By FireRescue1 Staff
BALTIMORE — The death of a Maryland Fire Captain was triggered by physical training, investigators have concluded.
Captain Donald Hubbel, of the Baltimore Fire Department, collapsed on January 31 last year, shortly after running on a treadmill at his home, according to a NIOSH investigation report released Tuesday.
An ambulance crew initiated advanced life support and transported him to a local hospital where he later died.
Captain Hubbel had been participating as an instructor in fireground operations training at the City Training Academy the day before.
An autopsy found the captain had coronary artery disease, a common risk factor for cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death, the report said.
As a result of the findings, NIOSH recommends departments provide mandatory pre-placement and periodic medical evaluations to all firefighters, ensure firefighters are cleared for duty by a physician familiar with the physical demands of firefighting, and develop a comprehensive cardiovascular health program.