1996 firefighter injuries down, NFPA reports
Firefighters suffered an estimated 87,150 injuries in the line of duty in 1996, and an estimated 4,200 had to be hospitalized, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Survey of U.S. Fire Experience. Injuries were down 7.8 percent from the previous year, the lowest it has been since 1977-78, when the NFPA implemented its current survey methodology. (Ninety-four firefighters died in the line of duty in 1996.)
According to the report, the drop in injuries began in 1994 and is attributable in part to a change in the way incidents at which firefighters are exposed to infectious diseases are categorized. Exposures to diseases such as hepatitis, meningitis, and HIV, included in total injuries prior to 1994, are now in a separate category. It is estimated that 19,600 firefighters were exposed to infectious diseases in 1996, translating to two exposures for every 1,000 emergency medical runs by fire departments.
A little more than half of the 1996 injuries, 45,725, occurred at the fireground (from the moment of arrival until departure). The other injuries break down as follows:16,280, other on-duty tasks such as inspections and maintenance; 12,630, nonfire emergencies such as rescue calls, hazardous-material calls, and natural disasters; and 6,200, training.
In addition, approximately 910 firefighters were injured in an estimated 14,200 accidents while responding to or returning from incidents in fire department emergency vehicles, and another 240 were injured in approximately 1,400 accidents while responding to or returning from incidents in their personal vehicles.
The report further noted that fireground injuries decreased 26 percent between 1988, when 61,790 injuries occurred, and 1996, when 45,725 occurred. The rate had stayed around the same level except for the year 1996. During this period, however, the decrease in the number of fires has paralleled the decrease in the number of fireground injuries.
The major types of injuries that occurred during fireground operations included the following: strains, sprains, and muscle pain (38.2 percent of injuries); wounds, cuts, bleeding, and bruises (19.2 percent); smoke or gas inhalation (10.2 percent); and burns (9.5 percent). The remainder included eye irritations, other respiratory distress, dislocations and fractures, heart attacks and strokes, and thermal stress.
Among the circumstances leading to injury were overexertion and strains; falls, slips, and jumps; exposure to fire products; and being struck by objects.
The categories used to describe the nature and “causes” of the injuries are modifications of those in NFPA 901, Uniform Coding for Fire Protection.
