By FireRescue1 Staff
MELBOURNE, Fla. — A Fire Lieutenant who was found unresponsive at a fire station in Florida died from sudden cardiac arrest, according to investigators.
After a day of nine emergency calls, Melbourne Lt. Robert Strang, 60, responded to a late evening structure fire on March 26, 2009 and was later discovered in his bunkroom.
A NIOSH report released Monday found coronary atherosclerosis with remote myocardial infarct as the cause of death, along with generalized atherosclerosis and pulmonary emphysema worsening the situation.
Although unclear what could have prevented the firefighter’s death, NIOSH made the following recommendations for fire departments to prevent similar incidents:
- Modify the fire department’s policy for conducting member exercise stress tests
- Phase in a comprehensive wellness and fitness program for firefighters
- Ensure firefighters are cleared for return to duty by a healthcare provider knowledgeable about the physical demands of firefighting, the personal protective equipment used by fire fighters, and the various components of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1582
- Perform an annual physical performance (physical ability) evaluation for all members
- Discontinue lumbar spine X-rays as a screening test administered during the preplacement medical evaluation