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Firefighter Statistics |
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USFA Counts 107 Firefighter Fatalities In 2004
Department of Homeland Security
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite continued advances in firefighting equipment, Incident Command System training, operations and safety training and improved communications, 107 U.S. firefighters died in the line of duty in 2004, a figure released today by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“Our nation’s firefighters lost in the line of duty is heartbreakingly real, directly impacting their communities, their fire departments, their fellow firefighters – and especially the families they leave behind,” said Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response. “As President Bush has noted, these men and women are sacrificing daily for the security and safety of their communities. We as a nation mourn the loss of these firefighters.”
In addition to last year’s 107 firefighter deaths, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has learned of an additional firefighter fatality in 2003 and a firefighter death in 2004 as the result of an incident in 2002. These fatality statistics for 2004 are provisional and subject to change as the USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify the names of firefighters reported to have died on-duty during 2004. The final annual firefighter fatality report for 2004 is expected to be available by early June.
“Firefighters continue to give their lives while serving their communities,” said R. David Paulision, U.S. Fire Administrator. “In 2004, a number of individuals and organizations came together to start the Line of Duty Death prevention initiatives. I look forward to working with the entire fire service and stakeholder organizations, in making sure the 16 initiatives become a part of every department. We as a fire service must come together and take those actions necessary to ensure everyone goes homeafter every call,.” said Paulison.
There were a total of 104 incidents that took the lives of firefighters in 2004:
Career firefighters, those who are employed full-time as firefighters, comprised 29 deaths (27%) in 2004.
Volunteer, seasonal, and part-time firefighters accounted for 78 deaths.
Half of the firefighters that died in 2004 died from traumatic injuries such as asphyxiation, burns, drowning, vehicle crashes, and other physical injuries.
The balance of firefighter deaths in 2004 were attributed to non-traumatic injuries such as heart attacks and strokes. Heart attacks caused the deaths of 49 on-duty firefighters.
Nine firefighters died in 2004 in response to wildland fires (grass, trees, brush). This is the lowest level of wildland-related firefighter deaths since 1996 and represents a significant drop from the 29 wildland-related firefighter deaths that occurred in 2003.
Three firefighters were killed when fire apparatus backed over them.
A Pennsylvania incident occurred at the fire station and was not associated with an emergency response.
Five firefighters were killed when they were struck by passing vehicles at the scene of an emergency.
Additionally, four firefighters were killed in falls from fire department vehicles.
A Massachusetts firefighter died when he fell from a responding engine company. This department also suffered a fatal fall injury involving fire apparatus in 1984.
A Kentucky firefighter was shot and killed as she approached an emergency that involved domestic violence.
Twenty firefighters died in vehicle collisions.
Seven deaths involved the crash of firefighters’ personal vehicles.
Three firefighters died in aircraft crashes; one in a medical helicopter and two wildland fire fighting aircraft.
Five firefighters died in crashes that involved responding fire apparatus.
Firefighter deaths took place in 40 states. Pennsylvania had the highest number of deaths with 17 firefighters killed; Kentucky suffered seven deaths, followed by California, Florida, Illinois, and New Jersey with five deaths each.
The average age of firefighters killed while on-duty in 2004 was 47. The average age of a firefighter that died of a heart attack or stroke was 52, and the average age of firefighters who died of traumatic injuries was 42.
For additional information on firefighter fatalities, including the annual fatality reports from 1986 through 2003 and the Firefighter Fatality Retrospective Study 1990-2000, please visit the USFA website at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fatalities/statistics/ff_stats.shtm.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
USFA Releases "Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2004"
Release Date: September 27, 2005
Emmitsburg, MD. - The United States Fire Administration today released the report Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2004. This report details the circumstances and trends found in the 117 firefighter deaths experienced by the United States in 2004. Firefighters that died on-duty
in 2004 represent forty-one (41) states. Pennsylvania suffered the largest number of deaths with 18 firefighter fatalities. In 2004, 36 career firefighters and 81 volunteer firefighters lost their lives serving their communities.
"The challenge to reduce firefighter fatalities is one the entire fire service needs to take an active role in addressing. Many of our firefighter fatalities could be prevented by simple steps to enhance
safety such as using seat belts, reducing speed while responding, and improved training," said Deputy United States Fire Administrator Charlie Dickinson. "The USFA looks forward to working with the many fire organizations and departments to continue the development and implementation of the sixteen Everyone Goes Home firefighter safety initiatives."
Eighty firefighters died in activities directly related to emergency incidents. This includes all firefighters who died while responding to an emergency, while at an emergency scene, or while returning from the emergency incident. Non-emergency activities accounted for 37 fatalities. Non-emergency duties include training, administrative activities, or performing other functions that are not related to an emergency incident.
- Two Pittsburgh firefighters were killed in the collapse of a burning church, two Nebraska firefighters were killed in the collapse of a burning single-family residence, and two Philadelphia firefighters were killed when they became trapped in the basement of a burning home. The Philadelphia Fire Department also suffered the loss of a firefighter in a January structure fire.
- Six female firefighters died in 2004. This level of female deaths has only been exceeded once in the past when four female firefighters perished in a single incident in 1994.
- The leading type of duty being performed by firefighters that died in 2004 was working on the scene of a fire incident. Thirty firefighters died while working on fire scenes.
- The second leading type of duty was responding and returning from an incident scene with 22 deaths. Over half of these deaths were in vehicle crashes.
- 2004 had the highest level of stress or overexertion-related deaths in over a decade. There were 66 firefighter deaths that were attributed to stress and overexertion in 2004.
- In 2004, 61 firefighters died of heart attacks, 4 died of strokes, and 1 firefighter died of a heart-related cause.
The report also contains detailed information on healthy eating and safety during specific components of emergency response. The report may be ordered in hardcopy or downloaded in portable document format (PDF) from the USFA Web site at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/applications/publications/display.cfm?it=9-0831.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and
the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
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