U.S. Firefighter Injuries on the Fireground, 2010–2014

Abstract

Firefighting is a hazardous occupation and the fireground is the location for many firefighter injuries, making information about firefighter injury events critical for injury prevention efforts. This study uses data collected through the National Fire Incident Reporting System and the National Fire Protection Association’s annual survey of municipal fire departments to profile U.S. firefighter injuries occurring on the fireground from 2010 to 2014. The research estimates that firefighters experienced an annual average of 30,290 fireground injuries per year in this 5-year period. The findings also indicate that most injuries occurred at residential fires, that one-third resulted in lost work time and that the leading cause of injury was overexertion or strain. Other leading causes of injury were slip/trip, contact with object, falls, and struck or assaulted by person, animal, or object. The study also provides data on primary injury symptoms, place of injury, activity when injured, factors involved in the injury, and injuries by month. Efforts to reduce injury should include providing and requiring the use of appropriate personal protective equipment, establishing and enforcing stringent safety practices, providing firefighters with ongoing health and safety training opportunities, and maintaining fitness, flexibility, and other programs that reduce injury risk.