Inspection Detail

Inspection: 301331435 - L.A. Co. Fire Dept.

Inspection Information - Office: Monrovia District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 10:30 a.m. on January 11, 2004, Employee #1, a 45-year-old fire captain, was demonstrating a survival technique that would enable a fire fighter, trapped on the second story of a building, to escape through a window without a ladder. This technique required the use of his Self Contained Breathing apparatus (SCBA) as an anchor device and Employee #1 had successfully demonstrated this technique on previous occasions. While performing the demonstration, a malfunction occurred. Employee #1's SCBA slid up vertically to the window ledge before it cantilevered out of the window. His coworkers attempted to grab the SCBA before it left the window, but could not. Additionally, a safety lifeline was in place to prevent his torso from hitting the ground, but the length of the safety line, the lag of the system's response, and the give of the rope were miscalculated. This miscalculation allowed for his right leg to strike the ground before the lifeline system fully engaged. Employee #1 was hospitalized at Irvine Medical Center and treated for a fracture to his right tibia and fibula, requiring surgery.

Keywords: FIREFIGHTER, FRACTURE, TIBIA, STRUCK AGAINST, LEG