SALISBURY, Mass. — A firefighter in Mass. has claimed PTSD from a July accident that killed a brother and has been out of work ever since.
Captain James H. “Jay” Pollard Jr., who has been in the Salisbury Fire Department for 32 years, has not returned to work or contacted the department since Lt. Timothy Oliveira, 53, succumbed to his injuries, according to the Eagle-Tribune.
Firefighter Oliveira died two days after a jack slipped and he was trapped beneath a vehicle he was working on.
He was performing a routine oil change on the fire department SUV when the jacked-up vehicle fell on his chest, causing internal injuries. His heart had stopped when other firefighters reached him, but they were able to resuscitate him before he arrived at the local hospital.
Town Manager Neil Harrington received a letter from a Boston University doctor stating his opinion that Capt. Pollard is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
But Harrington does not recognize the letter as valid, the article says, because it does not meet the requirements of the employee union contracts, which stipulate procedures for work-related injuries and illnesses. He said that Capt. Pollard is using his accrued sick time.
The day of the accident, grief counselors from the state firefighters union arrived to provide support. Firefighters from nearby departments also came to the station to provide fire coverage for the town because Salisbury firefighters were given the day off to deal with the loss.