Incident Name:
Date: January 11, 1999
Personnel: Martin Richard Wauson
Age: 55
Agency/Organization: US Forest Service, Ozark – St. Francis National Forest
Position: firefighter
Summary: Firefighter Martin Wauson was participating in an annual requalification test for seasonal fire fighting duty with the Forest Service. The test required the participant to carry a forty-five pound backpack and cover three miles within forty-five minutes. Martin Wauson had just passed the one mile mark when he collapsed. CPR and defibrillation were begun immediately by medical personal at the site, however Martin could not be revived. The autopsy revealed that Martin Wauson’s death was caused by hypertensive arteriosclerotic disease.
Maps
US Forest Service, Ozark – St. Francis National Forest, Paris, AR
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Reports, Documentation, Lessons Learned
- As a result of Martin Wauson’s death, the Forest Service temporarily suspended use of the pack test. Medical policy is still evolving and being implemented to assure that firefighters taking the Pack Test (Work Capacity Test) are healthy enough to take it.
- USFS Heroes Memorial: Martin Wauson
Wildlandfire.com Links:
Media Articles and Reports
Photos, Videos, & Tributes
- USFA Memorial Database: Martin Richard Wauson
Contributors to this article: John Miller
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