By Dave Statter
dstatter@wusa9.com
STATter 911 — http://www.statter911.com
WUSA9 — http://www.wusa9.com
 Courtesy photo |
NOKESVILLE, Va. — An investigation is underway trying to determine why a 42-year-old EMT died while training to be a firefighter. Cecilia Turnbough, an eight-year member of the Dale City Volunteer Fire Department in Prince William County, was found in cardiac arrest at the county’s training academy in Nokesville around 2:30 PM on Sunday.
Prince William County Department of Fire & Rescue Chief Kevin McGee said Turnbough was going through a maze in full gear as part of a Firefighter I class. According to McGee, instructors had been in voice contact with Turnbough as she navigated the maze. When they no longer heard her voice, instructors entered the maze and discovered she was not breathing and her heart had stopped beating.
CPR was started and a paramedic unit was dispatched. Turnbough was pronounced dead at Prince William Hospital.
According to Chief McGee there was no sign of trauma. An autopsy will be performed and an internal investigation is underway.
Dale City VFD Chief Chris Hool says they haven’t determined at this time if Turnbough took advantage of free annual physicals provided to volunteer members. According to Hool, the medical requirements now for new members are more stringent than when Turnbough joined the department. Neither chief would speculate if the death was caused by a medical condition.
EMT Turnbough was wearing SCBA with her mask in place as she traveled the maze. No smoke or fire is used with the maze. Chief McGee would not say at this time if Turnbough’s mask was still in place and the SCBA operating properly when she was found by the instructors.
According to members at Dale City, Cecilia Turnbough had recently decided she wanted to become a firefighter after eight years as an EMS member of the department. Turnbough’s husband Chris is a volunteer lieutenant at Dale City. The Turnboughs have three children. Their oldest son volunteered with them before joining the Navy.
Cecilia Turnbough worked as an accountant at George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Estate and Gardens.
Since 1972 Dave Statter has covered the news. A good deal of Dave’s reporting has focused on how fire and emergency medical services are delivered in and around Washington and Baltimore. Along the way, Dave was also a volunteer firefighter, an emergency dispatcher and a cardiac rescue technician.