HOUSTON -- A 26-year-old Houston firefighter trainee who collapsed and later died of heat stroke after a 4.4-mile run in April 2009 probably would have survived if department trainers had provided water during the run or an ice water immersion facility to lower his body temperature, a federal safety investigation concluded.
Cohnway M. Johnson, a former member of the Oak Hill Fire Department near Austin, died May 4, 2009, when he was taken off life support at a Houston hospital. He had collapsed at the end of a morning run with 35 other trainees who had applied to join the Houston Fire Department.
Jeff Caynon, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, on Monday said that before Johnson s death the union specifically recommended HFD trainers provide water during runs and have an ice bath available because of previous heat-related injuries to cadets.
Very clearly, before this happened, more could have been done to ensure that the cadets were hydrated, Caynon said. You know the Army, the Marine Corps, they train in heat and in environments very similar to this and are able to keep soldiers hydrated. So, clearly, it can be done.
18-month probe
Johnson s death was one of four HFD-related fatalities last year, including two firefighters who rushed into an empty residence without following safety procedures and were trapped by a wind-driven blaze. A fourth death occurred when an HFD ladder truck ran a red light and collided with a speeding fire engine.
An 18-month investigation into Johnson s death by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health cited a number of shortcomings with HFD s training program. An autopsy report determined Johnson died of complications of hyperthermia and dehydration, and NIOSH investigators concluded he died of exertional heatstroke caused by the department s training procedures.
Assistant Chief Kevin Alexander, who oversees HFD s training academy, said he did not know of any recommendations made by the union but said the department s medical procedures do not call for ice immersion.
I would have to research the information they provided. I know NIOSH does a good job of providing us information ... and there is always information to look at and room for improvement, Alexander said. Hydration is available to our cadets during their workouts. Again, safety is the utmost for all our cadets.
The NIOSH investigation also found HFD:
Sent Johnson on a 4.4-mile run on his sixth day of training, at variance with national training standards that recommend a gradual buildup in conditioning runs;
Is lacking a wellness program and does not require annual medical or physical fitness examinations.
Johnson did not have any underlying medical conditions that contributed to his death, the NIOSH report states. He was described as muscular, 5 feet 10 inches and 210 pounds, and had been training on his own before entering the academy.
The temperature at the time of the 6:15 a.m. run was 73 degrees, but NIOSH investigators calculated the morning workout caused Johnson to lose a significant amount of fluids during the hour and 10-minute jog in formation.
Given the trainee s weight, running speed and air temperature, it is estimated he lost almost a liter of sweat without an opportunity to replenish the loss during the run, the report states. It recommends HFD place water stations along the route or provide water bottles.
HFD officials at the training academy and arriving paramedics immediately treated Johnson, placing ice packs on his body and administering oxygen and giving him fluids intravenously. After arrival at the hospital 45 minutes after his collapse, Johnson s internal temperature was measured at 105.3 degrees and was estimated to have been much higher.
