TAVARES, Fla.-- NIOSH investigators have recommended that a Florida fire training academy pay closer attention to the medical conditions of its students.
On Sept. 17, 2005, Kevin Enfinger, 22, collapsed while jogging at the Institute of Public Safety in Tavares, Fla.
The recruit, who weighed 304 pounds and had a history of high blood pressure, asthma and a previous heart condition, had received permission from a doctor to participate in the firefighting training.
Federal investigators noted: "The physical exertion associated with the Trainee's physical fitness training probably triggered his sudden cardiac death."
The probe of the recruit's death was initiated a month shy of the first anniversary of the incident.
The class started the day with a timed gear donning drill. After that, they changed into shorts, t-shirts and running shoes. They formed two lines, each line carrying a stretched-out section of dry 2-and-a-half-inch hose line, and began a slow jog. The recruits were spaced about five feet apart. After making the turn to come back to the training area, a distance of 300 to 400 yards, Enfinger collapsed, according to the report.
His crew immediately started treatment, and personnel from a fire station across the street responded to assist. Despite the early intervention, including ALS care and 50 minutes of resuscitative effort, Enfinger died.
Friends said to combat fatigue, he had been taking vitamins and caffeine pills. However, his drug test was negative.
However, several heart defects were discovered during the autopsy.
NIOSH investigators suggested that fighters are cleared for duty by a physician knowledgeable about the physical demands of firefighting, the personal protective equipment used by firefighters, and the various components of NFPA 1582. Encourage firefighters to provide accurate medical history information to the fire department physician.
Enfinger's death is not included in the U.S. Fire Administration's data base because he was not a member of a fire department.
The entire report can be viewed at NIOSH
