Fire Department Reports Death of One of Its Own, Cites 'Medical Incident' That Occurred During Training Exercise
A Georgia firefighter has died several days after suffering a medical emergency during training.
“It is with heavy hearts that we inform you of the death of one of our own, Firefighter Matthew Smith. Matt passed away yesterday afternoon around 1700 hours, from complications of an apparent medical incident that he suffered during a training exercise last Thursday,” Bartow County Fire and Emergency Services posted Wednesday on its Facebook page.
“We will pass along arrangements as they become available. Please keep the Smith family and our department in your prayers during this difficult time,” the post concluded.
A firefighter with the Bartow County Fire & Emergency Services has died after a medical incident during training exercises. https://t.co/Mj8bsOSphM
— FOX 5 Atlanta (@FOX5Atlanta) March 22, 2023
Smith was 41, according to the Calhoun Times.
A statement from Bartow County Fire and Emergency Services said Smith “became unresponsive during a search and rescue training exercise at the Bartow-Cartersville Fire Joint Training Center.”
“Instructors for the exercise with Smith immediately recognized that he was experiencing an acute medical emergency and quickly removed him from the search maze to begin resuscitative measures,” the statement said.
The statement said staff of the training center “immediately began CPR and initiated Advanced Cardiac Life Support protocols.”
The statement said an on-site ALS ambulance was used to transport Smith to Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center.
“Emergency response personnel, as well as emergency department staff, worked tirelessly to resuscitate Smith,” the statement said.
The statement said Smith’s heart was revived and that he was on life support for six days.
The statement said Smith had been a firefighter for two years.
RIP to Bartow County firefighter Matthew Smith who they say died after a medical incident during training exercises yesterday. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/39PrP9KqBK
— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) March 22, 2023
Last month, Oregon firefighter Brandon Norbury died after suffering a medical emergency during training, the Gresham Fire Department announced on its Facebook page.
According to a report in the U.S. Fire Administration, he was “performing hose evolutions. Afterwards, he was pale and told his co-workers that he didn’t feel well.”
According to KPTV, Norbury died of a cardiac arrest.
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