By FireRescue1 staff
STRATTANVILLE, Pa. — A firefighter trainee who died after responding to a debris fire suffered an aneurysm, investigators found.
Volunteer Firefighter Trainee Ryan Wingard, of the Strattanville Volunteer Fire Department, Pennsylvania, complained of a severe headache and breathing difficulty shortly before collapsing on the fireground, a NIOSH report released Thursday said.
Firefighters performed advanced life support on-scene and while transporting the trainee to the hospital, but were unable to prevent the death.
Investigators found that the trainee’s underlying medical condition caused his death and was possibly triggered by physical exertion responding to the fire and stretching a hose line.
While the report concludes the death was likely unpreventable, investigators suggest fire departments address general health issues with the following recommendations:
• Provide preplacement and annual medical evaluations to all firefighters
• Perform a preplacement and an annual physical performance (physical ability) evaluation
• Ensure firefighters are cleared for return to duty by a physician knowledgeable about the physical demands of firefighting, the personal protective equipment used by firefighters, and the various components of NFPA 1582
• Phase in a comprehensive wellness and fitness program for firefighters
• Provide firefighters with medical clearance to wear SCBA as part of the Fire Department’s medical evaluation program