Michael Lee Crawford

Incident Description: Lieutenant Crawford was on duty at the fire station, and performed standard maintenance and administrative duties. At approximately 1315hrs, Lieutenant Crawford drove the squad truck out of the fire station, intending to air-dry it after it had been washed. A short distance from the fire station, Lieutenant Crawford became incapacitated; the squad truck went off the road and down a 40-foot embankment. Witnesses to the incident called 911, and firefighters were dispatched to the scene. Firefighters found Lieutenant Crawford in the driver's seat, pulseless and not breathing. Lieutenant Crawford was removed from the squad and placed on a backboard. An AED was applied by firefighters, and shocks were delivered. Paramedics arrived and continued care. Lieutenant Crawford was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. He was later flown to a regional hospital for advanced cardiac care. Lieutenant Crawford died of complications related to his heart attack on February 19, 2005. For additional information regarding this incident, please refer to NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program report F2005-10 (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200510.html).