Number of Firefighter Injuries Down Eight Percent from 2009

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November 2011

Firefighters suffered 71,875 injuries in the line of duty last year, an eight percent decrease from 2009 and a two-decade low, according to the new report (PDF, 400 KB) “U.S. Firefighter Injuries” issued by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The report takes a look at the number of 2010 firefighter injuries, injuries by type of duty, exposures to infectious diseases, and how a community’s size affects the number of injuries within a fire department.

“Firefighters work in varied environments under extreme conditions that increase their risk of on-the-job death and injury,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of communications for NFPA. “This analysis helps NFPA and local fire departments gain a better understanding of how injuries occur so fire departments can implement the best solutions to minimize inherent risks.”

Key findings from the report include:

• An estimated 15,000 injuries, or 20.8 percent of all firefighter injuries, resulted in lost time from work in 2010.
• In addition to injuries, there were 11,200 exposures to infectious diseases and 25,700 exposures to hazardous conditions.
• The Northeast reported a higher number of fire ground injuries per 100 fires (sustained from structure fires, vehicle fires, and brush fires) than other regions of the country.
• Almost half (45 percent) of all firefighter injuries occurred during fire ground operations. An estimated 13,355 occurred at non-fire emergencies, 4,380 while responding to or returning from an incident, 7,275 during training activities, and 14,190 during other on-duty activities.
• The major types of injuries received during fire ground operations were strains, sprains, muscular pain, which were responsible for 52.8 percent of the injuries; wounds, cuts, bleeding, bruises, responsible for 14.2 percent; and burns, responsible for 5.9 percent.
• The leading causes of fire ground injuries were overexertion and strain, which was responsible for 25.7 percent of the injuries. Falls, slips and jumps were responsible for 22.5 percent.
• The number of fires a fire department responds to is directly related to the size of the population it protects and the number of fire ground injuries incurred by a department is directly related to the number of fires the department attends.
  

The following NFPA codes can be used towards improving firefighter safety: 

• NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program
• NFPA 1710, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments
• NFPA 1720, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Department
• NFPA 1582, Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments
• NFPA 1583, Standard on Health-Related Fitness Programs for Firefighters
• NFPA 1561, Standard on Emergency Services Incident Management System
• NFPA 1, Fire Code
• NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®
• NFPA 5000, Building Construction and Safety Code®
• NFPA 1584, Standard on the Rehabilitation Process for Members During Emergency Operations and Training Exercises
• NFPA 1002, Standard for Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator Professional Qualification Risk Management
  

Estimates from the report are based on data collected for NFPA’s Survey of Fire Departments for U.S. Fire Experience (2010).



Author:NFPA Press Release