Inspection Detail

Inspection: 305125023 - Frederick County Deptmart Of Fire And Emergency Se

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

On July 3, 2002, Employee #1, a recruit firefighter, was undergoing physical training with 12 other employees. At approximately 7:05 a.m., the employees began a warm up walk of approximately 0.5 mile under the direction of their instructor. They then began jogging approximately 2.7 miles to a park, at a pace of approximately 10 minutes per mile. At the rear parking lot in the park, the employees stopped and lined up to perform calisthenics for 15- 20 minutes. The employees then resumed running uphill through a wooded area located in the back of the park to return to the park entrance. Once all the employees returned to the park entrance, they were instructed to run two sets of uphill wind sprints that were approximately 300 ft in length. After completion of the wind sprints, the employees then reassembled in formation and began jogging back to the training facility. At approximately the 4.0 mile mark of the course, Employee #1 stumbled and fell to the ground. He lost consciousness and went into cardiac arrest at approximately 8:10 a.m. The assistant instructor began CPR. Emergency personnel arrived at the scene, began treatment, and transported Employee #1 to a hospital. The victim was later pronounced dead at approximately 9:21 a.m. The State Medical Examiner listed the cause of death as hyperthermia. The recorded temperature was 84 degrees with a heat index of 96 degrees at 8:02am.

Keywords: FIREFIGHTER, HEAT, CPR, HEAT STROKE, CARDIAC ARREST, HEAT EXHAUSTION