The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Firefighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program recently issued reports on a New Jersey volunteer fire/police captain's motor vehicle death (f2003-16) and the deaths of two Tennessee firefighters in the partial roof collapse in a commercial structure fire (F2003-18). The complete reports are posted at www.cdc.gov/niosh/firehome.html

On Feb. 23, 2003, law enforcement and fire department units were dispatched to a motor vehicle incident at a state highway/township road intersection. Emergency personnel were on the scene for approximately 30 minutes when a vehicle struck the victim while he was directing traffic in a heavy fog.

On-scene personnel, trained as emergency medical technicians, came to the aid of the victim. He was then transported to the trauma center of a local hospital for further treatment. The victim was scheduled to be released from the hospital on March 1, 2003, but was not due to complications. He remained in the hospital until April 19, 2003, when he died as a result of complications from his injuries.

The death certificate listed the cause of death as severe pneumonia as a consequence of complications due to a pedestrian motor-vehicle accident.

Based on its investigation, NIOSH suggests that fire departments should:

• Ensure that the placement of various types of warning devices (portable signs; orange traffic cones; flares; and/or portable, changeable message signs) informs drivers of what to expect at an incident scene.
• Consider positioning flaggers on or near the shoulder of the roadway upstream (approaching traffic) from the incident scene.

Additionally, NIOSH recommends incident management agencies, including departments of transportation, should consider disseminating traffic control and road condition information to motorists using local commercial and public radio and television broadcasts.

On June 15, 2003, a 39-year-old male career lieutenant (Victim 1) and a 39-year-old male career firefighter (Victim 2) died while trying to exit a commercial structure following a partial collapse of the roof, which was supported by lightweight metal trusses.

The victims were part of the initial-entry crew searching for the fire and possible entrapment of the store manager. Both were in the back of the store operating a hand line on the fire that was rolling overhead above a suspended ceiling. A truck company was pulling ceiling tiles, searching for fire extension when a possible backdraft explosion occurred in the void space above the tiles.

Victim 1 called for everyone to back out due to the intense heat. At this point, the roof system at the rear of the structure began to fail, sending debris down on top of the firefighters. Victim 1 and Victim 2 became separated from the other firefighters and were unable to escape.

Crews were able to remove Victim 2 within minutes and transported him to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries the following day. Soon after Victim 2 was removed, the rear of the building collapsed, preventing further rescue efforts until the fire was brought under control. Victim 1 was recovered approximately 1H hours later.

The county medical examiner listed the cause of death for Victim 1 as thermal burns. The cause of death for Victim 2 was thermal inhalation injury.

NIOSH recommends that fire departments should:

• Ensure that the first-arriving company officer does not become involved in firefighting efforts when assuming the role of incident command.
• Ensure that the incident commander conducts an initial size-up and risk assessment of the incident scene before starting interior firefighting.
• Conduct pre-incident planning and inspections for mercantile and business occupancies.
• Ensure that ventilation is closely coordinated with the fire attack.
• Ensure that firefighters immediately open ceilings and other concealed spaces whenever a fire is suspected of being in a truss system.
• Ensure that firefighters performing firefighting operations under or above trusses are evacuated as soon as it is determined that the trusses are exposed to fire.
• Consider using a thermal- imaging camera as a part of the size-up operation to aid in locating fires.