Fatal Incidents
The fatal incidents topic deals with a range of articles, news and exclusives surrounding the unfortunate side of a responders’ job.
Designating specific roles and other tips to make the hardest part of the job a bit easier
Is death notification training associated with decreased burnout among EMS professionals?
A structure collapse response is going to be bigger than just your crew, so requesting ample resources early can go a long way as technical rescue teams assemble
The driver jumped a curb and smashed through a wall and into the building; one injured is in critical condition and five others are serious
It’s fine if you don’t want to respond when not working, just don’t advertise what you do for a living
They were on their lunch break when a restaurant worker had a fatal asthma attack; a judge dismissed the case because the unconscious woman did not request medical attention for herself
Investigators are confident the fire was unintentional, but they have not decided whether anyone will face charges
Family members expressed outrage over the department’s handling of the issue, including holding a closed-door review of the officer on duty
Lisa Zemack, 61, is accused of running a stop sign and hitting an ambulance, killing the patient inside
The 45-year-old struck an overhang while on top of the train car; he was pronounced dead on the scene from severe head trauma
Donovan Alden, 32, was struck head-on by a car that crossed the double yellow lines, then rear-ended by another car
A series of chain-reaction accidents involving three semi-trucks and 11 passenger vehicles left one woman dead and another in critical condition
Officials said they believe the fierce flames may have severed the fallen heroes’ fire hose as they struggled to battle the raging blaze
The part-time EMT swerved into the oncoming lane to pass a car, then swerved back and struck a Jeep Cherokee, killing a 21-year-old who had been out to dinner with his family
Lt. Edward J. Walsh had nearly 30 years on the job; Firefighter Michael R. Kennedy was a six-year veteran
In radio conversations, firefighters were heard asking for more water and being ordered out of the building as the 9-alarm fire tore through a brownstone
The driver of a white sedan who did not stop was arrested after swerving into the party bus’s lane; the two collided and the bus struck a guardrail and overturned
Firefighter Edwin “Jeff” Wentzel, a 35-year veteran of the department, was struck and killed by a train searching for a missing woman
Within hours of the mudslide, emergency crews were searching for life in a post-apocalyptic scene, dodging chunks of splintered birch trunks, half-buried pickup trucks and growing pools of water
He pulled out a gun and shot himself in the head; people hid and frantically ran, but he made no move to harm anyone besides himself
Residents of the motel included Superstorm Sandy victims who were staying there because their homes remain uninhabitable
Lt. Kellene Davis is at the center of the investigation when, despite cries for help, nobody responded when Cecil Mills collapsed and died across the street from the firehouse
He gave CPR for 10 minutes before concluding nothing could be done to save the 7-year-old girl who died following an asthma attack
Her 15-year-old sister was also seriously injured when the van was struck by a semi-truck
A race volunteer and EMT in another city rushed over and didn’t feel a pulse; he’s concerned medics didn’t start CPR but they say she did have a pulse
The helicopter crashed and caught fire on top of at least three vehicles; one person was taken to a hospital in critical condition
The driver was trying to pass another vehicle and lost control; people who heard screams and saw flames gathered at a bridge above the horrific scene
Accidents involved at least 50 cars along a 2-mile stretch, as emergency workers stuck in traffic struggled to reach victims
The suspected drunk driver fleeing from police crashed through festival barricades and slammed into people outside a nightclub
