|
Release Date: January 9, 2006
USFA Releases 2005 Firefighter Fatality Statistics
Emmitsburg, MD- The United States Fire Administration (USFA) announced today,
this nation suffered 106 on-duty firefighter fatalities in the United States in
2005. In addition to these fatalities, the USFA has learned of 4 firefighter
fatalities in 2005 related
to injuries suffered in years prior to 2005.
"The fire service of this nation has tragically lost, again, too many
firefighters in 2005," said Deputy USFA Administrator Charles Dickinson.
"The USFA approaches 2006, joined with the fire organizations and fire
department leaders, to commit to doing what it takes to reduce these too often,
preventable losses."
In 2005, there were 4 multiple-firefighter fatality incidents.
* Two New York City firefighters died in January when rapid fire progress forced
them to jump from a fire-involved structure;
* 3 firefighters were killed in the crash of a helicopter in Texas in March as
they assisted with a controlled burn;
* 2 Wyoming firefighters died in a residential structure fire in April; and
* 3 firefighters were killed in the crash of an air tanker in California.
Additionally, the New York City Fire Department suffered a third firefighter
fatality on the same day as the January incident cited above, at another
incident scene. The Memphis, Tennessee Fire Department lost 2 firefighters in
separate incidents during the year.
Additionally, heart attacks were responsible for the deaths of 48 firefighters
in 2005, reduced from 61 in 2004. Seven firefighters died of CVAs in 2005, up
from 4 in 2004. Vehicle crashes took the lives of
26 firefighters in 2005. Five firefighters were killed in tanker
(tender) crashes, 5 firefighters were killed in crashes that involved passenger
vehicles, and 4 firefighters were killed in pumper crashes.
Firefighters were also killed in crashes involving ATVs, aircraft, and a boat.
The United States Fire Administration has developed educational programs in the
past few years to directly address firefighter deaths in vehicle crashes.
Efforts have specifically targeted tanker operations, career firefighter vehicle
operations, and volunteer firefighter vehicle operations. For additional
information regarding these programs, go to http://www.usfa.fema.gov/research/safety/vehicle-roadway.shtm
The average age of a firefighter killed in 2005 was 46. The youngest firefighter
to die while on-duty in 2005 was an 18-year-old Connecticut firefighter who died
after falling from a ladder during training. The oldest firefighter to die while
on-duty in 2005 was a 76-year-old New Jersey firefighter who was struck by a
suspected drunk driver at a roadside emergency scene.
These fatality statistics for 2005 are provisional and subject to change as the
USFA contacts State Fire Marshals. For additional information on firefighter
fatalities, including the annual fatality reports from 1986 through 2004 and the
Firefighter Fatality Retrospective Study 1990-2000, please visit the USFA Web
site at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fatalities/statistics/
------------------
You are currently subscribed to usfa-press-release as: mikevent@redshift.com To
unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-usfa-press-release-78905U@lyris.fema.gov
|
