FIRE FIGHTER FATALITY 

INVESTIGATION AND 

PREVENTION PROGRAM

(FFFIPP)

What is the FFFIPP?

The FFFIPP is a public health program that conducts 

independent investigations of select career and volunteer 

firefighter medical and traumatic injury line-of-duty deaths.

We do not:

• determine fault or place blame on fire departments 

or firefighters

• enforce compliance with State or Federal job safety 

and health standards

What is the goal of the FFFIPP?

Our goal is to prevent firefighter deaths.

To do this, we work to:

• identify and define the characteristics of firefighter 

line-of-duty deaths

• recommend ways to prevent deaths and injuries

• share prevention strategies with the fire service

What types of line-of-duty deaths does 

the FFFIPP investigate?

• Medical.* Medical deaths are caused by stress/overexertion 

or exposures. Our investigations assess personal and 

workplace factors. Personal factors include individual 

risk factors for heart disease. Workplace factors include 

firefighter physical demands and exposure to hazardous 

chemicals as well as fire department heart screenings and 

fitness and wellness programs.

• Trauma.* Trauma deaths are caused by a number of 

events, including motor vehicle crashes, struck-by objects, 

structural collapses, caught or trapped, falls, burns, and 

electrocution. Our investigations examine the site of the 

incident and gather information from personnel on the 

scene at the time of the incident.

Each year about 

80-90 

firefighters die in the line-of-duty* 

Since 1998 FFFIPP 

has investigated

*U.S. Fire Administration [2019]. Firefighter fatalities in the United States in 2018. 

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/firefighter_fatalities_2018.pdf

• 700+ firefighter 

line-of-duty deaths

• About 40% of all 

firefighter deaths

Reports include:

• A summary of the fire event

• Factors that contributed to 

the death

• Recommendations to prevent 

similar deaths

View our reports:

www.cdc.gov/niosh/

fire/investigations/

completedinvestigations/

Search reports by state, 

fatality type, or keyword

Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health
How does the FFFIPP conduct investigations?

To conduct an investigation we need cooperation from 

departments and firefighters.

Receive firefighter fatality notification

Notification often comes from: 

• the United States Fire Administration (USFA)

• fire department representatives

• the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)

• state fire marshal’s offices

• media coverage

Decide to investigate

We use a decision flow chart to prioritize investigations. 

If requested by the fire department, we work with 

them to arrange an investigation. We also consider 

our ongoing investigation workload.

We do not conduct investigations of non-fatal or 

near-miss events.

Conduct a site visit to gather information

An investigator contacts the fire department to 

enlist their cooperation and schedule a visit. A fire 

department’s decision to participate is voluntary. We 

visit the incident site and gather information, review 

relevant records, and interview fire department 

personnel and firefighters who were on the scene at 

the time of the incident. We may also call on other 

agencies and partners to provide support as necessary.

Prepare a report

Investigators analyze the collected information, 

then prepare a report. The report is shared with 

the fire department, the union (if present), a subject 

matter expert from the fire service for trauma 

investigations, and family for medical investigations. 

Subject matter expert review helps us make sure 

the report is accurate.

Reports do not include personal or 

employer information. 

Share the report

Once the report is reviewed by the fire department, 

union, and family as a courtesy, it is posted to the 

NIOSH website so others can use it for prevention 

activities, training, and education purposes.

Who are the FFFIPP 

investigators?

Our investigators are safety professionals, 

engineers, medical officers, and industrial 

hygienists with training and experience in 

fireground and non-fireground hazards. 

Many of our investigators have experience 

working in the fire service in firefighter and 

fire officer roles.

What else does the FFFIPP do to 

keep firefighters safe on the job?

Our investigators participate on a number 

of National Fire Protection Association 

and other consensus standard setting 

committees. This allows us to directly share 

key findings with organizations that can 

influence change to improve firefighter 

safety and health.

Want more information? 

Visit the NIOSH FFFIPP website: 

www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/

@NIOSH

@nioshusa

@NIOSH

Find NIOSH products and get answers to workplace 

safety and health questions:

1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) | TTY: 1-888-232-6348

CDC/NIOSH INFO: cdc.gov/info | cdc.gov/niosh

Monthly NIOSH eNews: cdc.gov/niosh/eNews

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2020-127 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2020127

June 2020