Week 4: LODD – Reading Firefighters
Review the NIOSH – F2006-16: Fire apparatus operator suffers sudden cardiac death after responding to twelve calls – Georgia report.
Did the conclusions in this report offer recommendations for future prevention of similar incidents?
What relation did established regulations and standards have to the events surrounding the fatality?
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#1
Did the conclusions in this report offer recommendations for future prevention of similar incidents? What relation did established regulations and standards have to the events surrounding the fatality?
This NIOSH investigating was conducted on a 54-year-old male career Fire Apparatus Operator that suffered a heart attack during a call. An autopsy was completed by the County Medical Examiner and listed “cardiac dysrhythmia due to atherosclerotic CAD” as the cause of death. He had 90 percent blockage in his artery.
NIOSH offered a recommendation to prevent similar incidents. NIOSH stated, Perform pre-placement and periodic medical evaluations consistent with NFPA 1582 guidelines. Ensure that fire fighters are cleared for duty by a physician knowledgeable about the physical demands of fi refighting, the personal protective equipment used by fire fighters, and the various components of the NFPA Standard 1582, Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments (NIOSH 2006).
CAD (atherosclerosis) is the most common risk factor for cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death in the U.S. That being said, with the stress and physical labor that goes with the job it contributes to a higher risk. NIOSH can make their recommendations and Departments can implement regulations but it is up to that person to do their part. As you get older and continue to stay in this line of work, you have to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I am not saying you have to be a “gym rat” but you must stay in shape and eat right. I am not a fire fighter; I am a police officer so I still need to stay in shape. I have been by the fire hall and seen the way most of yawl eat. But that being said, most fire departments also have a gym. With all joking aside, we all get complacent and tend to slow down and get a little lazy. When your uniform starts to get tight, maybe it is time to slow down your intake, or hit the tread mill. You also need to get a physical every year and follow your doctor’s orders. Some are just born with bad family genes, but with the right medication and a heathy lifestyle you should be fine. We cannot predict the future but you can do your part in preventing heart attacks by staying active and eating right. To some of us, 54 is not that old.
Work Cited:
Baldwin, T. N. (2006). Fire Apparatus Operator Suffers Sudden Cardiac Death After.
#2
Did the conclusions in this report offer recommendations for future prevention of similar incidents? What relation did establish regulations and standards have to the events surrounding the fatality?
In this week’s forum, the topic at hand describes the LODD of a career Fire Apparatus Officer which died due to a heart attack. The conclusion of the report does in fact recommend five solutions to prevent future accidents such as the one that happened on July 6-7, 2005 to happen again. I think that if this firefighter was taking better care of his self by monitoring the situations that he has been struggling for years maybe he could have prolonged his life. All the recommendations listed in the report were great. Recommendations that was given was to receive a periodic medical evaluation along with being cleared for duty, understanding the physical demands of a firefighter. I honestly thing this can be beneficial for both parties. The department can benefit from learning about the firefighter health history and if a problem could return in the future. It can benefit the firefighter in a way of learning about something that wasn’t present the last time of a visit.
Another recommendation was to develop a structured wellness/fitness program. I know most departments normally makes this a volunteer option and I disagree with that. This job is physical demanding at times and not having proper fitness can place a struggle on you and your team. Even though stress related fatalities were the leading cause of death in this career field some still didn’t take it seriously. Some people will take it as far as getting dress and going to the gym just to sit and play with the cellphones the whole time. I think that the wellness program should be mandatory and monitored. It should be monitored by having a structured program just as if it was training. At the end of the day it is training because we are training the body to react in the same manner while under stressful conditions.
To improve the bad eating habits that the fire department grew accustom too, the fire industry could hire health educators to teach better eating habits and health awareness. I think even a good meal prepping class would be beneficial. In conclusion with the proper implementation and guidance, I think there is a lot that we can do to improve this culture.
NIOSH. (2006, December 28). Fire Apparatus Operator Suffers Sudden Cardiac Death After Responding to Twelve Call- Georgia .
Retrieved from NIOSH: https://edge.apus.edu/access/content/group/security-and-global-studies-common/EDMG/FSMT405/NIOSH%20-%20F2006-16_Georgia%20Cardiac%20LODD-1.pdf