Sudden cardiac arrest

What is the No. 1 killer of adults? What is the No. 1 killer of student athletes?

What is the No. 1 killer of firefighters?

What is the chance of surviving sudden cardiac arrest? The survival rate is dismal — less than 10 percent.

Forty-seven years ago, a fellow college classmate presented a speech about the risks of being a first responder. With his firefighter background he surprised me with the statistic that heart attack was the No. 1 killer of firefighters. Fast forward to 2019 and sudden cardiac arrest is still the No. 1 cause of line of duty death for firefighters according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

Being a first responder is mentally stressful and physically demanding. Firefighters are dying on the job from compromised cardiovascular conditions. On the job exhaustion is the primary trigger of heart failure due to overexertion. Contributing to exhaustion, in addition to the heat from fire or weather, is wearing the required protective clothing and gear for vehicle, structure and forest fire suppression as well as, the wet suit for water rescue.

In 2016, 69 firefighters died in the United States while on duty. Twenty-five of the deaths were from sudden cardiac arrests. Ten of the fatal sudden cardiac arrests happened during firefighter training events.

For those of us who have called 911 to help our aging parents or in emergencies when a co-worker has collapsed while stacking bales of hay, it is a relief to know that help is on the way. We are understandably thankful and humbled by the aid, training and dedication of first responders. There is something courageous and admirable about those who put themselves at risk and rush towards danger to help others.