Pine Level fire chief found dead-NC

[Riblett]

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/johnston/story/1117474.html

[Just Plain Ruff]

my condolences to his family but I have a question

What constitutes a line of duty death here?

Obviously this really isn't a LODD because it didn't happen on duty.

If someone dies on shift while they are sleeping is that a LODD?

My interpretation of a line of duty death is a fireman or paramedic or LEO who is killed while carrying out their duties.

Someone care to clarify it for me?

[CBEMT]

Chestnut said results from an autopsy were pending but that state officials are investigating to see whether Crocker's death would qualify as having been "in the line of duty" -- that is within 24 hours of responding to a fire or some other incident.

Basically, if you go to a fire at noon on Monday, go home, and wake up dead on Tuesday morning, it's a LODD under the theory that the death may not have happened if it weren't for the stress on the body caused by the incident. I believe that standard is federal, and would qualify for benefits under the PSOB.

[Just Plain Ruff]

thanks, I didn't know it goes back that far.

[Chief1C]

According to the "guidelines" in an LODD pamphlet from the NFPA; if one dies no more than 24 hours after responding to an incident; from an illness or injury that may have resulted from actions on said emergency; it's a Line of Duty Death. Now if they wreck a car on the way to buy milk, after returning home; no that's not the same. But if it's from an injury received during the incident; or a death that is medical in nature with in 24 hours. Or.. If you are hospitalized as a result of an injury or illness during and as a result of the incident; and die a week later in the ICU, etc.. That would also be an LODD; because it's a death that resulted from the incident.

One of our former members, living in New York; was a Vol fire chief; and he died of a heart attack at home; with in something like 10 hours of a large scale structural fire. That was treated as a Line of Duty Death.