Firefighter Fatality Retrospective Study April 2002/FA–220 Federal Emergency Management Agency United States Fire Administration National Fire Data Center FA–220 Firefighter Fatality Retrospective Study April 2002 Prepared by TriData Corporation 1000 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22209 for Federal Emergency Management Agency United States Fire Administration National Fire Data Center This publication was produced under Order No. EME-2000-DO-0396 by TriData Corporation for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Fire Administration UNITED STATES FIRE ADMINISTRATION MISSION STATEMENT As an entity of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the mission of the United States Fire Administration (USFA) is to reduce life and economic losses due to fire and related emergencies, through leadership, advocacy, coordination, and support. We serve the nation independently, in coordination with other federal agencies, and in partnership with fire protec- tion and emergency service communities. With a commitment to excellence, we provide public education, training, technology, and data initiatives. CONTENTS List of Figures ................................................ v List of Tables ................................................. vi Preface ...................................................... vii Acknowledgments ............................................. viii Executive Summary ........................................... 1 Introduction and Objectives ................................... 1 Findings .................................................. 1 Prevention and Resources .................................... 3 Introduction .................................................. 5 Goals and Objectives ........................................ 6 Methodology ................................................. 9 Data Sources ............................................... 9 Development of Database .................................... 10 Inclusion Criteria ........................................... 10 Findings ..................................................... 13 Trend in Firefighter Fatalities ................................. 13 Type of Incident ............................................ 13 Affiliation of Firefighter Fatalities and Type of Agency ............. 14 Rank of Firefighter .......................................... 16 Gender ................................................... 18 Age ...................................................... 18 Type of Duty ............................................... 20 Motor Vehicle Collisions ..................................... 21 Immediate Cause and Nature of Fatal Injury ...................... 23 Comparison to Other Fatality Rates ............................. 25 Time of Injury ............................................. 26 Fixed Property Use .......................................... 27 Cause of Fire .............................................. 28 Geographical Distribution of Firefighter Fatalities ................. 29 Comparison of Florida With Pennsylvania ....................... 36 Multiple Firefighter Fatality Incidents ........................... 37 Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Depletion .................... 39 Personal Alert Safety System Device Activation .................. 39 Wildland Firefighters ........................................ 39 Prevention of Firefighter Fatalities ............................... 41 Pre-Existing Conditions ...................................... 41 Training .................................................. 45 Fireground ................................................ 46 Motor Vehicle Collisions ..................................... 48 iii Resources .................................................... 51 Fire Service Resources ....................................... 51 Financial Assistance for Children and Spouses .................... 54 Appendix—Documentation ..................................... 57 Entity Relational Diagram .................................... 57 Field Names and Description of Data ........................... 58 Data Dictionary ............................................ 62 Rules for Coding Data ....................................... 73 References ................................................... 75 iv LIST OF FIGURES 1 Trend in Firefighter Fatalities (1977–2000) ....................... 5 2 Firefighter Fatalities (1977–2000) .............................. 13 3 Types of Incident Resulting in Fatalities (1990–2000) .............. 14 4 Fire-Incident-Related Firefighter Fatalities per 100,000 Incidents (1977–2000) ............................. 14 5 Firefighter Fatalities by Affiliation (1990–2000) .................. 15 6 Career–Volunteer Distribution (1990–2000) ...................... 15 7 Type of Agency with Firefighter Fatality (1990–2000) .............. 16 8 Firefighter Fatalities by Rank (1990–2000) ....................... 17 9 Rank of Firefighter vs. Type of Duty at Time of Fatal Injury (1990–2000) ............................................... 17 10 Gender of Firefighter Fatalities (1990–2000) ..................... 18 11 Age at Time of Injury (1990–2000) ............................. 18 12. Type of Duty by Age of Firefighter (1990–2000) .................. 19 13 Type of Duty at Time of Fatal Injury (1990–2000) ................. 20 14 Emergency vs. Non-Emergency Duty (1990–2000) ................ 21 15 Leading Types of Training Activities Associated With Fatalities (1990–2000) .............................................. 22 16 Type of Vehicle Involved in Collision (1990–2000) ................ 22 17 Decedent’s Location in Vehicle (1990–2000) ..................... 23 18 Immediate Cause of Fatal Injury (1990–2000) .................... 23 19 Nature of Fatal Injury (1990–2000) ............................. 24 20 Percent of Heart Attack Deaths by Year (1984–2000) ............... 24 21 Comparison of Type of Duty for Heart Attack With Non-Heart Attack Fatalities (1990–2000) ....................................... 25 22 Percent of Injuries by Time of Day (1990–2000) .................. 26 23 Percent of Traumatic vs. Heart Attack Deaths by Hour of the Day (1990–2000) ............................................... 27 24 Fixed Property Use of Incident Where Injury Occurred (1990–2000) .. 28 25 Cause of Fire, If a Fire Incident (1990–2000) ..................... 29 26 Map of Firefighter Fatalities, by State of Affiliation (1990–2000) ..... 31 27 Firefighter Fatalities, by Affiliation Per 10 Million Population ....... 32 28 Firefighter Fatalities, by Type of Incident Per 10 Million Population ... 33 29 Entity Relational Diagram, Firefighter Fatality Database ............ 57 v LIST OF TABLES 1 Leading Nature of Fatal Injury by Age (1990–2000) ............... 19 2 Emergency vs. Non-Emergency Duties by Age of Firefighter (1990–2000) ............................................... 20 3 Comparison of Heart Attack Fatalities by Occupation (1990–2000) ... 26 4 Time of Injury (1990–2000) ................................... 27 5 Firefighter Fatalities by State and Per 10 Million Population (1990–2000) ............................................... 30 6 Type of Incident by State (1990–2000) .......................... 35 7 Affiliation by State (1990–2000) ............................... 35 8 Nature of Fatal Injury by State (1990–2000) ...................... 35 9 Firefighter Fatality Data Elements: Florida and Pennsylvania ........ 36 10 Multiple Firefighter Fatalities ................................. 38 11 Nature of Fatal Injury, Single- vs. Multiple-Fatality Incidents ........ 38 12 Nature of Fatal Injury, Wildland Firefighters vs. Non-Wildland Firefighters (1990–2000) ..................................... 40 vi PREFACE On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked New York City’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. Following the initial attack, both towers of the World Trade Center collapsed, killing thousands of civilians, dozens of police officers, and hundreds of firefighters. Among fatalities from the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) were the Chief of the Department, First Deputy Commissioner, Chief of Special Operations, and one of the Department’s Chaplains. The World Trade Center disaster represents the largest loss of firefighters in a single inci- dent in the United States since 1947, when 27 firefighters perished in fires and explosions aboard two Texas City ships. According to Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, ‘‘This was the darkest day in the history of the firefighters of the world. It will change every one of our lives forever.’’ The men and women of America’s fire service who responded to these attacks have brought honor upon themselves and the entire fire service community through their heroic actions and commitment to duty. For those that made the supreme sacrifice in the course of their actions, may their souls rest in peace. This report is dedicated to the families of all firefighters who have died while on duty. Through the lessons learned from their passing, it is hoped that future lives will be saved. vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This study of firefighter fatalities would not have been possible without the cooperation and assistance of many members of the fire service throughout the United States. Addition- ally, the staffs of the National Fallen Firefighters’ Foundation (NFFF), Public Safety Offi- cer’s Benefit (PSOB) program, and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) provided data and other information