The U.S. fire service saw the fewest number of firefighter fatalities in 2019 since the U.S. Fire Administration began its annual study.
According to the agency's annual report, which was released Friday, 62 firefighters died in 2019 from injuries suffered on duty. That's 22 fewer deaths than 2018 and the smallest total since 1977, when the USFA began tracking line-of-duty deaths.
The number of 2019 fatalities also includes 10 firefighters who died in incidents covered under the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefit Act. Since 2010, there has been an 18 percent drop in line-of-duty firefighter deaths.
Last year's firefighter deaths involved:
- 25 career firefighters
- 34 volunteer firefighters
- 3 wildland firefighters
The USFA also breaks down the circumstances surrounding the fatalities:
- 37 firefighters died from activities related to emergency calls
- 33 died from heart attacks
- 18 died from activities at a fire scene
- 12 died from activities at a non-fire scene
- 8 died responding to or returning from emergency calls
- 5 died in training exercises
The USFA classifies an on-duty fatality as any injury or illness that was sustained on duty and proves fatal.
- operations at the scene of an emergency, whether it is a fire or non-fire incident
- responding to or returning from an incident
- performing other officially assigned duties, such as training, maintenance, public education, inspection, investigations, court testimony or fundraising
- being on call, under orders or on standby duty (except at the individual’s home or place of business)
Go to the U.S. Fire Administration's website to read the full 2019 report.
