Two Career Fire Fighters Die after Falling From Elevated Aerial Platform – Texas

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Kilgore, TX double LODD, NIOSH Report: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200906.html

Two Career Fire Fighters Die after Falling From Elevated Aerial Platform – Texas

SUMMARY

On January 25, 2009, two male career fire fighters, age 28 (Victim #1) and age 45 (Victim #2), died after falling from an elevated aerial platform during a training exercise in Texas. The fire fighters were participating in the exercise to familiarize fire department personnel with a newly purchased 95-foot mid-mount aerial platform truck. A group of four fire fighters were standing in the aerial platform which was raised to the roof of an eight-story dormitory building at a local college. The platform became stuck on the concrete parapet wall at the top of the building. During attempts to free the platform, the top edge of the parapet wall gave way and the aerial ladder sprung back from the top of the building, then began to whip violently back and forth. Two of the four fire fighters standing in the platform were ejected from the platform by the motion. They fell approximately 83 feet to the ground and died from their injuries.

See attached report