The U.S. fire service saw the number of on-duty fatalities sharply decrease in 2019 from the past five years, according to analysis by the National Fire Protection Association.
Each year, the NFPA breaks down the cause and nature of line-of-duty deaths. The organization also examines other factors in those incidents.
Firehouse.com News takes a by-the-numbers look at the NFPA's study. Go to the NFPA's website to read the complete study.
By the Numbers
48
Firefighters who died on duty in 2019. Between 2014 and 2018, firefighter line-of-duty deaths averaged 65 per year, but 2019 was the first year to have fewer than 50 deaths in that time span.
25
Volunteer firefighters who died on duty in 2019. This is lowest number of volunteer fatalities since the NFPA started its study, and a sharp drop in volunteer deaths over the past decade. In 2019, 20 career firefighters died on duty, the third time in the past four years there have been 20 or fewer deaths.
46.5
Median age of those who died on duty. Ages among those who died ranged from 21 to 81.
13
Deaths at fire scenes in 2019. This is the lowest number of on-duty deaths at fire scenes, and the third time in the past four years there have been fewer than 20. Last year's number of fire scene deaths continues a decades-long downward trend since the early 1970s, when such deaths averaged more than 80 annually.
9
Firefighters who died in vehicle-related incidents. Of those, four firefighters died in vehicle crashes, four were struck by vehicles and one fell from a moving vehicle. Among fatal crashes, two happened while responding to emergency calls. Annually, crashes have been the second-leading cause of on-duty deaths, but over the past decade, the average number of crash deaths has been 10 annually. Of those incidents involving a firefighter fatally struck by a vehicle, two happened while they were working at crash scene, one happened at a structure fire and one happened while the firefighter was returning from a call.
26
Deaths caused by overexertion, stress and medical issues—more than half of the 2019 deaths.
22
Sudden cardiac deaths among on-duty fatalities. While this is the fourth consecutive year that cardiac deaths have been fewer than 30, this cause of death continues its trend of being the largest share of on-duty deaths almost annually since the early 1970s. From 1977 to 1986, an average of 60 firefighters suffered sudden cardiac death on duty annually, an average that dropped to 44 in the 1990s and 29 in the following decade.
119
Firefighter suicides in 2019, according to the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance. In 2019, 20 EMTs and paramedics died by suicide. Those numbers could change as the FBHA validates new reports.
