Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC twenty four seven. Saving Lives, Protecting People
															Search
		×
			NIOSH
			NIOSH
				All CDC
				Submit
			For a full list of topics:A-Z Index
			Advanced Search
		Advanced Search


The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)


Facebook
        Twitter
        LinkedIn
        Syndicate





38-Year-Old Captain Suffers a Heart Attack at a Medical Call and Dies 4 Days Later - Nebraska										Related Pages
										FF ShieldDeath in the Line of Duty...A summary of a NIOSH fire fighter fatality investigation
F2016-15 Date Released:  August 14, 2017

Executive Summary
On June 23, 2016, a 38-year-old male volunteer captain responded to an emergency medical call. While helping transfer a patient from a car onto a stretcher, he started to feel as though “someone had dropped the car” on his chest. After the ambulance left with the patient, the Captain drove a private vehicle to the fire station, then drove to his parents’ home. His chest pain continued and his mother drove him to the hospital emergency department, where testing showed he was having a heart attack. In the coronary catheterization laboratory (“cath lab”), a stent placed a year earlier was found to be blocked. A balloon was inserted to open the blockage, blood flow was restored, and the Captain’s chest pain resolved. Because of a decline in his heart’s pumping function and a history of multiple stents, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery was offered. CABG uses healthy vessels from other parts of the body to bypass blocked arteries in the heart. Before he could undergo surgery, the Captain suffered cardiac arrest and died despite multiple rounds of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and advanced life support (ALS) measures.
The death certificate was completed by the attending physician. The cause of death was listed as “cardiac arrhythmia” due to “coronary artery disease” due to “diabetes.” No autopsy was performed. NIOSH investigators concluded that the physical exertion of loading a patient may have exacerbated the Captain’s underlying coronary artery disease and triggered a heart attack (myocardial infarction).
The Captain had multiple risk factors for coronary artery disease, including long-standing diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and family history of early heart disease. He suffered his first heart attack at age 30 and subsequently underwent multiple hospitalizations and interventions for severe disease.

Key Recommendations
***Provide preplacement and annual medical evaluations to all fire fighters consistent with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1582, Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments, to identify fire fighters at increased risk for sudden cardiac events.***
***Ensure that fire fighters are cleared for duty by a physician knowledgeable about the physical and mental demands of fire fighting, the personal protective equipment used, and other guidance in NFPA 1582.***NIOSH investigators include the following recommendations to address general safety and health issues:
***Perform an annual physical ability test (physical performance evaluation).***
***Phase in a mandatory wellness and fitness program to benefit all fire fighters.***
***Provide fire fighters with medical clearance to wear a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) as part of the fire department’s medical evaluation program.***Read the full reportpdf icon
							
					
						Page last reviewed:  May 9, 2018					Content source: 	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health homeFire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP)
New Content
About the Programplus icon
Our Work, Reviewed
Data and StatisticsInvestigationsplus icon
Investigation Steps
Completed Investigations
Ongoing Investigations
Fire Fighter Fatality Map
Products
Contact Us
Other Resources Enter your email address to receive new reports/products. Email Address			What's this?				Submit
 NIOSH Homepage NIOSH A-Z
Workplace Safety & Health Topics
Publications and Products
Programs
Contact NIOSH


About CDC
					Contact Us
					800-232-4636
 Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Youtube Pinterest Snapchat
 CONTACT CDC
				Contact Us
							Call 800-232-4636
							Email Us
			ABOUT CDC
				About CDC
							Jobs
							Funding
			POLICIES
				Accessibility
							External Links
							Privacy
							Policies
							No Fear Act
							FOIA
							OIG
							Nondiscrimination
							Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
			CONNECT WITH US
				Facebook
								Twitter
								Instagram
								LinkedIn
							Youtube
								Pinterest
								Snapchat
								Email
			LANGUAGES
				Español
							繁體中文
							Tiếng Việt
							한국어
							Tagalog
							Русский
							العربية
							Kreyòl Ayisyen
							Français
							Polski
							Português
							Italiano
							Deutsch
							日本語
							فارسی
							English


U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
			Accessibility
			External Links
			Privacy
			Policies
			No Fear Act
			FOIA
			Nondiscrimination
			OIG
			Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
			USA.gov


Exit Notification / Disclaimer Policy Close
 Links with this icon  indicate that you are leaving the CDC website. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
				Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
				You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
				CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. Website Disclaimers
 Cancel Continue