Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report: Driver/Operator Dies Due to a Stroke While Driving a Fire Engine to an Alarm in Tennessee

摘要

On April 20, 2005, a 38-year-old male career Driver/Operator (D/O) responded to an alarm. Finding a falsely activated pull station, his engine company went back into service. Just as another call came in, the engine began to veer off the road. As the D/O collapsed over the steering wheel, the engine's Lieutenant (LT) climbed over the console and stopped the engine. Crew members extricated the D/O and notified Dispatch, who dispatched an ambulance and additional fire department (FD) units. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed, advanced life support (ALS) treatment was given, and the D/O was transported to the local hospital's emergency department (ED) for further treatment. Despite these measures, the D/O died. The death certificate and autopsy, completed by the Medical Examiner, listed 'acute subarachnoid hemorrhage' due to 'rupture of sacular cerebral aneurysm' as the cause of death with 'focal coronary artery atherosclerosis' as a significant condition. The NIOSH investigator concluded that the D/O's death was due to a ruptured cerebral aneurysm possibly triggered by some physical exertion earlier in the day and/or responding to the fire alarms.