By FireRescue1 staff
GRETNA, La. — A firefighter’s underlying heart condition and the stress of fire suppression tasks were likely the trigger of a fatal heart attack, investigators found.
David Crockett Steam Fire Company No. 1, Louisiana, firefighter Ricky Christiana was responding to a structure fire on September 11 last year when he suffered the heart attack, according to a NIOSH fatality report released Monday.
The fire department had no exercise equipment in fire stations, nor a written wellness or fitness program, according to the report.
As a result, investigators suggest similar departments consider the NVFC health and fitness program for volunteer components.
The report also suggests excluding lumbar spine X-rays from screening tests during preplacement medical evaluations; NIOSH considers the procedure an unnecessary expense that involves an unnecessary radiation exposure.
While investigators say the death may not have been preventable, they issued the following complete list of recommendations for fire departments to address general safety and health issues:
- Provide preplacement and annual medical evaluations to all firefighters consistent with NFPA 1582, Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments
- 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
- Perform an annual physical performance (physical ability) evaluation
- Provide firefighters with medical clearance to wear self-contained breathing apparatus as part of the fire department’s annual medical evaluation program.
- Conduct annual respirator fit testing
- Discontinue lumbar spine X-rays as a screening test administered during the preplacement medical evaluation