Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125854836 - Georgetown Fire District

Inspection Information - Office: Sacramento District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 6:30 p.m. on January 7, 1999, Employee #1, a volunteer fire fighter, pulled his engine up to a fire scene. He parked on an incline behind and to the side of another fire engine, and set the controls to activate the pumps. He then dismounted to attend to the pumping control panel, which was along the side of the truck and behind the cab. He pulled out the throttle control lever to rev the engine and increase the pumping pressure. At this time the fire engine began moving forward and Employee #1, thinking the brake may not have been fully set, tried to get back into the cab. He was halfway into the cab when the door struck the back of the second fire engine, pinning Employee #1 between the door and the cab. He suffered a crushed chest and abdomen, and was flown by Life Flight to Sutter Roseville Medical Center in Roseville, CA. It was later found that the control knob for transferring the drive line from the engine transmission to the pumps had been pushed into the "engine transmission" position. This might have occurred if Employee #1's equipment struck the control knob as he was exiting the cab, or if it was just not set properly. When Employee #1 revved the engine to pump water, the truck was in a forward drive mode and overcame the brake system. The fire engine would have stopped if the throttle control lever was turned off while he was alongside the truck.

Keywords: FIREFIGHTER, VEHICLE IN GEAR, WORK RULES, STRUCK AGAINST, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CRUSHED, FIRE TRUCK, DOOR