Transcript FIREFIGHTER FATALITY STATS

FIREFIGHTER DEATH
AND INJURY STATISTICS
US and NY STATE
2008-2009
Preliminary USFA
figures for 2009
source:
USFA Provisional Report 1/1/2009 to 12/31/2009
Preliminary 2009 USFA
LODD statistics
(NFPA narrowly defines “firefighter” and “line of duty,” so
their numbers are generally about 10% smaller)
93 firefighter LODDs were reported to USFA, 8 of
which were in New York
47 were volunteers; 38 were career
There were 6 multiple-fatality incidents
There were 15 fatal wildland incidents and 22 fatal
structure fires
Preliminary 2009 USFA
LODD statistics
There were 38 deaths unrelated to an incident.
(For example, heart attacks at home)
If incident-related, the most dangerous type of
duty associated with LODD was on-scene fire (28
deaths)
Preliminary 2009 USFA
LODD statistics
Stress/overexertion was by far the biggest killer (52
deaths)
Heart attack was the biggest medical factor,
causing 41 deaths
The 41-50 and 51-60 year age brackets were most at
risk overall
Preliminary 2009 NYS
Line-of-duty deaths
Walter Hessling, Dix Hills, 11/27/09 – Stroke following response to MVA
Patrick Joyce, Yonkers, 10/2/09 – Jumped from 3rd floor to escape flames
Richard Holst, Huntington, 9/9/09 – Undetermined collapse at fire scene
Charles “Chip” McCarthy, Buffalo, 8/24/09
Jonathan Croom, Buffalo, 8/24/09
Lt McCarthy & FF Croom were killed
while searching a burning commercial
structure when the main floor
collapsed
Paul Warhola, Brooklyn, NY, 8/14/09 - Cerebrovascular accident at scene
Robert Johnson, Mahopac Falls, 7/5/09 – Fell at the scene of a fire safety demo
Mark Bradley Davis, Cape Vincent, 1/31/09 – Shot by mentally disturbed EMS
patient
The National Picture:
analysis of 2008 deaths
source: NFPA Journal, July-August 2009
US Firefighter Deaths
(not including 9/11/01 WTC deaths)
On-Duty U.S. Firefighter Deaths, 1998-2008
140
Number of Deaths
120
112
103
100
105
103
103
102
97
91
87
103
89
80
60
40
20
0
1998 1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Year
2004 2005
2006
2007 2008
US Firefighter Deaths:
Career & Volunteer
1998 - 2008
(not including 9/11/01 WTC deaths)
CAREER
80
Number of Deaths
60
50
66
58
54
50
49
53
46
38
33
28
25
68
64
58
40
30
VOLUNTEER
70
70
29
25
29
20
25
42
46
23
10
0
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
US Firefighter Deaths by Type of Duty, 2008
source: USFA
Fireground
37%
Other on-duty
26%
Non-Fire
Emergencies
11%
Training
8%
Responding to
or Returning
from Alarms
18%
US Firefighter Deaths by
Cause of Injury, 2008
source: USFA
Overexertion,
Stress,
Medical
39%
Fell/Jumped
6%
Caught or
Trapped
13%
Other
5%
Struck by or
Contact with
Object
37%
US Firefighter Deaths by
Nature of Injury, 2008
source: USFA
Heart Attack
40%
Other
9%
Burns
4%
Asphyxiation
6%
Internal
Trauma
41%
US Firefighter Deaths by
Age & Cause of Death, 2008
Number of Deaths
source: USFA
30
Heart
Attack
25
Non-Heart
Attack
9
3
20
7
15
6
20
10
1
19
13
5
6
13
9
8
0
Age
US Firefighter Deaths in
Motor Vehicle Accidents, 1998-2008
25
20
5
Career
(blue)
4
15
1
10
2
1
3
5
1
1
17
14
7
8
2004
7
3
13
2002
10 10 10
5
1
10
9
2008
2006
2000
1998
0
Volunteer
(red)
Background Information on US
Firefighter Deaths
Sources:
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
National Fire Protection Association
US Fire Administration
2008 Firefighter Fatalities
Who is dying?
Career firefighters (defined as those who are
employed full-time as firefighters) suffered 46
deaths in 2008.
Volunteer and part-time paid firefighters
accounted for 68 deaths.
41% of firefighter fatalities were under the age of
40.
2008 Firefighter Fatalities
Where are we dying?
Nationally, fireground activities are the most
hazardous. Response/return was third:
Of the 15 deaths in road vehicles, 2 victims were not
wearing seatbelts.
Additionally 13 were killed in wildland aircraft crashes.
6 firefighters were killed when struck by vehicles at the
scene of an emergency.
2008 Firefighter Fatalities
Why are we dying? Stress and
overexertion are still the leading killers
The largest single cause of firefighter deaths in
2008 was sudden cardiac vascular or cardiac
events. Heart attacks caused the deaths of 46 onduty firefighters; 4 died of cardiac vascular
accidents.
More than half of 2008 firefighter deaths were from
traumatic injuries such as asphyxiation, burns,
drowning, vehicle crashes, and other physical
injuries.
2008 Firefighter Fatalities
Where are we dying?
47% of firefighter deaths on the
fireground were in residential
occupancies.
Residential fires accounted over 75% of civilian
deaths. They also cause roughly eight of ten
firefighter injuries every year.
2008 Firefighter Fatalities
Where are we dying?
Across the US, rural
response is generally just
as dangerous as urban /
suburban fire response.
New York State Line of Duty
Deaths and Injuries
Injury statistics for 2009 are not yet
final, so 2008 is used.
Note: Injury statistics are from the NYS Fire Incident
Reporting System (report IIC series). Since
participation is voluntary, the numbers are incomplete
and reflect only reported casualties. FDNY deaths are
included, but injuries are not.
New York State Line of Duty
Deaths, 1999-2009
(not including 343 FDNY deaths 9/11/01 at WTC)
18
16
Number of Deaths
16
14
12
11
11
10
8
8
8
7
7
8
7
6
6
5
4
2
0
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Year
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2008 NYS Fire Service
Injuries & Deaths by Activity
Undetermined
1%
Other Activity
7%
No Response
11%
Driving/Riding
Vehicle
Fire Department
9%
Apparatus
2%
Station
Activity
4%
Extinguishing/
Neutralizing
26%
Incident Scene
Activity
8%
EMS/Rescue
13%
Suppression
Support
16%
Access/Egress
3%
2008 NYS Fire Service Deaths
& Injuries by Type of Duty
Suppression
62%
EMS
8%
Other
Assignment,
Undetermined
or No Response
26%
Prevention,
Inspection, Fire
Investigation,
Training
4%
2008 NYS Fire Service Injuries
& Deaths by Cause
Other, Undetermined, No
Response
26%
Fall, Jump,
Slip/Trip
20%
Exposure to
Hazard
17%
Overexertion/
Strain
19%
Contact with
Object
14%
Struck/
Assaulted
5%
2008 NYS Fire Service Casualties by Symptom
Cut, Puncture
Wound, Bruise,
Abrasion
17%
Dislocation,
Fracture,
Strain, Sprain,
Swelling,
Crushing,
Amputation
28%
Note:
Burn includes
chemical,
electrical &
scald
Burn
6%
Shortness of
Breath
Smoke/Hazard2%
ous Inhalation
2%
Other,
Undetermined,
No Response
20%
Cardiac/Respiratory Arrest
2%
Stroke/Heat
Stroke
6%
Undisclosed
Sickness or
Pain
17%
2008 NYS Firefighter Injuries &
Deaths by Location
At Scene or
medical facility
75%
At FD Location
6%
Enroute to FD
Location or to
incident or
medical facility
5%
Returning from
Incident or
medical facility
1%
Other
Locations or
undetermined
or no response
13%
2008 NYS Fire Vehicle Accidents
(source: NYS DMV)
231
There were a total of
364 fire apparatus
accidents in 2008.
131
2
Fatal Accidents
Non-fatal
Personal Injury
Accidents
Accidents
Causing Property
Damage over
$1000
Two persons died (both
drivers, one driving a
non-fire vehicle) and
293 were injured.
NYS DMV Fire Vehicle Accident
Reports: Manner of Collision, 2008
(accident not necessarily caused by FD driver)
Top human factors cited:
(36) Driver inattention
(31) Failure to yield right of way
(16) Turning improperly
(11) Passing or lane change improper
311
27
Single Vehicle
Accidents
26
Two Vehicle
Accidents
Three Vehicle
Accidents
Top environmental factors
cited:
(17) Slippery pavement
(7) Obstructed or
limited view
2008 NYS Ambulance Accidents
(source: NYS DMV)
330
244
There were a total of 574
accidents, but no
fatalities this year
609 persons were
injured (Includes EMS
Non-fatal Personal
Injury Accidents
Accidents Causing
Property Damage over
$1000
responders, patients,
those in other vehicles, pedestrians,
etc.)
NYS DMV Ambulance Accident
Reports: Manner of Collision, 2008
(accident not necessarily caused by EMS driver)
Top human factors cited:
(81) Driver inattention
(78) Failure to yield right of way
(35) Following too closely
(24) Traffic control disregarded
(23) Unsafe speed
(19) Turning improperly
439
73
62
Top environmental factors
cited:
Single Vehicle
Accidents
Two Vehicle
Accidents
Three Vehicle
Accidents
(25) Animals action
(24) Slippery pavement
(22) Obstructed or limited view
For more information:
Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2008 (USFA)
http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/ff_fat08.pdf
Firefighter Fatalities in the United States 2008 (NFPA)
http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/osfff.pdf
Firefighter Injuries in the United States (NFPA, 2009)
http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files//PDF/OS.firefighterInjuries.pdf
Patterns of Firefighter Fireground Injuries (NFPA, 2009)
http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files//PDF/OS.patterns.pdf
What’s Changed Over the Past 30 Years? (NFPA, 2007)
http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/whatschanged.pdf
Based on:
“Firefighter Fatalities in the US in 2008” and “What’s
Changed Over the Past 30 Years?”
published in NFPA Journal, July-August 2009, p.60-67
USFA “Provisional Report” for 2009
and statistical reports from NYS DMV & NYS OFPC.
Data compiled by the Diana Robinson
Thank you!