Firefighter Autopsy Protocol - US Fire Administration - Federal ...

■ Firefighter Autopsy Protocol
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I: Background ■
not always be possible when the SCBA is destroyed in the fire. Regardless, it is important to check the
service life of the SCBA as part of any investigation, particularly where there is a question of asphyxiation.
The actual service life provided by an SCBA is always significantly less than the rated service life, since
firefighters can exhaust the air supply through more rapid breathing due to physical activity and stress.
Some instances also may be able to compromise the positive pressure of the facepiece, permitting the
infiltration of outside contaminants.
Experts may need to be consulted to determine how a firefighter’s protective clothing and equipment
performed or failed to perform. NIOSH has several independent consultants who are available to assist in
the evaluation of PPE. Checks of PPE include the following reviews:
■ the identification on each item of PPE that was worn;
■ the identification of each personal item of clothing that is worn underneath the protective clothing;
■ the manufacturer and date of manufacturing of each PPE item;
■ the standard to which the specific item of PPE complies;
■ any specific options or attributes of the clothing item; and
■ the condition of the item as found on the injured or deceased firefighter.
Specific guidelines for the examination of PPE items are provided in Appendix C.
III.8 Non-Line-of-Duty Deaths
Because of their repetitive exposure to toxic environments and carcinogens, many firefighters are
concerned that they are at a higher risk to die prematurely, particularly as their longevity on the job
increases. The causes of firefighter deaths that occur off-duty (or non-line-of-duty) sometimes can be
attributed to one exposure or to a series of exposures to toxins. There have been some major, welldocumented
exposures of firefighters to certain known carcinogens. It has been suggested, for instance,
that fires in occupancies manufacturing or storing chemicals in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, are responsible for increased incidence of cancer among the firefighters who fought these blazes.
In one of those examples, as many as 29 cases of cancer, including 19 cancer deaths, have occurred among
the approximately 100 firefighters who fought a fire in 1968 at the Everglades Fertilizer Plant in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida. All but one of these cases was diagnosed after the firefighter had retired or resigned
from the fire department. This case has prompted the NIOSH to initiate an epidemiological study of
firefighters involved in the Everglades fire.
More recently, additional medical and industry reviews have found the incidence of firefighter cancers to
be elevated as compared to other occupations.
■ A study of Seattle firefighters shows excess mortality from diseases of a priori concern, such as lung
cancer, nonmalignant respiratory disease, and cardiovascular disease. 18
■ An analysis of firefighter deaths in the Boston area indicated a 3-to-1 increase in firefighter cancers
when compared to the general population. 19
18
Heyer, Nicholas, Noel S. Weiss, Paul Demers, and Linda Rosentock. “Cohort Mortality Study of Seattle Fire Fighters:
1945-1983.” American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Vol. 17, 1990, pp. 493-504.
19
Musk, A. William, John M. Peters, and David H. Wegman. “Lung Function in Fire Fighters, I: A Three Year Follow-Up of Active
Subjects.” American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 67(7), 1977, pp. 86-89.