FIREFIGHTER DEATH AND INJURY STATISTICS

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FIREFIGHTER DEATH AND INJURY STATISTICS

• US and NY STATE

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The National Picture
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Reality CheckCivilian fatalities in the US
7,395
Source National Fallen Firefighters
Foundation Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives
3,675
1985
2005
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US Firefighter Deathssource NFPA Journal,
July-August 2006(not including 9/11/01 WTC
deaths)
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2005 US Firefighter Deaths Career
Volunteersource NFPA Journal, July-August
2006(not including 9/11/01 WTC deaths)
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US Firefighter Deaths by Type of Duty,
2005source NFPA Journal, July-August 2006
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US Firefighter Deaths by Cause of Injury,
2005source NFPA Journal, July-August 2006
8
US Firefighter Deaths by Nature of Injury,
2005source NFPA Journal, July-August 2006
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US Firefighter Deaths by Age Cause of Death,
2005source NFPA Journal, July-August 2006
10
US Firefighter Deaths inMotor Vehicle Accidents,
1995-2005source NFPA Journal, July-August 2006
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Background Information on US Firefighter Deaths

• Sources
• National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
• National Fire Protection Association
• US Fire Administration

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2005 Firefighter FatalitiesWho is dying?

• Career firefighters, those who are employed
  full-time as firefighters, suffered 25 deaths in
  2005.
• Volunteer firefighters accounted for 54 deaths.
• Another 8 victims were civilian contractors or
  seasonal employees of federal wildland agencies.
• The average age of firefighters who died in 2005
  was 47 years - the youngest was 18 and the oldest
  was 76.

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2005 Firefighter FatalitiesWhere are we dying?
Response/Return is still the most hazardous
activity

• Of the 13 deaths in road vehicles, five victims
  were not wearing seatbelts.
• Excessive speed was a factor in at least 3 of the
  crashes.
• Four firefighters died because of false alarms.
• Three firefighters were killed when they were
  struck by vehicles at the scene of an emergency.

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2005 Firefighter FatalitiesWhy are we dying?
Stress and overexertion are still the leading
killers

• The majority of firefighter deaths in 2005 were
  attributed to non-traumatic injuries. Heart
  attacks and strokes caused the deaths of 47
  on-duty firefighters.
• Almost half of the firefighters that died in 2005
  died from traumatic injuries such as
  asphyxiation, burns, drowning, vehicle crashes,
  and other physical injuries.

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2005 Firefighter FatalitiesWhere are we dying?

• The highest number of firefighter deaths occurred
  in New York, with 18 deaths in 2005. California
  and Texas were the next highest with 9 each.
• Across the U.S., rural responses were just as
  dangerous as urban/suburban fire response.

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2005 Firefighter FatalitiesWhat fireground
activities where most dangerous?

• 11 Fire Attack
• 6 Search and Rescue
• 2 Incident Command
• 2 Water Supply
• 1 Scene Safety
• 5 Other

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New York State Line of Duty Deaths and Injuries

• Note All figures are from NYS OFPC. Injury
  stats are from the NYS Fire Incident Reporting
  System (report IIC series). Since participation
  is voluntary, the numbers are incomplete and
  reflect only reported casualties.

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New York State Line of Duty Deaths, 1995-2005
(not including 343 FDNY deaths 9/11/01 at WTC)
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January through June 2005NYS Line of Duty Deaths
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2005 NYS Fire Service Injuries Deaths by
Activity
Other Activity,
Apparatus or
Undetermined
Driving/Riding
or No
Station
Vehicle
Response
Activity
10
16
4
Extinguishing
/Neutralizing
25
Incident
Scene Activity
8
EMS/Rescue
Suppression
12
Support
Access/Egress
22
3
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2005 NYS Fire Service Deaths Injuries by Type
of Duty
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2005 NYS Fire Service Injuries Deaths by Cause
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2005 NYS Fire Service Casualties by Symptom

• Notes
• Burn includes scald, chemical
• electrical
• Other includes various causes (each less than
• 1) and undeter-
• mined and no response

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2005 NYS Firefighter Injuries Deaths by
Location
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2005 NYS Fire Vehicle Accidents(source NYS DMV)

• There were a total of 199 fire apparatus
  accidents in 2005. Two persons died, and 263
  were injured.
• 59 of the occupants were unrestrained (no
  harness, belt or air bag) at time of accident.

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NYS DMV Fire Vehicle Accident Reports Manner of
Collision, 2005 (accident not necessarily caused
by FD driver)

• Top human factors cited
• (32) Failure to yield right of way
• (29) Driver inattention
• (12) Following too closely
• (7) Unsafe speed
• (5) Passing or lane change improper
• Top environmental factors cited
• (8) Slippery pavement
• (5) Obstructed, impaired or
  limited view

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2005 NYS Ambulance Accidents (source NYS DMV)

• There were a total of 493 acci-dents, killing 5
  and injuring 731.
• 136 injured occu-pants were unrestrained (no
  harness, belt or air bag) at time of accident.

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NYS DMV Ambulance Accident Reports Manner of
Collision, 2005 (accident not necessarily caused
by EMS driver)

• Top human factors cited
• (66) Driver inattention
• (63) Failure to yield right of way
• (33) Following too closely
• (17) Traffic control disregarded
• (12) Unsafe speed
• Top environmental factors cited
• (23) Slippery pavement
• (8) Obstructed, impaired or limited view

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The End Based on National Fallen Firefighters
FoundationFirefighter Life Safety
Initiatives.Adapted 8/06 with statistics from
NFPA,NYS DMV NYS OFPC by theLibrary, OFPC
Academy of Fire Science