A Columbia firefighter's death in February highlights the need for more firefighters in the county, according to a report from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.
Timmy Young died after a heart attack he had while responding to a medical call. He was an engineer stationed at the Capital View fire station in Richland County, one of eight stations with only one firefighter on duty at all times.
NIOSH investigator Tommy Baldwin said having a second firefighter with Young wouldn't have made a difference in this case, but it's something the agency noticed while conducting it's investigation.
"It's primarily for the safety of the individuals in the fire station," he said. "If one person encounters a medical situation or they have a heart attack or some kind of medical condition, then there is a backup person there to assist them."
Baldwin cited a case in Pennsylvania where a firefighter had a heart attack while alone at a station and barely managed to get to a phone and dial 911. He died later at a hospital.
James Ballentine took Young's place at the Capital View station in February. He works 24-hour shifts in which he is the only person at the station.
"When I get on that truck the first thing in the morning and check the water level, if my foot slips and I fall, how long would I be on the ground?" he said.
The department has applied for a federal grant that would pay for hiring 29 firefighters so those county stations would have at least two firefighters on duty.
Distributed by the Associated Press
