Firefighter Fatalities: Crude Mortality Rates and Risk Factors for Line of Duty Injury and Death

Details

• Personal Author:
  Kahn SA ; Leonard C ; Siordia C
• Description:
  Background: The United States Fire Administration (USFA) provides high-quality data for firefighter deaths (FFDs), but until now this data has not been analyzed for temporal trends. This analysis explores FFDs between 1990-2016 to determine high risk groups for outreach and training. Methods: Mortality rates were calculated using USFA information compared against the total number of deaths per-year. Rates were compared between 1990-2009 (early period) and 2010-2016 (recent period). Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine predictors of death in firefighters by age group (≤45 yrs. old and >45) and by work status (career vs volunteer). Results: Analysis of 3159 FFDs revealed a decline in crude-rate mortality between 1990-2009 and 2010-2016 (47.4 vs 35 FF deaths/million, p<0.0001). Firefighters ≤45 yrs. old were less likely to die in the 2010s than in the 1990s-2000's, (13.7 vs 24.7 FF deaths/million, p=0.0002). Trauma related deaths decreased (13.1 vs 8.1, p=0.0003) while CV-related deaths remained constant (19.4 vs 19.5, p=0.24). Regression analysis determined that volunteer firefighters were more likely to die from burns (OR 1.7, CI:1.2-2.4, P<0.0001) and trauma (OR 1.8, CI:1.5-2.2, p<0.0001) than career firefighters. Younger firefighters were also more likely to die from burns (OR 10.4, CI 6.9-15.6, P<0.0001) and trauma (OR 6.5, CI:5.4-7.8, p<0.0001). Conclusions: Although overall FFDs were lower after 2010, younger and volunteer firefighters saw an increase in burn and trauma related mortality. Cardiovascular related fatalities were consistent throughout the study. Future research should continue to make use of high-standard data to track FFDs and efficacy of interventions. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aging Burns Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiovascular System Environmental Exposure Firefighters Fires Morbidity Mortality Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety

  More +
• Keywords:
  Age Groups Author Keywords: Burn Cardiovascular System Disorders Exposure Levels Fatalities Fatality Fire Firefighter Fire Fighters Injuries Line Of Duty Morbidity Rates Mortality Rates Risk Factors Safety Measures Surveillance Trauma Traumatic Injuries

  More +
• ISSN:
  1559-047X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Alabama ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSR - Division of Safety Research
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  196-201
• Volume:
  40
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20052274
• Citation:
  J Burn Care Res 2019 Feb; 40(2):196-201
• Contact Point Address:
  Steven A. Kahn, 2451 USA Medical Center Drive, Suite 10-I, Mobile AL 36617
• Email:
  skahn@health.southalabama.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Public Safety
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Burn Care & Research
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:31d4e0a302f1baf409d3532bd4cda9434bb896146dbe7253d003782aade9c4a4488e9e0ff9510b5c2166a832ce82e21527fc86f483e95af1422e04bf430db427
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/211828/cdc_211828_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 103.46 KB ]