The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Firefighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program recently issued reports on a Missouri career firefighter's death in restaurant lounge fire (F2004-10) and Minnesota volunteer assistant chief's death after being struck by a privately owned vehicle at a road construction site (F2003-37). The complete reports are online at www.cdc.gov/niosh/firehome.html.

On Feb. 18, 2004, in Missouri, a 40-year-old male career firefighter was fatally injured in a commercial restaurant/lounge structure fire. The victim, providing mutual aid, had been searching for the seat of the fire with two volunteer firefighters from another department when one of those firefighters lost the seal on his SCBA facepiece. That firefighter immediately abandoned the nozzle position and retreated out of the closest door. The backup firefighter also retreated when his partner left. In the black smoke and with zero visibility, the firefighters were unaware that the victim was still inside.

Soon after, the incident commander ordered an emergency evacuation because of an imminent roof collapse, and an air horn signal was sounded. Personnel accounting indicated that a missing firefighter (the victim) was still inside the building when the roof partially collapsed. After several searches, the victim was found face-down with his mask and a thermal imaging camera cable entangled in a chair. His facemask was dislodged and not over his mouth. He was pronounced dead on scene.

According to the coroner's report, cause of death was smoke inhalation. An independent toxicology report listed the victim's carbon monoxide level at 51% saturation.

Among other recommendations, NIOSH suggests that fire departments should:

• Conduct pre-incident planning and inspections to facilitate safe fireground strategy.
• Review, revise where appropriate, implement and enforce written SOPs that specifically address incident command duties, emergency evacuation procedures, accountability, rapid intervention teams and mutual aid operations.
• Train on the SOPs, the incident command system, and lost firefighter procedures with mutual aid departments.
• Ensure that the IC directs operations for the duration of the incident or until the command role is formally passed.
• Ensure that the IC conducts a risk-versus-gain analysis prior to committing firefighters to the interior and continually assesses that analysis.
• Ensure accountability reports are conducted in an efficient, organized manner with results reported directly to the IC.

On Oct. 27, 2003, in Minnesota, a 49-year-old male volunteer assistant chief was fatally injured after being struck by a privately owned vehicle at a road construction site. At about 21:45 hours, the victim and six other volunteer firefighters responded in three fire apparatus to a reported smoking generator at a road construction site. Two of the three apparatus returned to the fire department. The victim and two other firefighters remained with the brush truck to wait for a representative of the construction company.

On leaving, the crew stopped to replace a road-closed barricade at the entrance to the construction site. Shortly thereafter, a civilian failed to make the turn necessary to detour around the construction site and struck the victim who was standing next to the brush truck. The victim was dragged about 60 feet and then trapped beneath the truck. He was declared dead on scene.

The cause of death according to the medical examiner's report was craniocerebral injuries and closed head trauma.

NIOSH recommends that fire departments should:

• Ensure apparatus are placed to protect firefighters from traffic.
• Establish and enforce SOPs regarding safe work practices in or near moving traffic.
• Train personnel in safe procedures for operating in or near moving traffic.
• Ensure that when operating at an emergency scene, personnel wear high-visibility apparel suitable to the incident, such as a highly visible, reflectorized flagger's vest.