Wednesday, June 2, 2010  On 5/27/10 my company responded and returned from a gas leak call at 0110 hrs. We were in the station when I exited the officers seat of the engine. At this time I slipped from the top step,falling backwards onto the concrete floor. As I was upright, the total fall distance was about 6 to 7 feet. My head struck the floor with such a crack, the guys in the back of the garage heard it. I also badly bruised my lower back and left elbow. I was taken to the local hospital for a CT scan and Xrays. luckily nothing was broken and my CT was negative. I am still off work with some back pain and headache, and hope the doctor will release me in a few days. I have read of other cases where firefighters have died from similar falls. Thank you Lord for watching over me. My company (volunteer) stresses safety at all times.

LESSONS LEARNED: Make sure of your footing and hold the grab rail when exiting apparatus. Take your time. Its not fun to be injured on the job. Not only does it hurt, you miss calls, have a mountain of paperwork,and sitting in a doctors office or hospital is not a great place to be on a hot summer day. A slip and fall can kill you. Be careful.

JF-10