Death on the hoseline remained constant
By Bill Carey
2019 has ended with the lowest number, 57, of firefighter on-duty deaths since recording began by the United States Fire Administration (USFA) in 1976[1]. Prior to 2019 the lowest number recorded was 77 in 1992. This number is prior to 2003 when the Hometown Heroes Act was introduced[2]. The year with the lowest number since 2003 was 2011 with 65 fatalities, 22 under the Hometown Heroes Act, for a total of 87.
There were seven fatalities in 2019 included by the Hometown Heroes Act making it the second-lowest number recorded. The lowest of that selection was one in 2003.
2019 is also significant in there were no multiple fatality incidents. The USFA data summary also states there was only one fatality involving a wildland incident but the narratives of some on-duty deaths contrasts with this.
Definitions
The definitions and criteria for the USFA data have not changed. They basically cover an individual defined as a firefighter in an organized fire department across the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. The definitions also include career and volunteer firefighters and the various organizations in which they are employed. “On-duty” covers actions that the victim performed as required by the department[3].
Firefighting Deaths
Previous articles and presentations about line of duty death data has made a distinction of those deaths that occurred inside or within a burning structure. The activity identified in these deaths includes fire attack, search, and ventilation. As always stated, the intent is to make a clearer picture of the data presented and not to show favor of one group of fatalities over another.
Seven firefighters died in 2019 inside, or within, a burning structure. There are five listed by the USFA under ‘Advancing Hoselines.’ One is listed under ‘Scene Safety’ and one is listed under ‘Other.’ The one listed as ‘Other’ could rightfully be listed under ‘Ventilation” as the victim fell from the roof of a burning apartment building while attempting to gain access to the fire[4]. There were no interior fire deaths under ‘Search and Rescue.’
Advancing Hoselines: 5
Iowa. Victim killed in an explosion of a grain silo the next day after the incident began
Maine. Victim killed in a fire behavior event (flashover) in an apartment fire
Illinois. Victim killed in a collapse in a fire in a single-family dwelling
Illinois. Victim killed in a collapse in a (abandoned) commercial structure fire
Massachusetts. Victim killed in a fire behavior event (flashover) in an apartment fire
Scene Safety: 1
Maine. Victim killed while investigating a gas leak inside a commercial structure
Other (or Ventilation): 1
Colorado. Victim killed in fall from roof of burning apartment building
Structure Type
Commercial: 3
1: Fire
1: Gas Explosion
1: Silo Explosion
Residential: 4
3: Apartment
1: Single-Family
Cause of Death
Collapse: 2
1: Single-Family
1: Commercial (abandoned)
Fire Behavior: 2
2: Apartment
Explosion: 2
1: Gas Explosion
1: Silo
Explosion
Note that one on-duty death involved an abandoned structure in 2019.
Comparing 2019 to previous years in the activity ‘Advancing Hoselines’ we see that last year remained somewhat consistent:
2010: 2
2011: 7
2012: 6
2013: 8
2014: 9
2015: 4
2016: 2
2017: 0
2018: 7* (1 victim died in 2018 but the incident occurred in 1983)
2019: 5
It is interesting to note that all the victims listed above were career firefighters, including one that was Paid-On-Call. None were volunteer firefighters. Across the whole total career firefighter deaths slightly edged out volunteer firefighter deaths 30 to 27.
NEXT: Majority Cause and Nature and Other Specifics
Bill Carey is the Online News Manager with Clarion Fire & Rescue Group, specifically FirefighterNation.com and FireRescue Magazine. Bill served as a firefighter, volunteer sergeant, and lieutenant at Hyattsville in Prince George’s County, Maryland. His writing has been in Fire Engineering, FireRescue Magazine, FirefighterNation, and other sites.
[1] The United States Fire Administration began tracking firefighter fatalities and providing annual analysis in 1976.
[2] The Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefit Act was signed into law by President George W. Bush and became Public Law 108-182. This presumes that a death by heart attack or stroke is in the line of duty if the firefighter was engaged in non-routine, stressful, or strenuous physical activity while on duty, and the firefighter became ill within 24 hours after engaging in such activity. Since 2004 this law accounts for an average of approximately 10 percent of the total on-duty deaths each year.
[3] “On-Duty & Line of Duty: What is the Difference?” Carey, FireRescue Magazine December 2013
[4] “Summit County firefighter dies after falling from roof of condo building during a fire in Copper Mountain” Nicole Miller, Summit Daily, December 2019. Based on past USFA data the wide range use of ‘Advancing Hoselines’ would have fit if the victim had been handling a hoseline at some point in the incident. Previous uses of ‘Other’ have been done when news stories and other details indicate the victim was performing ventilation or ventilation-related actions. News accounts of this incident make repeated use of the phrase “attempting to gain access to the fire” which makes ‘Ventilation’ plausible.
