The Associated Press via The Lowell Sun
BOSTON — The last in a series of investigative reports into a fatal Boston fire truck accident has recommended that state law be changed to require that firefighters wear seat belts.
Lt. Kevin Kelley was killed in January 2009 when the ladder truck he was riding on lost its brakes on a steep hill and slammed into an apartment building.
In its report, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health concedes that Kelley may not have survived the accident even if he was wearing a seat belt. But the agency says seat belts would be a good safety practice for firefighters.
State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan says he would consider seeking a change in the state’s seat belt law that specifically exempts operators and passengers on fire trucks.
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