ST. LOUIS — The family of Ben Polson, a St. Louis city firefighter who tragically died in 2022 while fighting a fire, has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer of his safety equipment. The lawsuit claims that there was a critical failure in the equipment that contributed to his death.
Polson died after a burning home collapsed on him, and he became trapped under the rubble. According to court documents, Polson ran out of oxygen while he was trapped. The lawsuit alleges that his breathing equipment, manufactured by 3M and its subsidiary, was supposed to emit an alarm to alert other firefighters when he stopped moving. However, the lawsuit claims this alarm never sounded.
The family is now seeking accountability from the manufacturers, asserting that the equipment failed to operate as needed during the critical moments of the fire.
