LODD Deaths On Tragic Pace

As of April 25, the number of reported line of duty deaths has reached 47, a number that projects an annual death count of 141, clearly the highest number of fire service deaths since 1978. (Deaths related to the WTC on September 11, 2001 have been excluded from these averages.)

The number is six ahead of 2004 (41 through of April) with five days to go in the month. There were 108 LODDs recorded by the U.S. Fire Administration in 2004.

Although four of the incidents have claimed multiple victims -- including the loss of three wildland fire service pilots April 20 -- and some changes have been legislated in LODD death criteria, the number of deaths for 2005 reflects a trend in firefighter deaths in recent years.

At the current pace, there will be 26 more LODDs than the average from 1977 to 2004 and 37 more LODDs than last decade