Firefighter deaths are often caused by heart attacks and trauma, with asphyxiation and burns also posing a risk. Organizations like the USFA study these incidents to improve safety practices. Heart attacks account for 44% of deaths, traumatic injuries for 27%, and burns and asphyxiation for 20%. The physically demanding nature of firefighting can cause heart attacks, while trauma and burns are also risks. Understanding these risks can improve firefighter safety.
Firefighter casualties pose a significant risk to those men and women who choose to enter this dangerous profession. The most common causes of firefighter deaths include heart attack and trauma, while asphyxiation and burns are the third and fourth most common sources of death. A number of local and national organizations, such as the United States Fire Administration (USFA), are dedicated to studying such incidences in the hope that more information will lead to safer practices among professionals.
The leading causes of firefighter deaths, while generally consistent, vary as there can be changes in the concentration of these tragic incidents from year to year. For example, over the past 30 years, firefighter fatalities have ranged from 77 to 450 annually, according to the USFA. However, it is important to note that the peak occurred during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks which saw a dramatic loss of life among emergency personnel.
This organization also statistically split firefighter fatalities in terms of death rate as follows: heart attacks accounted for 44%, traumatic injuries led to 27% of deaths, while burns and asphyxiation combined to account for 20% of deaths of the firefighters. These figures represent all data collections since 2009. While heart attacks and burns are very specific, trauma is a much broader category of both internal and head injuries.
The nature of fire fighting poses a great threat to a person’s life. Physically, the strenuous nature of carrying loads of equipment in high temperature environments can cause a heart attack to occur in an unfit individual. Because of this, most firefighters must maintain a basic level of health; however, genetic and dietary factors can mask cardiovascular conditions in apparently healthy individuals. Trauma is, of course, also a risk, as nearly any aspect of a firefighter’s environment could harm him. Collapsing buildings, shaking equipment, and sudden explosions all pose threats.
Burns and oxygen deprivation, while apparently uncommon at 20% of combined causes of death in 2009, are of obvious concern to firefighter survival. Firefighters learn to deal with most of these issues during the training process and become more refined after the years of experience associated with on-the-job training. A better understanding of the risks and causes of accidents among firefighters can help them develop a more comprehensive understanding of these root causes, which can help maximize the safety of those in this protective service profession.
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