Medical events during the 2009 Los Angeles County Station Fire: lessons for wildfire EMS planning

Little is known about the types of injuries and medical problems encountered by fire department personnel during suppression of large campaign-type wildland fires. Such information could help to plan for response to medical incidents during future wildfires.

To describe the injuries and medical problems experienced by firefighters during the 2009 Los Angeles County Station Fire.

This was a retrospective analysis of case records of patients treated during the Los Angeles County Station Fire. Data were abstracted from two sources: the incident command medical tracking sheet and prehospital patient care reports (PCRs).

The sample included 183 patient contacts, of which PCRs were available for 65. For the remaining 118 patients, data were abstracted from the incident command medical tracking sheet. The most common chief complaint was extremity injury, accounting for 44 patient contacts (24% of all patients), with smoke inhalation second, at 32 patient contacts (17%). Of the 65 patients with PCRs, 31 (52%) were treated with oxygen, 26 (40%) had intravenous (IV) lines started, and 15 (23%) received an IV fluid bolus. Half of the patients were transported to an emergency department (ED); the remainder were treated on scene or self-transported to a non-acute care facility.

Most firefighter injuries and illnesses encountered during the Los Angeles Station Fire were minor. The prevalence of injuries observed should be taken into consideration in creation of protocols and mandatory equipment lists for fireline paramedics. Furthermore, advanced training for paramedics in the diagnosis and treatment of minor medical conditions may be useful.