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Heart Attack Leading Cause of Death for Firefighters
Washington, D.C. - The United States Fire Administration (USFA) released
today a comprehensive study which examines the causes of deaths for
"on-duty" firefighters. The USFA Firefighter Fatality Retrospective
Study:
1990-2000 is an in-depth analysis as to the causes for more than 1,000
on-duty deaths which have occurred in the United States during the last
decade of the 20th century. The goal of the study is to identify trends
in
firefighter mortality, and use the information to help reduce firefighter
deaths by 25% in 5 (five) years.
The key findings of the study include:
- The leading cause of death for firefighters is heart attack (44
percent). Death from trauma, including internal and head injuries, is
the second leading cause of death (27 percent). Asphyxia and
burns account for 20 percent of firefighter fatalities.
- Each year in the United States, approximately 100 firefighters are
killed while on duty and tens of thousands are injured. Although the
number of firefighter fatalities has steadily decreased over the past
20 years, the incidence of firefighter fatalities per 100,000 incidents
has actually risen over the last 5 years, with 1999 having the highest
rate of firefighter fatalities per 100,000 incidents since 1978.
- Firefighters under the age of 35 are more likely to be killed by
traumatic injuries than they are to die from medical causes (e.g., heart
attack, stroke). After age 35, the proportion of deaths due to traumatic
injuries decreases, and the proportion of deaths due to medical causes
rises steadily.
- Since 1984, motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) have accounted for between
20 and 25 percent of all firefighter fatalities, annually. One quarter
of the firefighters who died in MVCs were killed in private/personally
owned vehicles (POVs). Following POVs, the apparatus most often involved
in fatal collisions were water tankers, engines/pumpers, and airplanes.
More firefighters are killed in tanker collisions than in engines and
ladders combined.
- About 27 percent of fatalities killed in MVCs were ejected from the
vehicle at the time of the collision. Only 21 percent of firefighters
were reportedly wearing their seatbelts prior to the collision.
- Approximately 60 percent of all firefighter fatalities were individuals
over the age of 40, and one-third were over the age of 50. Nationwide,
firefighters over the age of 40 make up 46 percent of the fire service,
with those over 50 accounting for only 16 percent of firefighters. About
40 percent of volunteer firefighters are over the age of 50, compared
to 25 percent of career firefighters.
- The majority of firefighter fatalities (57 percent) were members
of local or municipal volunteer fire agencies (including combination
departments, which are comprised of both career and volunteer personnel).
Full-time career firefighters account for 33 percent of firefighter
fatalities. Numerically more volunteer firefighters are killed than
career personnel, yet career personnel lose their lives at a rate disproportionate
to their representation in the fire service.
- In many fire departments, EMS calls account for between 50 and 80
percent of their emergency call volume. These EMS incidents result in
only 3 percent of firefighter fatalities. Trauma (internal/head) accounts
for the deaths of 50 percent of firefighters who were involved in EMS
operations at the time of their fatal injury. Another 38 percent involved
in EMS operations died from heart attack. For the past 25 years, the
United States Fire Administration (USFA) has tracked the number of firefighter
fatalities and conducted an annual analysis.
Through the collection of this information on the causes of firefighter
deaths, the USFA is able to focus on specific problems and direct national
efforts to finding solutions for the reduction of firefighter fatalities
in the future. The information in this study is also used to measure the
effectiveness of current programs directed toward firefighter health and
safety. One of the USFA main program goals is a 25 percent reduction in
firefighter fatalities in 5 years and a 50 percent reduction within 10
years. The complete report may be viewed and downloaded from http://www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/fa-220.cfm
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