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By FireRescue1 Staff

MACON, Miss. — Physical wellness and fitness measures could have helped prevent the death of a volunteer fire chief, NIOSH investigators say.

Chief Charlie Fraley, of the City of Macon Fire Department in Mississippi, died after suffering cardiac arrest at a house fire in April last year.

Investigators found that responding to the fire and the physical stress of stretching a fire hose, in addition to the Chief's underlying heart condition, triggered the medical emergency.

As a result of the findings, the firefighter fatality report released Tuesday makes the following recommendations for departments to limit the chances of similar incidents:

• Provide preplacement and annual medical evaluations to firefighters consistent with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1582, Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments.

• Ensure firefighters are cleared for return to 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.

• Phase in a comprehensive wellness and fitness program for firefighters.

• Perform an annual physical performance (physical ability) evaluation.

• Provide firefighters with medical clearance to wear self-contained breathing apparatus as part of the Fire Department's annual medical evaluation program.