breathing. The firefighter 

called for help on the radio and began CPR. An AED was attached and delivered two shocks. Paramedics 

arrived and continued care during the trip to the hospital. Engineer Moseley was pronounced dead at the 

hospital.

The cause of death was listed as atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.

Santa Barbara County Fire Department Web site - www.sbcfire.com

February 12, 2003 – 0826hrs

Wayne Kevin Clarke, Firefighter Trainee

Age 46, Career

Dallas Fire-Rescue Department, Texas

Firefighter Trainee Clarke was participating in a highrise drill with other members of his recruit class. The 

drill involved three trips to the top of a six-story training tower carrying firefighting equipment while 

wearing full structural protective clothing and an SCBA. On the third and final trip up the stairs, Firefighter 

Trainee Clarke began to experience trouble at the fourth-floor landing. He completed his trip to the top of 

the tower; however, he appeared to be extremely fatigued and disoriented.
69

Firefighter Trainee Clarke began his decent but was unable to continue. Noting his condition, a training officer instructed other recruits to carry Firefighter Trainee Clarke to the exterior. Once outside, his vital signs 

were taken.

CPR and ventilation were initiated and an ambulance and paramedics were summoned. A cardiac monitor 

was attached and Firefighter Trainee Clarke was shocked. CPR and ALS protocols were continued in the ambulance and for approximately 20 minutes in the hospital emergency room. All efforts were unsuccessful 

and Firefighter Trainee Clarke was pronounced dead.

The cause of death was listed as hypertrophy, an enlarged heart.

Dallas Fire-Rescue Web site - www.dallasfirerescue.com

For additional information regarding this incident, please refer to NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 

and Prevention Program report F2003-21 (www.cdc.gov/niosh/face200321.html).

February 20, 2003 – 0703hrs

Larry Allen Brown, Captain

Age 53, Career

Kingsley Field Fire Department, Oregon

Captain Brown and the members of his crew spent their shift performing normal duties such as fire extinguisher checks and participating in aircraft emergency egress training exercises. Captain Brown was last 

seen by his crew at approximately 2030hrs as he prepared to go to sleep.

Firefighters found Captain Brown unresponsive laying diagonally across his bed when they went to check on 

him at approximately 0700hrs the next morning. Paramedics and an ambulance were called and firefighters assessed Captain Brown. Due to the fact that he was obviously deceased, no resuscitative measures were 

attempted.

The cause of death was listed as arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

For additional information regarding this incident, please refer to NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 

and Prevention Program report F2003-26 (www.cdc.gov/niosh/face200326.html).

Kingsley Field Fire Department Web site - www.kingsleyfieldfire.com

February 23, 2003 – 0911hrs

Woodrow W. “Woody” Pinkerton, Fire Police Captain

Age 63, Volunteer

Medford Division of Fire, New Jersey

Fire Police Captain Pinkerton was directing traffic at the scene of a motor vehicle crash. Heavy fog was present at the scene. Two flatbed tow trucks were at the scene loading the involved vehicles for removal from the 

scene. Only one lane of traffic was open.

As he performed his duties, Fire Police Captain Pinkerton was struck by a passing car. He was treated at the 

scene and then transported to the hospital.
70 

On April 19, 2003, Fire Police Captain Pinkerton died as the result of complications of his injuries. The cause 

of death was listed as severe pneumonia as a complication of a pedestrian motor vehicle accident.

The driver of the car that hit Fire Police Captain Pinkerton was cited for careless driving.

Union Fire Company Web site - www.unionfireco251.org

February 26, 2003 – 2000hrs

Curtis Walters, Firefighter

Age 52, Career

Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Fire Department, Arkansas

Firefighter Walters was on duty in the fire station. As was his custom, Firefighter Walters went into the apparatus bay at approximately 2000hrs. After his Captain did not hear from him for approximately 1 hour, 

the Captain went to check on him.

Firefighter Walters was found unconscious, not breathing, and without a pulse. The Captain called for assistance on his radio and a number of nearby law enforcement, fire department, and rescue personnel responded. Despite their efforts, Firefighter Walters died.

The cause of death was a heart attack.

Firefighter Walters had been promoted to Captain but had yet to serve his first shift in that capacity.

March 8, 2003 – 1443hrs

Stephen Leigh McGregor, Firefighter

Age 62, Volunteer

Baird Volunteer Fire Department, Texas

Firefighter McGregor called his Fire Chief to request assistance with a grass fire that was burning out of 

control on his land. Firefighter McGregor had accidentally started the fire.

A brush truck from the Baird Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene. Firefighters found a fire 

involving approximately 1 acre of land and 200 large round bales of hay. Firefighter McGregor was observed 

using his tractor to plow a firebreak ahead of the advancing flame front.

Firefighters in two brush trucks controlled the fires using handlines. Firefighters again observed Firefighter 

McGregor’s tractor. They drove to the side of the tractor and saw that Firefighter McGregor seemed to be 

leaning over; the tractor was running but not moving.

Firefighters mounted the tractor and discovered that Firefighter McGregor was unresponsive. Firefighter 

McGregor was removed from the cab of the tractor to the ground, an ambulance was called, and CPR was 

started. Firefighter McGregor was connected to an AED and a shock was delivered. ALS care was initiated 

upon the arrival of the ambulance and continued during the transport to the hospital. Firefighter McGregor 

never responded to these measures and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The cause of death was listed as sudden cardiac death.
71

The Texas State Fire Marshal has prepared a thorough report on this incident. The report is available at 

www.tdi.state.tx.us/fire/fmloddinvesti.html

March 9, 2003 – 2100hrs

Bruce H. Young, Firefighter

Age 60, Volunteer

Middlebury Fire Department, Vermont

Firefighter Young responded to his fire station in order to respond to an incident at a local college. He started 

the engine, suffered a massive heart attack, and slumped over the wheel.

Two other firefighters on the apparatus immediately went to the aid of Firefighter Young. He was transported 

by ambulance to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

March 15, 2003 – 0700hrs

Faron H. O’Quin, Deputy Chief

Age 53, Volunteer

Lone Pine Fire Department, Louisiana

Deputy Chief O’Quin and members of his fire department responded to the scene of a crash involving a 

tanker truck carrying acid. They had been on scene all night awaiting a cleanup company. There was fog in 

the area, including around the incident scene. Traffic barriers were set up to divert traffic from the scene.

A vehicle that swerved to avoid the roadblock struck Deputy Chief O’Quin. The cause of death was listed as 

trauma.

March 15, 2003 – 1600hrs

Mike L. Stanley, Firefighter

Age 52, Volunteer

Salisbury Volunteer Fire Department, Missouri

Firefighter Stanley drove a fire department pumper to the scene of a wildland fire that was caused by windblown sparks from a friendly fire. When he arrived on-scene Firefighter Stanley prepared to pump water 

into another fire truck that was already on the scene. As the hose hookups were made, Firefighter Stanley 

collapsed.

CPR was started immediately and Firefighter Stanley was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The cause of death was listed as a heart attack.
72 

March 16, 2003 – 1100hrs

Gerald F. Schumann, Firefighter

Age 55, Volunteer

Madison Hose Company #1, Connecticut

Firefighter Schumann and other firefighters had just completed Sunday morning maintenance at their fire 

station. The firefighters had washed apparatus, cleaned the station, and washed floors.

After the work was complete, Firefighter Schumann and other firefighters gathered in the station’s second 

floor to relax and talk. Suddenly, Firefighter Schumann collapsed. An ambulance was called and firefighters 

began to provide medical treatment for Firefighter Schumann.

Despite efforts at the fire station and in the ambulance, Firefighter Schumann was pronounced dead. The 

cause of death was listed as a heart attack.

March 18, 2003 – 0303hrs

Charles Lance Mathew, Lieutenant

Age 20, Volunteer

LaBelle-Fannett Volunteer Fire Department, Texas

Lieutenant Mathew responded to the scene of a motor vehicle crash in his personal vehicle. He was not 

wearing any reflective equipment or clothing.

Lieutenant Mathew arrived on the scene and parked his vehicle on the outside shoulder of the road opposite 

the scene of the crash. Lieutenant Mathew crossed the median and began to cross the road on the other side 

when a passing tractor-trailer truck struck him.

Lieutenant Mathew was thrown approximately 170 feet and came to rest in the median. He was severely 

injured and obviously deceased.

The Texas State Fire Marshal has prepared a thorough report on this incident. The report is available at 

www.tdi.state.tx.us/fire/fmloddinvesti.html

March 19, 2003 – 1940hrs

Thomas H. Kistler, Captain

Age 53, Volunteer

Polk County Fire District #1, Oregon

Captain Kistler was the front-seat passenger in an engine company. The engine was en route to a hazardous 

materials drill without siren or emergency lights. As a car approached from the opposite direction on a narrow road, the right rear wheels of the engine left the paved surface of the road and dropped into a ditch.

The driver was unable to steer the engine out of the ditch and traveled a total of approximately 165 feet before crashing into a tree. The apparatus struck the tree directly in front of Captain Kistler’s seated position.

The driver and a passenger from the rear of the cab were unhurt and began to assess the injuries to Captain 

Kistler. He was found to be breathing but unresponsive and was trapped in the cab.
73

After approximately 1-1/2 hours, Captain Kistler was removed from the cab and pronounced dead at the 

scene. The extrication was made more difficult by the tree, equipment malfunctions, and the structure of 

the apparatus cab.

All three apparatus passengers were wearing their seatbelts. The cause of death for Captain Kistler was listed 

as positional asphyxia.

For additional information regarding this incident, please refer to NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 

and Prevention Program report F2003-14 (www.cdc.gov/niosh/face200314.html).

March 21, 2003 – 0850hrs

Oscar “Ozzie” Armstrong, III, Firefighter

Age 25, Career

Cincinnati Fire Department, Ohio

Firefighter Armstrong and the members of his fire company responded to the report of a fire in a two-story 

residence. The first fire department unit on the scene, a command officer, reported a working fire.

Firefighter Armstrong assisted with the deployment of a 350-foot, 1-3/4-inch handline to the front door of 

the residence. Once the door was forced open, firefighters advanced to the interior. The handline was dry 

as firefighters advanced; the hose had become tangled in a bush.

As the line was straightened and water began to flow to the nozzle, a flashover occurred. The firefighters 

on the handline left the building and were assisted by other firefighters on the front porch of the residence. 

All firefighters were ordered from the building, air horns were sounded to signal a move from offensive to 

defensive operations.

Several firefighters saw Firefighter Armstrong trapped in the interior by rapid fire progress. These firefighters 

advanced handlines to the interior and removed Firefighter Armstrong. A rapid intervention team assisted 

with the rescue.

Firefighter Armstrong was severely burned. He was transported by fire department ambulance to the hospital where he later died.

The Cincinnati Fire Department prepared a death investigation preliminary report related to this incident. 

The report is available at the fire department Web site for download.

The origin of the fire was determined to be a pan of oil on the stove.

Cincinnati Fire Department Web site - www.cincyfire.com

March 22, 2003 – 0500hrs

James Richard “Smitty” Smith, Firefighter

Age 62, Volunteer

Troy Volunteer Fire Department, Indiana

Firefighter Smith and the members of his fire department responded to an early morning structure fire involving a manufactured home. About 90 minutes into the incident, Firefighter Smith told another firefighter 

that he did not feel well. The other firefighter provided Firefighter Smith with some water and assisted him 
74 

to an ambulance. Firefighter Smith told the ambulance attendants that he did not feel well and was having 

difficulty breathing and then suddenly collapsed. He was treated at the scene by paramedics and transported 

to the hospital.

The cause of death was listed as coronary artery thrombosis. The cause of the fire was listed as careless 

smoking.

March 25, 2003 – 2330hrs

Karlton Allen Cole Briscoe, Youth Firefighter

Age 16, Volunteer

Hickory Flat Volunteer Fire Department, Mississippi

Youth Firefighter Briscoe was responding to a motor vehicle crash in his personal vehicle. His vehicle left 

the roadway, crashed into a ravine, and rolled several times.

Firefighters responded to the scene from the original crash and extricated Youth Firefighter Briscoe. He was 

transported to the hospital where he died as a result of his injuries.

March 26, 2003 – 2120hrs

Kevin M. Whiteley, Training Officer

Age 46, Volunteer

Emmett City Fire Department, Idaho

Training Officer Whiteley and members of his fire department responded to a carbon dioxide incident at a 

residence. Training Officer Whiteley and another firefighter entered the residence with a carbon monoxide 

monitor; both firefighters were wearing full protective clothing and SCBA. Upon entry through two doors, 

they found high levels of carbon monoxide and left the structure.

Training Officer Whiteley assisted with raising a ladder to the roof of the residence and then removed his 

SCBA. Training Officer Whiteley changed his SCBA cylinder and began to complete an incident report.

Suddenly, Training Officer Whiteley dropped the clipboard that he had been holding and collapsed to the 

ground. Firefighters began to provide treatment, including CPR and oxygen. When an ambulance arrived, 

an AED was attached and delivered a total of six shocks. A normal heart rhythm was not restored and CPR 

was continued during the transport to the hospital.

Despite all efforts to revive him, Training Officer Whiteley was pronounced dead at the hospital. The cause 

of death was listed as complications of an enlarged heart. No significant carbon monoxide exposure was 

found.

March 27, 2003 – 1636hrs

Charles Guinn Krenek, Aviation Specialist

Age 48, Wildland Full-Time

Texas Forest Service, Lufkin, Texas

Aviation Specialist Krenek was operating his Texas Forest Service helicopter in support of the Space Shuttle 

Columbia recovery effort.
75

The helicopter was completing its second search mission of the day while hovering about 125 feet above 

the ground. During interviews with the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the surviving passengers reported that 

the helicopter lost power and descended rapidly into the 80-foot tall trees with no warning. The helicopter 

came to rest on its right side at the base of an 80-foot tree. The cockpit section of the fuselage was found 

crushed and the main cabin was mostly intact. 

Aviation Specialist Krenek and the other crewmember were killed. Three passengers received serious but 

nonfatal injuries.

For additional information about this crash, consult the National Transportation Safety Board Web site at 

www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/query.asp - NTSB identification FTW03FA118. 

March 30, 2003 – 0025hrs

Isaac Donald Tshudy, Fire Police Officer/Firefighter

Age 62, Volunteer

Lickdale Volunteer Fire Department, Pennsylvania

Fire Police Officer/Firefighter Tshudy responded to the scene of a crash involving a car and a tractor-trailer 

truck. Once he and other firefighters arrived on the scene, they quickly determined that there were no injuries as a result of the crash.

While other firefighters began to place road flares, Fire Police Officer/Firefighter Tshudy returned to the apparatus to start the generator. When firefighters did not hear the generator start, they investigated and found 

that Fire Police Officer/Firefighter Tshudy had collapsed.

Despite efforts to revive him, Fire Police Officer/Firefighter Tshudy died of a cardiac-related illness.

April 3, 2003 – 1302hrs

Richard A. Long, Firefighter

Age 32, Volunteer

Gallipolis Volunteer Fire Department, Ohio

Firefighter Long and the members of his department were dispatched to the report of a brush fire. Firefighter Long drove the first piece of fire apparatus to respond, a 2001 commercial chassis pumper/tanker 

with a 1,250-gallon water tank. He was followed by another firefighter in a brush truck. Firefighter Long 

was alone in the pumper/tanker.

As the pumper/tanker rounded a left-hand curve, the right wheels of the apparatus left the paved surface of 

the road. Firefighter Long steered to the left, the back end of the apparatus came around, the truck rolled 

over once, and came to rest on its right side.

Firefighters responding in the brush truck came upon the crash and rushed to the aid of Firefighter Long. 

He was trapped in the wreckage but was able to talk to the firefighters. They recited a prayer together and 

Firefighter Long lost consciousness and died.

Firefighter Long was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death was listed as compressive asphyxia. 

Firefighter Long was not wearing his seatbelt. Unsafe speed was cited as a contributing factor in the crash.
76 

For additional information regarding this incident, please refer to NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 

and Prevention Program report F2003-15 (www.cdc.gov/niosh/face200315.html).

April 7, 2003 – 2140hrs

Randy Hill, Battalion Chief

Age 43, Volunteer

Screven County Fire Department, Georgia

Battalion Chief Hill had just completed a 3-mile walk as a part of his monthly physical fitness training when 

he suddenly collapsed. Fellow firefighters came to his aid but were unable to revive him. The cause of death 

was listed as a heart attack.

April 8, 2003 – 0300hrs

Donald D. Maurice, Deputy Chief

Age 52, Volunteer

Wolcott Volunteer Fire Department, Company #1, Connecticut

Deputy Chief Maurice and other members of his department had just returned to the fire station after a 

response to a local convalescent home. Deputy Chief Maurice stowed his gear and collapsed of an apparent 

heart attack.

Other firefighters immediately began CPR and help was summoned. A police officer responded and used an 

AED but efforts to revive Deputy Chief Maurice were unsuccessful.

April 10, 2003 – 1815hrs

Vannie Duane Keever, Assistant Chief

Age 54, Volunteer

Gulfport/Gladstone Fire Protection District, Illinois

Assistant Chief Keever was the driver of a fire truck that responded to the scene of a structural fire in a vacant 

manufactured home. After arrival on the fire scene, Assistant Chief Keever began making connections to 

transfer water between apparatus.

The firefighter that was working with Assistant Chief Keever turned around and saw Assistant Chief Keever 

on the ground. Ambulance attendants on the scene came to his aid immediately. He was transported to the 

hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The cause of death was listed as occlusive coronary atherosclerosis.
77

April 13, 2003 – Time Unknown

Edward J. “Eddie” Weber, Fire Chief

Age 56, Volunteer

Elkhart Lake Fire Department, Wisconsin

Chief Weber had been fighting a series of wildland fires all day. After his department was dispatched to the 

third call of the day, Chief Weber arrived on the scene and began to coordinate an attack on a wildland fire.

Chief Weber suddenly collapsed. Firefighters from a neighboring department that were providing mutual 

aid began to provide treatment for Chief Weber. CPR was started immediately and an AED was used. Chief 

Weber was transported to the hospital; he could not be revived.

The cause of death was a heart attack.

April 14, 2003 – 2232hrs

John Robert “Bobby” Patrick, Lieutenant

Age 54, Career

Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Georgia

Lieutenant Patrick and members of his ladder crew responded to the scene of a structure fire involving a 

butler-type building. The building housed a motorcycle repair shop. 

After more than an hour on the scene, Lieutenant Patrick and his crew were directed to provide vertical ventilation. The crew went to the roof and prepared to open a hole. Lieutenant Patrick sat down on the roof 

and said that he was not feeling well. After a few moments, he collapsed. 

He was removed from the roof by firefighters and brought to the ground. ALS-level care was provided immediately at the scene and in the ambulance while enroute to the hospital. Despite these efforts, Lieutenant 

Patrick was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Lieutenant Patrick’s death was classified as a homicide; the fire was intentionally set.

The cause of death was listed as a cardiac dysrhythmia due to atherosclerotic coronary artery disease with 

superimposed physical exertion.

April 18, 2003 – 1030hrs

Mark Tyler Franklin, Engineer

Age 45, Career

Charlotte Fire Department, North Carolina

Engineer Franklin injured his knee while fighting a structure fire. He was off work and underwent surgery 

to correct the injury in October of 2003. During his recovery on November 30, 2003, Engineer Franklin 

died from a pulmonary embolism (blood clot) that resulted from the knee surgery. He was 46 at the time 

of his death.

The Charlotte Fire Department also suffered a firefighter fatality in January of 2003.
78 

April 22, 2003 – 1100

Carl J. Mack, Firefighter and President

Age 68, Volunteer

New Chester Fire Department, Wisconsin

Firefighter Mack responded to the scene of a structure fire in a school that had been converted to apartments. 

He was assigned as the pump operator of one of the apparatus working at the scene.

Firefighter Mack collapsed of a heart attack. He was treated at the scene and transported to the hospital. He 

was pronounced dead at the hospital.

April 26, 2003 – 0844hrs

Bruce F. Spaulding, Firefighter/EMT-B

Age 49, Part-Time

Bourbonnais Fire Protection District, Illinois

Firefighter Spaulding was using a garden/lawn tractor to cut the lawn at the fire station. This task was one 

of the responsibilities of his position as a 12-hour Engineer.

At some point during the process, the tractor ran up against a short retaining wall. Firefighter Spaulding was 

thrown from the tractor and fell into a drainage ditch. As he reached the bottom of the ditch, Firefighter 

Spaulding suffered a severe head injury.

A firefighter arriving for duty discovered Firefighter Spaulding and called for help. Firefighter Spaulding was 

not breathing and had no pulse. ALS-level care was provided and he was rapidly transported to the hospital. 

Firefighter Spaulding was pronounced dead at the hospital due to his head injury.

April 28, 2003 – 1020hrs

Mark Austin Morgan, Ranger/Firefighter

Age 41, Wildland Full-Time

North Carolina Division of Forest Resources

Ranger Morgan was completing the annual “pack test” that is required for firefighters to participate in interagency wildland firefighting efforts.

Ranger Morgan complained of breathing problems during the test and stopped carrying the required 45-

pound pack. He finished the 3-mile walk and did not show any outward signs of distress. Approximately 

10 minutes after completing the test, Ranger Morgan suddenly collapsed.

Other rangers at the scene provided aid immediately and CPR was started after Ranger Morgan stopped 

breathing. An ambulance arrived approximately 20 minutes after the collapse and transported Ranger Morgan to the hospital. He was pronounced dead at the hospital due to a heart attack.
79

May 5, 2003 – 0830hrs

Harding O. Wentzell, Firefighter/Fire Police Officer

Age 81, Volunteer

Mexico Fire Department, Maine

Fire Police Officer Wentzell was responding in his personal vehicle to a structure fire. He suffered a heart 

attack and his car left the roadway. The car traveled for some distance before hitting a tree. The engine compartment of the car burst into flames.

As bystanders and a police officer pulled Fire Police Officer Wentzell from the car, an explosion occurred. 

Mutual-aid firefighters arrived after being diverted from their response to the original structure fire.

The firefighters extinguished the car fire and provided medical treatment for Fire Police Officer Wentzell. 

Paramedics arrived and continued to provide treatment. Fire Police Officer Wentzell was transported to the 

hospital and later pronounced dead.

May 10, 2003 – 2100hrs

Merlin J. Casey, Firefighter

Age 66, Volunteer

Mount Horeb Volunteer Fire Department, Wisconsin

Firefighter Casey was the driver on an ambulance that had responded to a medical incident. Firefighter 

Casey remained with the ambulance as other firefighters provided treatment inside a residence.

When other firefighters returned to the ambulance with the patient, they found Firefighter Casey slumped 

over the wheel. Firefighter Casey was removed from the ambulance and CPR was initiated. 

Firefighter Casey was transported to the hospital but could not be revived. The cause of death was listed as 

a heart attack.

May 14, 2003 – 1430hrs

Richard G. Lupe, Lead Forestry Technician

Age 42, Wildland Full-Time

Bureau of Indian Affairs/Fort Apache Agency/Forestry/Fire Management, Safford, Arizona

Lead Forestry Technician Lupe was assisting with a prescribed burn involving approximately 2,000 acres on 

land that is part of an Apache Tribe reservation near White River. Lead Forestry Technician Lupe joined the 

effort during the third day of the burn.

An assigned lookout reported an increase in fire activity on the Southeast portion of the burn. Lead Forestry 

Technician Lupe advised that he would conduct reconnaissance of the area. A short time later, the area being investigated by Lead Forestry Technician Lupe experienced extreme fire behavior, evidenced by a large 

column of smoke.

Lupe transmitted calls to other firefighters advising them to back out of the area and to take refuge in safe 

areas that had already burned. The fire advanced quickly and overcame Lead Forestry Technician Lupe. He 

was unable to deploy his fire shelter due to the fact that embers on the ground would have burned him.
80 

Nearby crews received radio calls from Lead Forestry Technician Lupe requesting medical assistance. He 

reported that he had been burned. Lupe was able to walk out of the area and meet firefighters.

Lead Forestry Technician Lupe was transported by firefighters to a helicopter landing area. He was flown to 

a local hospital and then flown again to a regional burn center. Lead Forestry Technician Lupe died on June 

19, 2003, as a result of complications of his burns.

May 18, 2003 – 1130hrs

Jason Lee Ellis, Firefighter

Age 29, Paid-on-Call

Loretto Fire Department, Tennessee

Firefighter Ellis had been participating in a weekend training exercise at the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes 

Enforcement Academy. After the training activities were concluded, Firefighter Ellis was riding on the tailgate of a pickup owned and operated by another firefighter. The pickup was on the grounds of the Academy, 

traveling from the training site to the front of the campus. As the pickup accelerated, Firefighter Ellis fell 

from the vehicle and sustained a severe head injury.

Firefighter Ellis was treated at the scene and flown by medical helicopter to a regional hospital. Firefighter 

Ellis died on May 24, 2003, as a result of his head injuries.

May 22, 2003 – 2215hrs

Anndee Mikole Huber, Fire Explorer

Age 16, Volunteer

Newcastle Volunteer Fire Department, Wyoming

Fire Explorer Huber was a passenger in a tanker responding to a rekindle of some railroad ties that had 

burned earlier in the day.

As the tanker responded on a gravel road, the right wheels of the apparatus left the roadway, the driver overcorrected to the left, and the tanker rolled over.

Fire Explorer Huber was partially ejected in the rollover and pinned between the ground and the passenger’s 

door. Responding firefighters used extrication equipment to provide access to Fire Explorer Huber and 

remove her from under the vehicle. Fire Explorer Huber was transported to the hospital and pronounced 

dead shortly after her arrival.

Fire Explorer Huber was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. Fire Explorer Huber drowned in 

water from the overturned tanker that collected in the ditch as the apparatus laid on its side.

The driver of the apparatus was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. He had a history of 

alcohol abuse and had been seen in a local bar 15 minutes prior to the response. His blood alcohol level after 

the crash was found to be .16 percent, twice the legal limit. The driver was convicted of DUI and sentenced 

to 14 to 18 years in prison.
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May 26, 2003 – 1725hrs

David L. Carbonneau, Sr., Fire Police Lieutenant

Age 49, Volunteer

Maytown-East Donegal Township Fire Department, Pennsylvania

Fire Police Lieutenant Carbonneau was driving the department’s fire police unit between traffic points during the community’s Memorial Day parade when he suffered a heart attack.

Fire department members rushed to his side and started CPR. An AED also was used in efforts to revive 

Fire Police Lieutenant Carbonneau. He was transported to a local hospital where later he was pronounced 

dead.

Maytown-East Donegal Township Fire Department Web site - www.maytownedfd.com

June 14, 2003 – 1929hrs

Donald Schreckengast, Fire Police Lieutenant

Age 55, Volunteer

Logan Fire Department, Pennsylvania

Fire Police Lieutenant Schreckengast had directed traffic during a community parade for over 1-1/2 hours. 

He drove the fire police vehicle back to the fire station. As the vehicle pulled into the station, Fire Police 

Lieutenant Schreckengast suffered a heart attack. He was transported to the hospital but was pronounced 

dead 35 minutes after he became ill.

Logan Fire Company Web site - www.loganfire.com

June 15, 2003 – 2100hrs

Trent Anthony Kirk, Lieutenant

Age 39, Career

Memphis Fire Department, Tennessee

Charles A. Zachary, Private

Age 39, Career

Memphis Fire Department, Tennessee

Lieutenant Kirk and Private Zachary were assigned to Engine Company 31. Lieutenant Kirk was working an 

overtime shift.

At 1946hrs, E31 and other Memphis Fire Department companies were dispatched to the scene of a structure 

fire involving a Family Dollar Store. As they arrived on-scene, they found smoke showing from the store at 

the end of a strip mall.

Lieutenant Kirk and a Lieutenant from another fire company proceeded through the retail area of the store 

and encountered only light smoke. When they attempted to enter a small office in the stock area at the rear 

of the store, they encountered a working fire. They were unable to close the office door and the fire advanced 

rapidly.
82 

Private Zachary and other firefighters advanced handlines into the interior of the store and began fire suppression operations. As they worked in the rear of the structure, conditions worsened rapidly as dense 

smoke and high heat levels filled the building. Private Zachary requested relief and left the nozzle to return 

to the exterior. It is likely that he became disoriented in the smoke, although his actions after leaving the 

nozzle are unknown.

Lieutenant Kirk and another firefighter began to direct their hose stream into the stockroom area. They 

heard a firefighter call for help. A structural collapse occurred and knocked Lieutenant Kirk and the other 

firefighter to their knees. Lieutenant Kirk transmitted a Mayday call and said that he was trapped in the 

building. The collapse occurred approximately 17 minutes after the initial dispatch.

The firefighter with Lieutenant Kirk was able to free him from the debris, and both firefighters headed for 

the front of the store following their hoseline. As the firefighter crawled over a large pile of debris, he and 

Lieutenant Kirk lost contact.

Previous to the collapse, a rescue company had been assigned Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) duties. Upon 

hearing Lieutenant Kirk’s Mayday, the RIC advanced into the interior of the store and began their search. The 

RIC located and removed a firefighter; he was out of air and disoriented. The RIC then located the firefighter 

who had been with Lieutenant Kirk; he too was out of air and disoriented.

A ladder company was the only fire company at the rear of the building. They had forced entry to a rear door 

but did not have a handline and could not advance into the building. These firefighters heard an activated 

PASS device in the interior. After hearing reports of missing firefighters, the rear sector commander allowed 

firefighters to enter the interior without a handline to search for the downed firefighters. Upon entering 

the structure, firefighters heard two PASS devices. They were able to follow the sound to Private Zachary 

and remove him from the building. Upon his removal, ALS-level EMS procedures were initiated and he was 

transported to the hospital.

Firefighters made repeated rescue efforts but were driven from the store by rapid fire progress and their 

efforts were slowed by the structural collapse. Due to fire conditions, the IC ordered an end to all interior 

operations.

After the major body of fire was controlled with exterior streams, a rescue company breached a wall at the 

rear of the structure. The location of the hole was based on reports of the whereabouts of Lieutenant Kirk. 

He was removed from the building and transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Lieutenant Kirk received burns over 97 percent of his body; his carboxyhemoglobin level was 29 percent. The 

cause of death was listed as burns.

Private Zachary suffered severe surface and inhalation burns. Private Zachary died as the result of his thermal 

inhalation injuries on June 16, 2003.

The cause of the fire was determined to be arson. The store manager ignited the fire in an office to the rear 

of the structure. The fire was set to cover the theft of several thousand dollars from the store safe.
83

June 16, 2003 – 1830hrs

Randy Gene Utley, Firefighter/EMT

Age 30, Volunteer

Grayson Fire Department, Kentucky

Firefighter Utley and members of his fire department were working numerous emergency calls associated 

with storms that were passing through the area. Firefighter Utley left the scene of a motor vehicle collision 

to respond to a mutual-aid request for assistance in a flooded area with trapped civilians.

Firefighter Utley was responding along a two-lane road with his emergency equipment in operation. He 

was driving his personal pickup truck.

Firefighter Utley’s pickup hydroplaned on the wet road surface, crossed over the opposing lane of the road, 

struck a ditch which turned the truck sideways, and collided with the support post of a billboard. The door 

on the driver’s side of the pickup sustained the major impact of the crash.

A motorist that came upon the crash site called 911 and firefighters from the Grayson Fire Department 

responded to the scene. Firefighter Utley was extricated and transported to a trauma center. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Firefighter Utley was not wearing a seatbelt. Due to the lack of skid marks, his speed could not be estimated. 

The cause of death was listed as massive head and chest trauma.

For additional information regarding this incident, please refer to NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 

and Prevention Program report F2003-19 (www.cdc.gov/niosh/face200319.html).

June 26, 2003 – 1945hrs

Ralph Dwayne Dawdy, Assistant Chief/EMT/SAR Coordinator

Age 46, Volunteer

Animas Volunteer Fire and Rescue, New Mexico

Assistant Chief Dawdy was the driver of a military surplus 2-1/2 ton, 6 by 6 vehicle that had been converted 

to a fire department tanker. The water tank capacity was 1,200 gallons. 

State-wide mutual-aid assistance had been requested for a wildland fire in a national forest. Assistant Chief 

Dawdy drove the tanker; he was followed by another firefighter in a fire department SUV. The pair planned 

to spend a week on the fire shuttling water to brush trucks on the fireline.

After traveling approximately 135 miles, Assistant Chief Dawdy was operating the tanker on a rough road 

within the forest. The road curved and sloped downhill. Assistant Chief Dawdy lost control of the tanker, 

it rolled over in the roadway, left the roadway and rolled over three more times before coming to rest on its 

wheels approximately 123 feet from the roadway in a canyon. Assistant Chief Dawdy was ejected during one 

of the early rolls and was crushed as the tanker rolled over him.

The other firefighter following in the SUV came upon the crash and searched for Assistant Chief Dawdy. 

When he located him, the firefighter determined that Assistant Chief Dawdy was dead.
84 

Inspections of the tanker after the crash revealed that the brakes were 100-percent ineffective due to leaks 

at the master cylinder and slave cylinder. The brake fluid reservoir was empty at the time of the crash and a 

number of brake fluid containers were found aboard the tanker. In addition, the tanker was not equipped 

with seatbelts.

For additional information regarding this incident, please refer to NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation 

and Prevention Program report F2003-23 (www.cdc.gov/niosh/face200323.html).

July 21, 2003 – 2105hrs

Samuel Lee Green, Firefighter

Age 50, Career

Shelby County Fire Department, Tennessee

Firefighter Green suffered a heart attack while on duty in the fire station. Firefighter Green was discovered 

unconscious by other firefighters after he had stepped outside of the fire station briefly.

Shelby County Fire Department Web site - www.shelbycountytn.gov 

July 22, 2003 – 1525hrs

Jeffrey Clayton Allen, Firefighter

Age 24, Wildland Part-Time

United States Forest Service, Idaho

Shane William Heath, Firefighter

Age 22, Wildland Part-Time

United States Forest Service, Idaho

Firefighters Allen and Heath rappelled off of a helicopter into a rugged part of the Salmon-Challis National 

Forest. The two were charged with establishing a helicopter landing zone to facilitate efforts to fight the 

Cramer fire. The fire was started by a lightning strike.

The firefighters were dropped at the site at 0943hrs. They were contacted throughout the day by radio to 

assess their progress. At approximately 1500hrs, they made radio contact and requested that they be picked 

up. No helicopters were available at that time. A more urgent request for pickup was received at 1509hrs. At 

1513hrs, the firefighters reported fire below them and that the fire was advancing toward them. A helicopter 

arrived at approximately 1524hrs but was unable to land due to smoke conditions.

Observers on other aircraft witnessed fire progression and extremely high flame fronts in the area of Firefighters Allen and Heath. Further attempts to contact the firefighters by radio were unsuccessful. The bodies 

of both firefighters were found together by other firefighters later in the day.

Both firefighters carried fire shelters but neither shelter was found fully deployed. The cause of death for 

both firefighters was listed as massive burns.

A full report on the incident prepared by the United States Forest Service is available at: www.fs.fed.us/fire/

safety/investigations/cramer/report/fatual_rpt.pdf
85

July 25, 2003 – 1703hrs

Randall L. Harmon, Pilot

Age 44, Wildland Contract

Superior Helicopter, LLC, Oregon, under contract to the Bureau of Indian Affairs

Pilot Harmon was operating a twin-engine Kaman K-MAX helicopter while fighting the 2,200-acre McGinnis Flats fire near Keller, Washington, on the Colville Indian Reservation. The helicopter was carrying a 

660-gallon bambi bucket.

The aircraft had recently been fueled and Pilot Harmon was flying his fourth mission of the day. Observers on the ground reported a change in the sound of the aircraft and Pilot Harmon radioed that he was in 

trouble.

The helicopter crashed and a subsequent fire consumed most of the wreckage. Pilot Harmon was killed 

upon impact.

For additional information about this crash, consult the National Transportation Safety Board Web site at 

www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/query.asp - NTSB identification SEA03GA153.

July 26, 2003 – 1035hrs

Randall Bonito, Jr., Firefighter/Helitack Crewmember

Age 32, Wildland Part-Time

Bureau of Indian Affairs Fire Management, Arizona

Jess Pearce, Pilot

Age 50, Wildland Contract

Airwest Helicopters under contract to the Bureau of Indian Affairs Fire Management, Arizona

Pilot Pearce was operating a Bell 206L-3 helicopter and flying a helitack crew to fight the Wilderness fire 

near Whiteriver, Arizona. There was a total of five people aboard the helicopter. 

Two firefighters were dropped off in a meadow and the helicopter moved to another landing area to drop 

off an additional firefighter and some tools. As the third firefighter dismounted the helicopter, he heard a 

knocking noise. As the helicopter returned to the meadow dropoff point, it was observed to be flying slowly 

and at a low altitude. The helicopter passed the dropoff point and crashed into a wooded area.

Firefighters ran to the crash site and quickly extinguished a fire in the helicopter’s engine area. Firefighter 

Bonito and Pilot Pearce were killed upon impact.

For additional information about this crash, consult the National Transportation Safety Board Web site at 

www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/query.asp - NTSB identification LAX03GA244.

July 28, 2003 – 1730hrs

Randy Neal Jones, Lieutenant

Age 23, Volunteer

Cool Springs Volunteer Fire Department, North Carolina

Lieutenant Jones and another firefighter were responding in Lieutenant Jones’ personal vehicle, a 2000 

Chevrolet pickup, to a report of a structure fire. 
86 

As they responded, the right wheels of the pickup left the roadway. Lieutenant Jones overcorrected to the 

left and the pickup began to slide sideways and rolled three times. It left the right side of the roadway and 

struck a power pole while airborne on the fourth roll. The vehicle then overturned a fifth time and came to 

rest on a side road. Both Lieutenant Jones and the other firefighter were ejected.

Firefighters responding to the structure fire were advised of the crash and some units were diverted to the 

crash scene. Firefighters found both Lieutenant Jones and the other firefighter injured. Lieutenant Jones was 

airlifted by helicopter from the scene but expired prior to his arrival at the hospital. The other firefighter was 

transported by ground ambulance and survived his injuries.

The police report on the crash estimated the pickup’s speed prior to the crash at 80 miles per hour in a 55 

mile per hour zone. Neither Lieutenant Jones or his passenger was wearing seatbelts. The cause of death for 

Lieutenant Jones was an acute intracranial (head) injury.

The fire that caused the initial response was found to have multiple points of origin.

Cool Springs Volunteer Fire Department Web site www.coolspringsvfd.org

The Cool Springs Volunteer Fire Department suffered a second firefighter fatality in September of 2003. 

August 6, 2003 – 1216hrs

Jeffery Alan Koval, Firefighter

Age 41, Volunteer

Inkom Fire Department, Idaho

Firefighter Koval had been working a wildland fire with members of his department. He was detailed to go 

back into town and retrieve some supplies.

As he drove his city pickup back to the fire scene, he was involved in a single-vehicle crash. His car left the 

interstate highway; he crashed through a fence and then over an embankment. Firefighter Koval had to be 

extricated from the vehicle. He was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead.

Firefighter Koval was wearing his seatbelt.

August 6, 2003 – 1600hrs

Ronald L. Holmes, Firefighter/EMT

Age 43, Career

North Platte Fire Department, Nebraska

Firefighter Holmes was the driver of an ambulance during a long-distance transport of a patient to the hospital. As they traveled along an interstate highway, they came to a section of the highway where the left-hand 

lane was closed due to road construction.

The ambulance was behind a tractor-trailer truck that was proceeding slowly. The ambulance was struck 

from behind by another tractor-trailer truck and pushed into the rear of the truck in front of the ambulance.
87

Firefighter Holmes was crushed in the impact and was pronounced dead at the scene. The firefighter in the 

rear of the ambulance received severe injuries and was transported to the hospital. The patient was injured 

but the injuries were not life threatening.

North Platte Fire Department Web site - www.ci.north-platte.ne.us/fire

August 8, 2003 – 1000hrs

Wayne E. Mitchell, Firefighter Recruit

Age 37, Career

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, Florida

Firefighter Recruit Mitchell and the members of his class were participating in a training session in a simulator designed to resemble a small ship. The class was in the 14th week of a 16-week program. Five recruits 

and three training instructors were in the interior of the structure wearing full structural protective clothing 

and SCBA.

As the exercise progressed, the heat in the interior of the simulator became intense and the instructors and 

several firefighters went to the exterior. Once outside, it was discovered that Firefighter Recruit Mitchell 

was still inside. The training officers reentered the simulator, located Mitchell, and removed him to the exterior.

When he was removed, Firefighter Recruit Mitchell was in cardiac and respiratory arrest. Firefighters from a 

fire station located at the training site began ALS-level emergency medical procedures and Firefighter Recruit 

Mitchell was transported to the hospital.

No official cause of death has been released. According to the medical examiner, Firefighter Recruit Mitchell 

had two minor heart conditions that were undetectable when he was alive but may have made him more 

susceptible to develop an abnormal heartbeat and contributed to his death. He was also found to have suffered severe burns to his hands and knees.

Four other recruits were transported to the hospital. They were treated for burns and heat exhaustion and 

released.

August 13, 2003 – 1350hrs

Barry D. Lutsy, Firefighter

Age 45, Volunteer

Racine Volunteer Fire Department, West Virginia

Firefighter Lutsy and other members of his department responded to a truck fire in their community. Once 

the fire was extinguished, firefighters returned to the fire station.

Firefighter Lutsy and another firefighter were draining and rolling hose at the front of the fire station. The 

driver of an engine apparatus pulled the apparatus forward to better align it to be backed into the apparatus 

bay. The apparatus was placed in reverse gear and began to back towards the station. According to the law 

enforcement report on the incident, Firefighter Lutsy and the other firefighter were talking but took notice 

of the backup alarm and returned to their task.
88 

The apparatus continued in reverse for approximately 100 feet and came upon the firefighters, who had their 

backs toward the moving truck. The firefighters turned and saw the approaching truck just before impact. 

The firefighter working with Firefighter Lutsy was able to grab hold of the rear step as he fell and held onto 

it as the truck continued to move. The right rear tires of the truck rolled over Firefighter Lutsy and inflicted 

severe injuries.

Other firefighters immediately began to provide medical assistance to Firefighter Lutsy and the other injured 

firefighter. Both firefighters were transported to the hospital by ambulance. The injured firefighter was 

treated and released. Firefighter Lutsy was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Racine Volunteer Fire Department Web site - www.racinevfd.com

August 15, 2003 – 0200hrs

Wayne W. Mickle, State Firefighter I

Age 48, Wildland Full-Time

Massachusetts Wildfire Crew, Bureau of Forest Fire Control, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and 

Recreation

Firefighter Mickle and other members of his wildland firefighting crew were assigned to the Bole Meadow 

fire near Missoula, Montana. The crew had been working the fire for 4 days.

After a day of working the fire, he spoke with his wife by phone and complained that he was not feeling 

well. He told her that he was thinking of seeking medical attention but apparently decided to turn in for the 

night. He was found dead by other firefighters the next morning.

The cause of death was listed as a heart attack.

August 19, 2003 – 1912hrs

Edward Giacinto Buti, Inmate Firefighter

Age 54, Wildland Part-Time

Idaho Correctional Institute – Orofino

Inmate Firefighter Buti and the members of his crew were hiking up to the site of a wildland fire. The crew 

was assigned to the Sims fire near Elk City. The weather was extremely hot with temperatures in the low 

100’s.

As the team hiked, Inmate Firefighter Buti suddenly collapsed. Other firefighters performed CPR until the 

arrival of a medical team from a nearby forest service base. Despite their efforts, Inmate Firefighter Buti 

could not be revived.

The cause of death was listed as a heart attack.
89

August 24, 2003 – 1045hrs

Paul Eugene Gibson, Firefighter Richard Burt Moore, II, Firefighter

Age 24, Wildland Contract Age 21, Wildland Contract

First Strike Environmental, Oregon First Strike Environmental, Oregon

David Kelly Hammer, Firefighter Leland David Price, Jr., Firefighter

Age 38, Wildland Contract Age 26, Wildland Contract

First Strike Environmental, Oregon First Strike Environmental, Oregon

Jeffrey David Hengel, Firefighter Mark David Ransdell, Firefighter

Age 20, Wildland Contract Age 23, Wildland Contract

First Strike Environmental, Oregon First Strike Environmental, Oregon

Jessie Dean James, Firefighter Ricardo Martin Ruiz, Firefighter

Age 22, Wildland Contract Age 19, Wildland Contract

First Strike Environmental, Oregon First Strike Environmental, Oregon

These eight firefighters were a part of a 20-member contract firefighting crew. The firefighters were returning from 11 days of fighting fires in Idaho’s Boise National Forest. The firefighters rode in a 16-passenger 

van as a part of a caravan of two vans and a truck.

As the van traveled through a two-lane sloped curve marked as a no passing area, it crossed the centerline to 

pass a tractor-trailer truck. The van struck a tractor-trailer truck traveling in the opposite direction head-on. 

When the vehicles came to rest, a fire began which consumed the van and the majority of the tractor-trailer. 

The occupants of the tractor-trailer truck were able to escape the fire but all eight firefighters remained in 

the burning wreckage of the van. 

The crew boss was in the lead vehicle some distance ahead and did not witness the crash. When the crew 

boss lost radio contact with the firefighters, his vehicle pulled over to wait for them to catch up. Seeing 

smoke in the distance, they drove to the crash scene and found the van totally engulfed in fire.

As they traveled home, members of the crew had purchased beer and other food items in Idaho and again at 

a store just previous to the crash. Although tests were unable to determine exactly the amount of alcohol in 

the driver’s blood, it is accepted that the driver of the van had been consuming alcohol before the crash.

All eight firefighters were either killed in the crash or in the ensuing fire and were pronounced dead at the 

scene.

First Strike Environmental was charged with 18 counts of reckless endangerment and drunken driving under 

Oregon’s corporate responsibility law. The charges were dropped in February of 2004.

First Strike Environmental Web site - www.dwp.bigplanet.com/firststrike/firelineservices
90 

August 27, 2003 – 1600hrs

Stephen G. Gavin, Lieutenant

Age 52, Volunteer

Owego Fire Department, New York

Lieutenant Gavin and the members of his fire department were fighting a fire in a local lumberyard. Lieutenant Gavin was in the process of doing overhaul after spending the preceding hour engaged in direct fire 

suppression.

The weather was hot and humid. Lieutenant Gavin complained of exhaustion and chest pain. He was 

treated by EMS workers on the scene and transported to the hospital. He suffered a heart attack and survived 

until September 2, 2003, when he died of complications of the heart attack.

September 6, 2003 – 1305hrs

Jerry Wayne Armstrong, Captain

Age 45, Volunteer

Bryant Volunteer Fire Department, Indiana

Captain Armstrong was working on a fire department fundraiser at the fire station. He told other workers 

that he was tired and went to sit under a tree, where he suffered a heart attack.

Firefighters came to his aid and provided assistance until an ambulance arrived. Captain Armstrong was 

transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

September 8, 2003 – 2253hrs

William F. Ramsey, Firefighter

Age 42, Volunteer

Connellsville Township Volunteer Fire Department, Pennsylvania

Firefighter Ramsey and other members of his department responded to a report of an unknown fire in their 

community. Upon their arrival on scene, firefighters found and extinguished a trash fire.

Firefighter Ramsey returned to the station and was beginning to remove his equipment when he collapsed 

of an apparent heart attack. Firefighters immediately went to his aid, and an AED was used in an attempt 

to revive him. Firefighter Ramsey was flown to a regional care center where he died about 3 hours after 

becoming ill.

The cause of death was listed as ventricular tachycardia due to severe cardiomyopathy. According to the 

American Heart Association, cardiomyopathy is a serious disease in which the heart muscle becomes inflamed and doesn’t work as well as it should. There may be multiple causes, including viral infections.
91

September 20, 2003 – 0120hrs

William A. Wheeler, Fire Police Officer

Age 66, Volunteer

Saxton Volunteer Fire Department, Pennsylvania

Fire Police Officer Wheeler was responding to a motor vehicle crash with other members of his fire department. He was driving his personal vehicle, a pickup truck. As he responded to the scene, Fire Police Officer 

Wheeler suffered a heart attack. His vehicle left the roadway and crashed into a utility pole. The airbag 

deployed during the crash but there was no damage to the interior of the cab.

Firefighters working at the scene of the original crash were informed of another crash involving a fire department member. Firefighters responded to the scene and found Fire Police Officer Wheeler behind the 

wheel in respiratory and cardiac arrest. Fire Police Officer Wheeler was rapidly extricated and provided with 

ALS-level emergency care on the scene. He was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced 

dead.

The cause of death was listed as a cardiac arrhythmia with congestive heart failure due to a recent myocardial 

infarction due to occlusion of a coronary artery.

Fire Police Officer Wheeler was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash.

September 27, 2003 – Time Unknown

Jon Bill Luttman, Fire Chief

Age 53, Volunteer

Redkey Volunteer Fire Department, Indiana

Chief Luttman had worked at a fire department fundraiser on the morning of September 27th. He complained of not feeling well at the event and went home to rest. He drove himself to the hospital complaining 

of flu-like symptoms. He suffered a heart attack and died that day.

September 27, 2003 – 1745hrs

James J. O’Shea, Firefighter 1st Grade

Age 40, Career

Fire Department City of New York, New York

Firefighter O’Shea responded as a member of a ladder company to a fire that involved stacked cardboard 

boxes outside of an apartment complex. Firefighter O’Shea assisted with extensive overhaul and complained 

of not feeling well at the scene.

He declined medical assistance and went off-duty shortly after returning to his firehouse. He drove himself 

home and was found unconscious in the driveway, the victim of a heart attack. His family rushed him to the 

hospital but he could not be resuscitated. 

A neighborhood teenager intentionally started the fire. The teen was arrested and charged with arson.

The Fire Department City of New York suffered a second firefighter fatality in December of 2003.
92 

September 30, 2003 – Time Unknown

Gerald Hayswood Williams, Firefighter

Age 60, Volunteer

Cool Springs Volunteer Fire Department, North Carolina

Firefighter Williams participated in an evening training session involving hose evolutions. He later went to 

bed in the fire station and was found dead by other firefighters the next morning, the victim of an apparent 

heart attack.

Cool Springs Volunteer Fire Department Web site www.coolspringsvfd.org

The Cool Springs Volunteer Fire Department suffered another firefighter fatality in July of 2003.

September 30, 2003 – 1510hrs

George D. Petrosky, Fire Police Officer

Age 78, Volunteer

Matawan Borough Fire Department, New Jersey

Fire Police Officer Petrosky was directing traffic at the scene of a motor vehicle crash. He suffered a heart 

arrhythmia and collapsed. When he fell, he struck his head on the pavement and suffered a serious head 

injury.

The following day, surgery was performed to stop bleeding in his brain. He lapsed into a coma and never 

regained consciousness. Fire Police Officer Petrosky died on November 9, 2003, as a result of his injuries.

October 1, 2003 – 0850hrs

John August Garman, Firefighter

Age 42, Volunteer

New Bremen/German Township Fire Department, Ohio

Kenneth Joseph Jutte, Firefighter

Age 44, Volunteer

New Bremen/German Township Fire Department, Ohio

Firefighters in New Knoxville responded to a report of a fire in an 80-foot tall concrete silo. The silo was 20 

feet in diameter and contained sawdust and wood scrap from a manufacturing business. The sawdust and 

wood scrap were accumulated in the silo and then conveyed by mechanical equipment for use as fuel for an 

onsite electrical generation and heating plant. The manufacturing occupancy had been the site of numerous 

previous fires in all areas of the operation.

Firefighters observed smoke coming from a room at the base of the silo and from the top of the silo. They 

observed burning wood materials falling out of the bottom of the silo. They also used a thermal imaging 

camera and observed hot spots close to the base of the silo and about 15 feet above the base of the silo. Roof 

access was limited to a small ladder that scaled the side of the silo. The decision was made to request mutual 

aid from the New Bremen/German Township Fire Department for a ladder truck.

Prior to the arrival of the ladder truck, firefighters operated handlines into access doors at the base of the silo 

in an attempt to control the fire close to the bottom of the silo.
93

Firefighter Garman and Firefighter Jutte responded as a part of the crew on the New Bremen/German Township Fire Department tower ladder quint apparatus. Upon their arrival on the scene, they helped set up the 

ladder and bring a member of the New Knoxville Fire Department to the roof of the silo.

Once on the roof, firefighters observed smoke coming from an open roof hatch. The firefighters returned 

to the ground. The decision was made to attempt to extinguish the fire. A piercing nozzle was inserted 

through an access door near the ground. A handline with a cellar (distributing) nozzle from the aerial tower 

was operated into the roof hatch. A decision was made to switch from the cellar nozzle to a fog nozzle. The 

hose was shut down and removed from the hatch. Three firefighters were either on the roof of the silo or 

in the platform of the tower ladder.

As the uncharged hose was removed from the hatch (approximately 80 minutes after the ladder truck arrived on the scene) an explosion occurred. The force of the explosion ripped the roof of the silo off and 

damaged the top of the silo. Pieces of the silo rained down in an area as wide as 100 yards from the base of 

the silo. Firefighter Jutte and a New Knoxville firefighter on the roof of the silo were thrown to the ground 

and Firefighter Garman was blown off of the tower ladder platform and fell to the ground.

Firefighters on the scene began to provide medical assistance for the injured and EMS responders were called 

to the scene. Several of the victims were transported to the hospital by helicopter.

Firefighter Garman and Firefighter Jutte were killed. Ten others on the scene, including civilians, were injured.

Fire investigators concluded that the fire was caused by heat generated by the failure of mechanical equipment in the base of the silo.

October 3, 2003 – 1130hrs

Carl Dolbeare, Pilot

Age 54, Wildland Contract

Minden Air Corporation, Minden, Nevada – Under contract to the United States Forest Service

John Attardo, Co-Pilot

Age 51, Wildland Contract

Minden Air Corporation, Minden, Nevada – Under contract to the United States Forest Service

Pilot Dolbeare and Co-Pilot Attardo were the flight crew of a Lockheed P2V Neptune airtanker. The aircraft 

was being repositioned from Prescott, Arizona, to San Bernardino, California, after completing firefighting 

duty in Arizona.

Observers on the ground report seeing the plane flying at a low altitude through some clouds and the plane 

was seen making a steeper than normal 180-degree turn. The wings of the aircraft leveled and the plane was 

seen flying through a cloud; it briefly reappeared, and then entered the cloud layer. About 2 minutes after 

losing sight of the plane, smoke was observed. The crash was reported to local authorities.

About 2 hours after the crash, searchers located the wreckage. They found the wreckage and surrounding 

vegetation on fire. Initial responders reported that the area was cloudy and that visibility was limited. The 

crash occurred about 8 miles from the destination airport.
94 

For additional information about this crash, consult the National Transportation Safety Board Web site at 

www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/query.asp - NTSB identification LAX04FA002.

Minden Air Corporation Web site - www.mindenair.com

October 7, 2003 – 0759hrs

James Phillip Allen, Firefighter

Age 43, Career

Philadelphia Fire Department, Pennsylvania

Firefighter Allen and the other members of his ladder company responded to a structure fire in a two-story 

residence. Upon their arrival, Firefighter Allen went to the roof of the structure by ground ladder for ventilation.

After removing the glass in some windows, Firefighter Allen suffered a heart attack. He pressed the distress 

button on his portable radio and collapsed. An upper-floor resident observed him from across the street. 

That resident also called 911 to report an injured firefighter.

Other firefighters came to the aid of Firefighter Allen and initiated CPR. Paramedics arrived and continued 

efforts as he was removed from the roof and transported to the hospital. Their efforts, however, were unsuccessful and Firefighter Allen was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The cause of death was listed as ischemic heart disease (narrowed heart arteries) with smoke inhalation 

listed as a significant condition.

A 7-year-old child playing with matches started the fire in a mattress.

October 14, 2003 – 1045hrs

Richard Warren “Dick” Black, Pilot

Age 57, Wildland Contract

Weyerhaeuser - Eugene Helicopter Operations, Oregon

David Craig Mackey, Forest Unit Supervisor

Age 53, Wildland Full-Time

Oregon Department of Forestry

Pilot Black and Forest Unit Supervisor Mackey were involved in a reconnaissance flight to locate water supplies for future fire suppression operations. They were flying in a Weyerhaeuser-operated Bell 206B helicopter. The pair located water supply locations that could be used by helicopters and recorded their GPS 

location for future use.

After about an hour in flight, the helicopter was proceeding along a river when it collided with a 5/8-inch 

neutral/ground cable line that was strung across the Siuslaw River. The weather at the time was cloudy and 

foggy.

The helicopter fell approximately 250 to 300 feet into the river and came to rest in about 3 feet of water. 

The cable was entangled in the wreckage. Pilot Black and Forest Unit Supervisor Mackey died from multiple 

traumatic injuries.
95

The cable that was struck by the helicopter was not marked as a flight hazard on maps. The same cable run 

was involved in a nonfatal helicopter crash in 1974. The cables have been in place since 1956 and have never 

been marked.

For additional information about this crash, consult the National Transportation Safety Board Web site at 

www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/query.asp - NTSB identification SEA04LA005.

October 20, 2003 – 1600hrs

James D. Richards, Assistant Fire Chief

Age 49, Volunteer

Oran Fire Department, Iowa

Assistant Chief Richards and members of his fire department were called to a fire involving harvested corn 

stalks that were ignited by sparks from a fire pit. The wind was blowing at 30 to 45 miles per hour.

Assistant Chief Richards was making connections to draw water from a portable water tank when he had a 

heart attack. Despite the efforts of firefighters on the scene, Assistant Chief Richards was not revived.

The cause of death was listed as a heart attack due to severe arteriosclerosis.

October 24, 2003 – 0846hrs

Ricardo A. “Ricky” Gonzales, District Chief

Age 47, Career

Beaumont Fire/Rescue, Texas

District Chief Gonzales responded to a crash involving a fire truck at 0846hrs. The fire truck overturned and 

three firefighters were injured. After transporting the firefighters to the hospital in his command vehicle, 

District Chief Gonzales responded to an automatic fire alarm at 1042hrs.

Later in the morning, District Chief Gonzales complained of pain in his neck, a headache, and flu-like symptoms. He did not feel that he could safely make the 60-mile commute to his home, so he slept at the fire 

station until approximately 1400hrs when he left on sick leave and went home. He felt so poorly when he 

arrived in his home town that he drove directly to his physician’s office.

District Chief Gonzales was diagnosed as having suffered a heart attack. He was given medication and admitted to the hospital. He was treated in the hospital over 5 days and received an angioplasty and four stents. 

He was released from the hospital on October 29, 2003, and went home to recover.

On November 5, 2003, his wife found District Chief Gonzales dead at home. The cause of death was listed 

as a heart attack.
96 

October 24, 2003 – 1530hrs

Darrell Keith Michael, President

Age 60, Volunteer

Russell Volunteer Fire Department, Pennsylvania

President Michael and members of his fire department were on stand-by at their fire station for a mutualaid structure fire. The firefighters decided to prepare for a fundraiser to be held the next evening while they 

waited.

President Michael climbed a stepladder to get something off of a shelf. Other firefighters heard a loud crash 

and found President Michael unconscious on the floor.

Firefighters and EMS personnel provided care for President Michael and he was transported to the hospital. 

He was placed on life support and died as a result of his injuries on November 3, 2003.

Russell Volunteer Fire Department Web site - www.rvfd.home.westpa.net

October 27, 2003 – 2322hrs

Don Joseph Billig, Assistant Chief

Age 49, Volunteer

St. Cloud Fire Department, Minnesota

Assistant Chief Billig and members of the St. Cloud Fire Department Volunteer Division were dispatched to a 

report of a smoking generator at a road construction site. Firefighters discovered a problem with a dewatering unit being used at the site and contacted the contractor. Assistant Chief Billig and other firefighters stood 

by at the scene to await the arrival of the contractor.

The contractor arrived at the scene and firefighters prepared to return to quarters. Assistant Chief Billig and 

other firefighters were outside the vehicle, replacing traffic control barriers. A firefighter observed a vehicle 

headed toward the crew at a high rate of speed. He shouted for the other firefighters to look out for the 

approaching vehicle. Two firefighters were able to jump to safety but Assistant Chief Billig was struck when 

the vehicle failed to negotiate the construction detour.

Assistant Chief Billig was dragged under the vehicle, a full-size pickup, for 50 to 60 feet. Firefighters immediately rendered aid and requested assistance. Paramedics at the scene treated Assistant Chief Billig until 

it was obvious that he could not be revived.

The driver of the pickup fled the scene. He turned himself into police the next morning. The driver was 

charged with criminal vehicular homicide. Alcohol use and speeding likely were involved in the crash, according to law enforcement officials. The driver had two prior convictions for driving while intoxicated, 

and seven speeding tickets.

St. Cloud Fire Department Web site - www.ci.stcloud.mn.us/Web/departments/Fire/Fire.htm
97

October 28, 2003 – Time Unknown

Charles Tozzo, Captain

Age 55, Volunteer

Cold Spring Harbor Volunteer Fire Department, New York

Captain Tozzo was attending an officers’ meeting in the fire station. During the meeting, he suffered a heart 

attack and later died.

October 29, 2003 – 1300hrs

Steven Liss Rucker, Engineer

Age 38, Career

Novato Fire Protection District, California

Engineer Rucker and the members of his engine company were assigned through a statewide mutual-aid 

system to the Cedar Fire near San Diego. They were assigned to defend a home in a hilly area that was threatened by wind-driven fire spread.

Upon their arrival at the home, the crew cleared some brush and decided that the location was defendable. 

The crew burned areas of brush near the house and made other preparations for the approach of the fire 

including laddering the house and stretching hoselines.

About 20 minutes after arriving at the house, the engine crew observed an increase in the fire activity below 

them. The fire made a half-mile run directly at Engineer Rucker and his crew in less than 2 minutes.

As the fire progressed toward the crew, the firefighters retreated to a defensive position behind the engine 

and operated 2 handlines for protection. Fire conditions worsened and the Captain of the crew observed 

flame lengths of 40 to 50 feet. Due to the intense heat, the Captain ordered his crew to abandon their position and seek shelter in the house. The firefighters, facing severe thermal exposure, ran for shelter to the rear 

of the house.

Two firefighters arrived safely to the interior of the house. They then heard a radio call indicating that a 

firefighter was down. The firefighters left the house and began to retrace their steps back toward the engine. 

They encountered the Captain, who told them that Engineer Rucker was down and needed their help. Due 

to intense heat, the firefighters and the Captain were unable to go to the aid of Engineer Rucker.

Despite efforts by all three members of the crew, Engineer Rucker could not be rescued. By the time firefighters were able to reach him, Engineer Rucker had expired. Apparently, Engineer Rucker tripped while 

making a run for the house. His Captain attempted to help him but was unsuccessful. Engineer Rucker died 

of burn injuries. The Captain received severe burn injuries and was hospitalized for an extended period of 

time.

The Cedar Fire eventually consumed 280,278 acres and destroyed 2,232 structures, 22 commercial buildings, and 566 outbuildings. Thirteen civilians were killed as a result of the fire and there were 107 injuries.

A link to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection “Green Sheet” report on the death of 

Engineer Rucker is posted on the Novato Fire Protection District Web site at www.novatofire.org/cedar_

fire.aspx

Novato Fire Protection District Web site - www.novatofire.org
98 

October 30, 2003 – 1543hrs

Roy Prouty, Fire Chief

Age 39, Volunteer

Country Lakes Volunteer Fire Company, Browns Mills, New Jersey

Chief Prouty and members of his fire department responded to a neighboring community to assist with 

emergency services at the scene of a motor vehicle crash.

Chief Prouty established a landing zone for medical helicopters. He helped load a patient into a helicopter, 

then suddenly collapsed of an apparent heart attack. He was treated at the scene and transported to the hospital. Despite all efforts, he was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Country Lakes Volunteer Fire Company Web site - www.countrylakesfire.org

November 8, 2003 – 1451hrs

Matthew Karl Brimer, Firefighter

Age 18, Volunteer

Weaver Fire Department, Alabama

Firefighter Brimer was responding in his personal vehicle to a report of a structure fire. As he drove around 

a curve, he lost control of the vehicle, skidded 226 feet, and sideways into an oak tree.

Firefighters responding to the initial incident were directed to the scene of the crash and were not aware that 

the incident involved Firefighter Brimer until they noticed a hat in the car. Firefighter Brimer was extricated 

by his fellow firefighters. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Firefighter Brimer was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash. The law enforcement report on the incident cited an estimated speed of 70 miles per hour in a 40 mile-per-hour zone.

Firefighter Brimer had just joined the fire department the previous May upon his 18th birthday. The structure fire that caused the initial response was found to be minor.

November 17, 2003 – 1712

Richard James Tiffany, Paramedic Firefighter

Age 35, Career

Clark County Fire District #12, Washington

Paramedic Firefighter Tiffany was completing on-duty physical training at his fire station. He completed a 

treadmill run and collapsed of an apparent heart attack.

A company officer who also was engaged in physical training called 911 and began CPR. The company 

officer administered oxygen and applied an AED. Despite his efforts, Paramedic Firefighter Tiffany was pronounced dead at the fire station.

Clark County Fire District #12 Web site - www.ccfd12.org
99

November 17, 2003 – 2150hrs

Gary D. Boyert, Captain

Age 53, Career

Kansas City Fire Department, Kansas

Captain Boyert was responding in a fire department sedan to the report of a structure fire.

Roads were slick from recent rain. As his vehicle entered a curve, Captain Boyert lost control. The vehicle 

left the roadway and struck a utility pole and a fire hydrant. The vehicle came to rest on its roof. The driver’s 

door of the car received the majority of the impact damage with the telephone pole.

Firefighters responded to the crash scene and provided medical care for Captain Boyert. He was extricated 

and then transported to the hospital, but could not be revived.

The preliminary cause of death was listed as positional asphyxiation. The alarm that generated Captain 

Boyert’s response was a false alarm.

Kansas City Fire Department Web site - www.wycokck.org/departments/fire/index.html

November 19, 2003 – 0730hrs

Charles Forest Flowers, Sr., Assistant Fire Chief

Age 60, Volunteer

New Caney Volunteer Fire Department, Texas

Assistant Chief Flowers and the members of his department responded to a motor vehicle crash that required 

extrication. Assistant Chief Flowers was engaged in the extrication when he suddenly collapsed of a heart 

attack.

Assistant Chief Flowers was treated at the scene and transported to the hospital. He remained in the hospital 

until December 17, 2003, when he was discharged to continue his recovery at home. Assistant Chief Flowers died as the result of a heart attack that he suffered in his sleep on December 29, 2003.

November 24, 2003 – 1718hrs

Jeffery Allen Tiegs, Firefighter

Age 47, Volunteer

Amherst Fire District, Wisconsin

Firefighter Tiegs was the driver of an engine apparatus that responded to assist at the scene of a motor vehicle crash. As he dismounted the apparatus, Firefighter Tiegs was struck with a heart attack and collapsed.

Firefighters immediately began to provide assistance, including CPR and the use of an AED. An ambulance 

arrived and transported Firefighter Tiegs to the hospital. Firefighter Tiegs never regained consciousness and 

was pronounced dead at the hospital.
100 

November 29, 2003 – 0530hrs

Martin H. McNamara, V, Firefighter

Age 31, Paid-on-Call

Lancaster Fire Department, Massachusetts

Firefighter McNamara and members of his fire department responded to the scene of a structure fire involving a 2-1/2-story wood balloon-frame residential building that contained multiple apartments. Two additional 1-1/2-story buildings were attached to the rear of the main building.

Firefighters found a working fire. Firefighter McNamara was assigned as a part of a crew that advanced an 

attack line into the basement of the structure. After a series of explosions, the firefighters were forced to 

leave the building.

Once outside, a head count was completed and Firefighter McNamara was discovered missing. Firefighters 

immediately reentered the basement; they could hear the chirp of Firefighter McNamara’s PASS device but 

could not reach him due to fire conditions. After the fire was controlled, a rescue team entered the structure 

and located the body of Firefighter McNamara.

The cause of death was listed as smoke and soot inhalation. Firefighter McNamara also suffered facial burns 

prior to his death. Three other firefighters were injured in the fire; including a deputy chief who suffered 

severe smoke inhalation during an attempt to rescue Firefighter McNamara.

The cause of the fire was identified as the overheating of a power strip and extension cord in the basement.

November 30, 2003 – 1320hrs

Thomas W. DiOrio, Fire Police Lieutenant

Age 70, Volunteer

West Whiteland Fire Company, Pennsylvania

Fire Police Lieutenant DiOrio and members of his fire department responded to a structure fire in a townhouse. Fire Police Lieutenant DiOrio set up traffic barriers approximately one block from the incident scene. 

After he completed the setup of the barriers, he collapsed of a heart attack.

EMS and law enforcement personnel responded immediately to assist Fire Police Lieutenant DiOrio. Despite 

their efforts, he could not be revived.

December 1, 2003 – 2230 hrs

Nadar Hammett, Emergency Response Technician

Age 29, Career

Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department, Maryland

Emergency Response Technician (ERT) Hammett was driving home from department-mandated paramedic 

training. ERT Hammett’s vehicle was struck by another vehicle, causing it to leave the roadway, roll over, and 

hit a tree.

The driver of the other vehicle left the scene but returned about 30 minutes later and reported to the police. 

ERT Hammett was wearing his seatbelt.
101

Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department Web site - www.goprincegeorgescounty.com/Government/

PublicSafety/Fire/index.asp?h=20&s=&n=150

December 3, 2003 – 1208hrs

Charles Wayne Dillon, Captain

Age 40, Volunteer

Washington Parish Fire District #9, Louisiana

Captain Dillon was the driver and sole occupant of a 2,000-gallon water tanker. Captain Dillon was engaged 

in driver training duties.

As the tanker entered a left-hand curve, the right wheels of the apparatus left the paved surface of the road. 

Captain Dillon attempted to correct by steering to the left, the rear of the tanker came around, and the water 

tank separated from the apparatus. The cab of the apparatus began to roll and Captain Dillon was ejected.

The speed of the tanker was estimated at 55 miles per hour in a 55 mile-per-hour zone. A curve warning 

sign on the approach to the curve suggested a speed of 40 miles per hour.

An inspection of the tanker chassis after the crash revealed a number of mechanical problems with the truck. 

The right-front shock was not connected to the frame at its upper mount, the right rear brake was inoperative due to being out of adjustment, the right front brake was inoperative and contaminated with oil, and 

the left front brake was contaminated with oil.

As described in the law enforcement report on the crash, the tanker was most likely locally made or modified 

from some other use. Captain Dillon was ejected during the crash and received a fatal head injury.

December 3, 2003 – Time Unknown

Todd “Bubba” Dicks, Firefighter

Age 37, Volunteer

Warsaw Fire Department, Illinois

Firefighter Dicks was a passenger in a fire truck responding to the scene of a school bus/pickup truck crash 

in his community. During the response he appeared ill to other firefighters. Upon their arrival on the scene, 

EMS responders assigned to the original incident provided medical attention.

Firefighter Dicks was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. He was pronounced dead shortly after 

arrival. The cause of death was listed as a heart attack.

December 6, 2003 – 1616hrs

Ronald W. Fitzpatrick, Firefighter/Training Officer

Age 68, Volunteer

Long Branch Fire Company, New Jersey

Firefighter/Training Officer Fitzpatrick and members of his department were fighting a multiple-alarm fire 

in a vacant commercial building.
102 

During the effort, Firefighter Fitzpatrick was in charge of the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) that was in 

place at the fire. He collapsed from a heart attack. Efforts to revive him at the scene and in the hospital were 

unsuccessful.

The fire was reported to have been caused by arson.

Firefighter Fitzpatrick retired in 1986 as a Captain after 27 years with the Newark, New Jersey Fire Department.

December 13, 2003 – 1454hrs

George Oliver Wohl, Firefighter

Age 59, Volunteer

Congers Fire Department, New York

Firefighter Wohl was installing holiday lights on his residence when his fire department was dispatched to 

an emergency. Firefighter Wohl was on a ladder near the roofline of the home.

Firefighter Wohl slipped and fell to the ground as he began his response. His wife discovered he had fallen 

a few moments later and called 911. Firefighter Wohl was unconscious but breathing and he suffered a 

significant head wound.

Firefighter Wohl was transported to the hospital first by ambulance to a landing site and then by medical 

helicopter. He died at the hospital later that day. The cause of death was listed as fractures of the skull and 

ribs, brain hemorrhages, and contusions of the brain.

The source of the original dispatch was an automatic fire alarm. The alarm turned out to be false.

Congers Fire Department Web site - www.congersfd.org

December 16, 2003 – 1300hrs

Thomas Christopher Brick, Firefighter 4th Grade

Age 30, Career

Fire Department City of New York, New York

Firefighter Brick and the members of his ladder company were in a grocery store shopping for their meal 

when they were dispatched to a structure fire in a mattress warehouse.

Units arrived on the scene and found a working fire in a multistory brick and joist nonfireproof building. 

As the first-due ladder company, Firefighter Brick and the members of his crew used a saw to force entry to 

the building and then proceeded to the fire floor (second floor) for search and rescue.

Due to the volume of fire and greatly reduced visibility, the Incident Commander (IC) ordered all firefighters 

to leave the building. After he was outside of the building, Firefighter Brick’s company officer found him to 

be missing. The IC was notified immediately. At the same time, another firefighter was located and believed 

to be Firefighter Brick. When the identity of this firefighter was confirmed, firefighters reentered the building to search for Firefighter Brick.
103

After several minutes of searching, Firefighter Brick was located. He was not breathing and had no pulse. 

CPR was initiated on the fire floor and continued to the hospital. Firefighter Brick was pronounced dead at 

the hospital.

The cause of death was listed as smoke inhalation. The concentration of carboxyhemoglobin in Firefighter 

Brick’s blood at autopsy was 61 percent.

Firefighter Brick was a member of the first recruit class trained after September 11, 2001.

December 18, 2003 – 0815hrs

Dixie Lee Steckelberg, Lieutenant

Age 60, Volunteer

Lovilia Fire & Rescue, Iowa

Lieutenant Steckelberg was providing treatment on the scene of a motor vehicle crash. She helped move a 

patient onto a backboard and into an ambulance.

Lieutenant Steckelberg began to complain of shortness of breath and went to sit in the front-seat of the rescue vehicle. She was treated by EMT’s and paramedics at the scene and again in the ambulance on the way 

to the hospital.

While enroute to the hospital in the ambulance, Lieutenant Steckelberg went into cardiac arrest. CPR was 

initiated and continued until she arrived at the emergency room. Despite additional efforts in the hospital, 

Lieutenant Steckelberg was pronounced dead at 0848hrs.

The cause of death was listed as a heart attack.

December 18, 2003 – 1730hrs

Thomas Frank Brown, Fire Specialist

Age 55, Career

Baltimore County Fire Department, Maryland

Fire Specialist Brown worked a 14-hour night shift at the Dundalk Fire Station. During the shift, he responded to several calls, including a working dwelling fire and a cardiac arrest, where he assisted with resuscitation 

on scene and enroute to the hospital. Fire Specialist Brown was relieved the morning of December 18th at 

0630hrs. He was scheduled to return to work that same day by 1800hrs. When he failed to report to work, 

the engine company closest to his home was sent to investigate. Firefighters found him in bed, obviously 

deceased.

The cause of death was listed as a heart attack due to arteriosclerosis.
104 

December 21, 2003 – 0758hrs

Benjamin Craig Rouchon, Firefighter

Age 25, Volunteer

Bluff Creek Fire Protection Territory, Louisiana

Firefighter Rouchon was at home when his fire department was paged to respond to assist a local ambulance 

service at an EMS incident. Firefighter Rouchon responded in his personal pickup truck.

During the response, Firefighter Rouchon lost control of his vehicle, crossed over the centerline, bounced 

off of a tree, crossed the roadway again, and struck an embankment. 

Firefighters and ambulance personnel responded to the scene and provided treatment for Firefighter 

Rouchon. Despite their efforts, Firefighter Rouchon died of massive head injuries.

Firefighter Rouchon was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash.

December 24, 2003 – 0530hrs

Shane Scott Brown, Firefighter/Paramedic

Age 25, Career

DeSoto Parish Fire District 8, Louisiana

Firefighter/Paramedic Brown was responding to an EMS incident in a fire department pickup truck.

As he responded through an unguarded railroad crossing, his vehicle was struck by a freight train. The vehicle was dragged approximately 60 feet and caught fire.

Just prior to impact, the train was estimated to be traveling at 40 miles per hour. Witnesses said that the 

train’s warning lights and horns were in use at the time of the crash.

Firefighter Brown was wearing his seatbelt and he was partially ejected from the cab of the pickup. Firefighter Brown was pronounced dead at the scene of traumatic injuries.

Firefighter Brown is the second Fire District 8 firefighter to die in a train accident while on duty. Firefighter 

Anthony Calhoun died in 1992 when a train struck his vehicle as he responded to a wildland fire.

December 25, 2003 – 0930hrs

Kenneth J. “Kenny” Jeffery, Assistant Chief

Age 51, Career

Submarine Base Fire Department, Groton, Connecticut

Assistant Chief Jeffery reported for duty at 0730hrs. After roll call he worked out. At approximately 0908hrs, 

he was dispatched to an automatic fire alarm activation on the base. He proceeded to the fifth floor of the 

building to check on an alarm device. When he returned to the ground floor, he stated that he did not feel 

well.

When he arrived back at fire headquarters, he reported to coworkers that he was experiencing discomfort 

in his chest. He was treated by fire department EMT’s and transported via fire department ambulance to the 

hospital. He was admitted to the hospital and treated for a heart attack. Within a few hours, he was trans-
105

ported by a medical helicopter to a cardiac care unit, where he died on December 31, 2003. The cause of 

death was listed as a ruptured aorta.

Assistant Chief Jeffery was the Fire Chief of the Windsor Locks Fire Department.

Windsor Locks Fire Department Web site - www.wlfd.com

December 29, 2003 – 1935hrs

Glyn Allen Taylor, Firefighter

Age 43, Volunteer

Jeff Davis Parish Fire District No. 3/Woodlawn Volunteer F.D., Louisiana

Firefighter Taylor was the driver of a brush truck returning to quarters from training. His apparatus was the 

last truck in a five-vehicle group of fire apparatus on the roadway.

A battery cover fell off of the lead truck and the five trucks pulled to the side of the roadway. It was dark at 

the time so the vehicle headlights were on. No warning lights were activated.

A number of firefighters dismounted their apparatus. One firefighter was detailed to pick up the cover and 

it was decided that the other four trucks would leave and wait for the fifth truck at a rest stop ahead. As 

firefighters prepared to board their apparatus, Firefighter Taylor stepped into the path of an oncoming car.

The left front bumper of the car struck firefighter Taylor and he was propelled over the top of the car. Firefighter Taylor fell into the roadway and was struck by a second vehicle.

Firefighters immediately went to assist Firefighter Taylor. He was transported to the hospital but died of his 

injuries. The cause of death was listed as multiple trauma.

Firefighter Taylor was not wearing any form of retroreflective materials and the apparatus headlights might 

have blinded the oncoming drivers.
106 

Pre-2003 Incidents

October 15, 1987 – Time Unknown

Barry M. Bennett, Lieutenant

Age 33, Career

Cambridge Fire Department, Massachusetts

Firefighter Bennett suffered an infectious disease exposure while delivering emergency medical service on 

October 15, 1987. The needle stick exposure was immediately reported and a course of medical treatment 

and observation was begun. A more aggressive treatment was initiated when Lieutenant Bennett tested 

positively for Hepatitis-C.

Firefighter Bennett continued to work and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1998. By early 2003, Lieutenant 

Bennett became too ill to continue his duties. He received a transplanted liver in May of 2003. 

Despite all efforts, Lieutenant Bennett died on November 2, 2003. He was 49 at the time of his death.

Cambridge Fire Department Web site - www.cambridgefire.org

July, 1996 – Time Unknown

Harry Zilkan, Assistant Chief

Age 49, Volunteer

Newberry Springs Fire Department, California

Assistant Chief Zilkan suffered a major heart attack while directing operations at a residential structure fire. 

He was revived enroute to the hospital. He heart was severely damaged.

A year after his heart attack, Assistant Chief Zilkan received a heart transplant. He was able to return to limited duties for a time but the transplanted heart began to fail, leading to his death on September 10, 2003.

June 2, 2001 – 2250hrs

Willard Burnis Paul, Firefighter

Age 64, Volunteer

Plainview Volunteer Fire Department, Louisiana

Firefighter Paul and the members of his fire department were performing stand-by duty at a local speedway. 

During the race, one of the cars lost control and hit the wall. An object, likely a fire extinguisher, that was 

either on top of the wall or near it was propelled by the force of the impact and struck Firefighter Paul in 

the head.

Members of his fire department came to his aid immediately. He was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead later that night. The cause of death was listed as an open head injury.
107

September 16, 2001 – 1045hrs

William Douglas “Doug” Thomas, Second Assistant Chief

Age 39, Volunteer

Kent Island Volunteer Fire Department, Maryland

Second Assistant Chief Thomas was severely injured in a fire apparatus crash on September 16, 2001. Second Assistant Chief Thomas was the driver of an engine that left the right side of the roadway, crashed into 

two utility poles, came back on the road, and overturned. The crash occurred during a response to a boat 

fire. 

Second Assistant Chief Thomas was paralyzed from the chest down as a result of the crash. He was not able 

to return to duty. His health degenerated to the point that life support was removed on July 9, 2003. He 

died a short time later.
FA-283/August 2004