By FireRescue1 Staff
QUINCY, Mass. — NFPA officials released the “U.S. Firefighter Fatalities in the United States” report, which shows 64 U.S. firefighter fatalities while on duty in 2018. The report also shows a continued trend of less than 70 deaths per year.
The report breaks down the fatalities to 34 volunteer firefighters, 25 career firefighters, four state or federal contractors or employees and one prison inmate.
The main causes of firefighter deaths are overexertion, stress and medical issues. The second largest cause of death for firefighters is vehicle crashes, which caused 11 deaths in 2018.
The report also notes that one firefighter was murdered.
“This report only reflects deaths that occur while victims are on-the-job, either as the result of traumatic injuries or onset of acute medical conditions,” said Fahy. “Studies have shown that years spent in the fire service can take a toll on a firefighter’s health, both physical and emotional, and can also result in exposures to toxins that eventually result in job-related cancer, cardiac, and suicide deaths that are not represented in this report.”
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