By FireRescue1 Staff
PINEVILLE, N.C. — A volunteer fire department was cited with four violations in connection to the death of a firefighter in April.
Pineville firefighter Richard Sheltra, 20, died of smoke inhalation while battling a shopping mall fire. The state’s Department of Labor cited the department for failing to establish and implement a written respiratory protection program, reported WSOC. The NCDOL also reported that firefighters failed to stay in visual or auditory contact with one another and did not follow the two in, two out rule.
The fire department also had not maintained proper OSHA forms for the last three years. The citations will cost the department $6,100.
Pineville Fire Chief Mike Gerin said he’s working with the NCDOL and wants to improve the department’s service.
“We always want to be better,” Chief Gerin said. “We always want to try and make it safer so that another fire department, another family, doesn’t ever have to experience this.”
#BREAKING: Pineville firefighter killed in line of duty identified as Richard Sheltra. He’s on right in this photo pic.twitter.com/gOWDW7xLHF
— WSOCTV (@wsoctv) May 1, 2016