EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WORKERS

Reports and Publications

Fatality Investigations

To address the continuing problem of national occupational fire fighter fatalities, NIOSH conducts independent investigations of fire fighter line of duty deaths through its Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP). This includes investigations of fire fighters who were serving in the capacity of an EMS worker. It distinguishes between deaths related to cardiac events and deaths related to traumatic events. The FFFIPP web page provides access to NIOSH fire fighter investigation reports and other fire fighter safety resources.

 

 

Fire fighter/EMS worker deaths related to cardiac events

Report number	Incident State	Title*
F2011-03	NH	Fire fighter-paramedic suffers sudden cardiac death during ice rescue training - New Hampshire
F2010-34	CA	Fire fighter/paramedic suffers sudden cardiac death after rescue training - California
F2010-17	OH	Fire fighter/paramedic dies from aortic dissection after three emergency responses - Ohio
F2010-12	UT	Fire chief suffers sudden cardiac death during emergency medical response - Utah
F2008-23	MA	Fire Fighter-Emergency Medical Technician Suffers Sudden Cardiac Death After Multiple Emergency Responses – Massachusetts
F2008-13	NY	Fire fighter-emergency medical technician suffers sudden cardiac death during overhaul - New York
F2007-21	NV	Fire fighter-emergency medical technician suffers sudden cardiac death during physical fitness training - Nevada
F2007-05	NY	Volunteer fire fighter/emergency medical technician suffers sudden death 2 hours after completing vehicle extrication training - New York
F2006-18	SC	Fire fighter/emergency medical technician (FF/EMT) suffers sudden death while on-duty - South Carolina
F2006-08	PA	Fire fighter/emergency medical technician suffers an acute myocardial infarction and dies three days later - Pennsylvania
F2005-33	NY	Captain suffers pulmonary embolism during response to a medical call and later dies - New York
F2004-22	SC	Career fire fighter/emergency medical technician suffers sudden death 5 hours after participating in emergency response - South Carolina
F2004-12	FL	Fire fighter-paramedic dies after performing physical fitness training - Florida
F2004-06	WA	Fire fighter-paramedic suffers sudden cardiac death while performing physical fitness training - Washington
F2003-22	TX	Volunteer fire fighter suffers sudden cardiac death after completing emergency medical technician (EMT) written examination - Texas
F2003-10	CA	Fire fighter suffers sudden cardiac death during a medical emergency response - California

* The reports listed below were selected based on the identification of EMT, paramedic, or medical response in the report title.

Fire fighter/EMS worker deaths related to traumatic events

Report number	Incident State	Title*
F2010-10	IL	One career fire fighter/paramedic dies and a part-time fire fighter/paramedic is injured when caught in a residential structure flashover - Illinois
F2009-30	GA	Career fire fighter/paramedic dies 2 days after being ejected during an ambulance rollover incident - Georgia
F2005-12	FL	Career fire fighter/EMT dies in ambulance crash - Florida
F2004-11	KY	Career lieutenant killed and fire fighter injured by gunfire while responding to medical assistance call - Kentucky
F2003-33	NE	Career fire fighter/emergency medical technician dies and paramedic is injured in a three-vehicle collision - Nebraska
F2003-07	CA	Career fire fighter/emergency medical technician dies from injuries sustained in fall from apparatus - California
F2003-05	TX	Career fire fighter/emergency medical technician dies in ambulance crash - Texas
F2002-44	IN	Parapet wall collapse at auto body shop claims life of career captain and injures career lieutenant and emergency medical technician - Indiana
F2002-42	NC	Emergency medical technician killed in single-vehicle crash while responding to structure fire - North Carolina
99-F42	CA	Fire fighters/emergency medical technician dies in apparatus incident at wildland fire - California
99-F29	MO	Firefighter/paramedic drowns during an underwater scuba training drill - Missouri
98-F24	SC	Emergency medical technician receives serious burns from an oxygen regulator flash fire - South Carolina
98-F08	CA	Three fire department members (two fire fighter paramedics and one helicopter crewman) and an automobile crash victim die of injuries sustained in an air ambulance/helicopter crash - California

* The reports listed below were selected based on the identification of EMT, paramedic, or medical response in the report title.

Also, NIOSH has investigated deaths of emergency medical services workers involved in motor vehicle crashes through the Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program. The purpose of these investigations is to better understand the circumstances that resulted in the EMS workers’ motor vehicle injury deaths. Each report includes a summary of the event resulting in the EMS worker’s death, and recommendations that employers and others can take to prevent future similar deaths.

Report number	Incident State	Title
2001-12	NY	Emergency medical technician dies in ambulance crash - New York
2001-11	KY	26-year-old emergency medical technician dies in multiple fatality ambulance crash - Kentucky