1996 10/18 AL Martha Bice

Incident Name:
Date: event date: 10/18/1996; exact death date unknown: between 10/20-10/24/1996
Personnel: Martha Ann Bice
Age: 59
Agency/Organization: West Etowah VFD, Altoona, AL
Position: firefighter

Summary: On October 18, 1996, while cutting firebreaks at a brush fire, a firefighter Martha Ann Bice suffered a heart attack and collapsed. She was taken to the hospital where she underwent triple bypass surgery. She returned home and died several days later from medical complications.

Maps

West Etowah VFD, Altoona, Alabama

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Reports, Documentation, Lessons Learned

Excerpt from Protective Clothing for Wildland Fire Suppression …Protective Clothing for Wildland Fire Suppression
The article that this was transcribed from is no longer online — was at tinhelmet.com under archives_files/mauney_wildland.pdf

The following portion was apparently a MTDC review of deaths of firefighters (1985-1999) wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) not designed for wildland fire conditions.

The following has info on firefighters that died… Ch 8 (pp 26-27) heart attack and heat stroke fatalities.

“The following individual firefighter fatality information was obtained from NFPA, NIOSH, and OSHA investigation reports as well as personal interviews with department personnel.”

6.1 East Coast Fatalities

(snip)

On October 18, 1996, while cutting firebreaks at a brush fire, Alabama Firefighter Martha Ann Bice suffered a heart attack. Personal interviews with co-workers indicate she was wearing structural turnout gear. A few days later she succumbed to her injury.
MTDC: 1993 – Components of Wildland Fire Personal Protective Equiipment (PPE)
Martha’s name, death date and brief bio are included in the USFA Firefighter Fatality Retrospective Study, published April 2002 (2,888 K pdf)
US Social Security Death Index: Martha A Bice