Camp 11 Physical Training Medical Emergency Fatalities 1978

Los Angeles County Fire Control Laborer Trainees Joseph Hughes and Timothy Rodriguez succumbed to heat stroke they developed while on a physical training course at LA County Camp 11 near Acton. The two young men were at the front of a group of 15 trainees when they sat down to rest and were passed by the rest of the group. Neither Hughes nor Rodriguez returned to camp at the end of the training exercise and a search found both had collapsed on the course. Paramedics flew to the site by helicopter and discovered both men in critical condition, with one already in cardiac arrest. They were flown to the hospital where they were pronounced dead. Fire officials and the National Weather Service disagreed about what the temperature was at the time of the incident, with NWS stating the high was 106 degrees Fahrenheit in the area, and fire officials stating it was about 97. Both men had internal temperatures at arrival to the hospital of 108-109 degrees. The incident triggered an evaluation of the selection criteria and medical screening of fire laborer candidates.