FireRescue1 Staff
PULASKI, Va. — A firefighter who died after working at a house fire suffered an intracranial hemorrhage, investigators found.
Firefighter Jeffrey H. Reed, of the Pulaski Fire Department, Virginia, complained of a headache while cleaning up the incident scene on June 4 last year.
Despite three days of intensive treatment at a local hospital, he passed away from intracranial bleeding due to a hemorrhagic colloid cyst, a NIOSH report released Monday said.
Colloid cysts are rare, according to the report, and account for less than one percent of all intracranial tumors.
Investigators found that the department could not have prevented the death and the colloid cyst likely would not have been identified even if periodic medical evaluations were conducted.
The report concludes with the following recommendations for fire departments to address general safety and health issues:
• Provide annual medical evaluations to all firefighters
• Perform a pre-placement 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 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) as part of the Fire Department’s medical evaluation program