St. Louis Firefighter’s Death Allegedly Tied to Malfunctioning Breathing Gear, Lawsuit Says

Missouri / St. Louis – A lawsuit has been filed by the family of a St. Louis firefighter who perished while battling a fire at an abandoned North City residence. The lawsuit claims that the firefighter’s death was caused by defective breathing apparatus.

On January 13, 2022, Benjamin Polson lost his life battling a fire in a house on Cote Brilliante. The house gave way in parts.

According to a complaint filed on Thursday, Polson’s breathing apparatus was malfunctioning. The parties named in the action are 3M and Scott, a division of the company.

According to the lawsuit, Polson’s Personal Alert Safety System (PASS Devis) was not activated, and no other firefighters were notified of his whereabouts. The area where firefighters looked for Polson was not close to where he was. According to the lawsuit, while he was on the second level of the house, other firefighters checked the first floor and the basement.

Polson inhaled smoke and died as a result. According to the lawsuit, Polson experienced severe agony, trauma, suffering, and injury.

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The lawsuit also lists cases from New York State, Philadelphia, California, and Texas on comparable issues with their breathing apparatus.

The St. Louis Fire Department altered its method of dealing with abandoned buildings following Polson’s passing.

Regarding the case, 3M provided the following comment to First Alert 4:

We offer our sympathies to Benjamin Polson’s friends and family. 3M stands by its goods and its track record of assisting in preserving first responders’ safety.