LODD

Notice of Firefighter Fatality: Shreveport, LA

from USFA Firefighter Fatalities

Tommy Lee Adams of the Shreveport Fire Department in Shreveport, LA has died as the result of an on-duty incident that occurred on 2009-02-21 Chief Adams fell from a fire department ladder truck following the Crew of Gemini Mardi Gras parade earlier this year. At the end of the parade route, the fire trucks pulled to the side of the road to secure any loose empty boxes that held beads or cups. While clearing debris and boxes from the ladder truck, Adams fell approximately 10 feet, landing head first on the concrete roadway. Chief Adams' heart stopped and CPR was performed. Chief Adams was transported to Willis Knighton Pierremont hospital where he regained a heart rate, and his condition was listed as critical. He suffered fractures to his cervical (neck) spine and was placed on a breathing machine. In early March, Chief Adams was transferred to a rehab facility in Atlanta, Georgia. Chief Adams had been in a relative state of a coma since sustaining debilitating injuries as a result of this accident and passed away on December 12. Incident location: Pending