Fourteen firefighters died in the line of duty in November, making it the second deadliest month this year.
The number of firefighters who gave the ultimate sacrifice so far this year -- 99 -- is creeping closer to that of last year, 108, a statistic that officials say is not only disturbing but unacceptable.
Heart attacks and traumatic injuries continue to be the leading causes of death, according to statistics compiled by Mark Whitney, a fire program specialist at the U.S. Fire Administration.
A number of programs have been established to address the rising number of deaths and injuries, and fire officials are getting online to find out about close calls.
The National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System, has been well-received since its launch in April, said Amy Hultman, program manager.
The website, www.FirefighterNearMiss.com, where firefighters are encouraged to share their stories, has had 21,000 unique visitors, and more than 500 reports submitted, she said Friday.
"We've had people say they are using the information and sharing the reports, some for training, some at roll calls," she said, adding that there's been a lot of positive feedback about the site.
In an effort to promote the program funded by grants from the Department of Homeland Security and Fireman's Fund Insurance Co., all 33,000 fire companies in the United States will be receiving an information package in the next few weeks. Included will be articles about the project as well as an overview, testimonies and letters of endorsement.
"We'll also tell them how to submit paper reports. Some still feel more comfortable with paper."
Ms. Hultman said it's vital to the program that people understand their company information is deleted from the report before being posted for others to view.
A near-miss, according to program officials, "is an unintentional, unsafe occurrence that could have resulted in an injury, fatality or property damage. Only a fortunate break in the chain of events prevented..."
Companies who submit a report do not have to fear they will be inviting sanctions or further probes by other agencies. Within 72 hours of receiving a report, a reviewer removes any identifiable information.
While the number of structure fires continues to decline, that's not what's happening to the people who battle those blazes. By sharing near-misses, authorities believe they will be able to identify trends.
New York leads the nation in firefighter deaths, while California, Texas, Pennsylvania and New Jersey also reported several deaths.
Annually, more than 100 firefighters die while performing their duties. "That's unacceptable," said Ron Siarnicki, executive director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. "It's everyone's responsibility to insure that everybody goes home after they've done their job."
Instead of sitting idly by while the number of fatalities rise, fire officials held summits to discuss issues, and possible solutions. They came up with "Everybody Goes Home," a program with 16 initiatives that can easily be embraced by the smallest most rural company to the largest career department in the country, Siarnicki pointed out.
"The goal is to reduce the number of firefighter deaths by 25 percent in the next five years, and 50 percent in 10 years," he said, adding that those goals are attainable if the right measures are taken.
The only way to make sure everyone understands the importance of safety is to hit them head-on with the facts. During a three-hour class, firefighters hear from survivors who relay stories about how their loved one died. "This is a no holes barred course. They'll hear everything, especially how certain decisions could have changed the outcome."
Officials say they're adamant about changing one unacceptable statistic -- a firefighter dies on an average of every 78 hours.
In New Jersey, fire officials are stunned by the number of line-of-duty deaths in the past few years. "If the trend continues, this decade will be the deadliest," said William A. Hopson, who teaches the new class, "Courage to be Safe... So Everyone Goes Home."
Hopson said the only way to curtail the number of injuries and deaths is to change the attitude of every person involved in the fire service. "We are in charge of our destiny. It's as simple as that... Effective leadership and specific policies regarding operations and safety are among the key elements necessary to change the deadly course."
