Firefighter Fatalities

in the United States

in 1995

United States Fire Administration

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Contract No. EMW-95-C-4713

August 1996
Firefighter Fatalities

in the

 United States

 in 1995

Prepared for

United States Fire Administration

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Contract No. EMW-95-C-4713

Prepared by

TriData Corporation

1000 Wilson Boulevard

Arlington, Virginia 22209

August 1996
2

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study of firefighter fatalities would not have been possible without the

cooperation and assistance of many members of the fire service across the United

States. Members of individual fire departments, chief fire officers, the National

Interagency Fire Center, US Forest Service personnel, the US military, the Department

of Justice, and many others contributed important information for this report.

This analysis was conducted by TriData Corporation of Arlington, Virginia, for

the United States Fire Administration under contract EMW-95-C-4713.

The ultimate objective of this effort is to reduce the number of firefighter

deaths, through an increasing awareness and understanding of their causes and how

they can be prevented. We acknowledge that firefighting, rescue and other types of

emergency operations are essential activities in an inherently dangerous profession,

and that tragedies will occur from time to time. This is the risk all firefighters accept

every time they respond to an emergency incident; however, the risk can be greatly

reduced through efforts to increase firefighter health and safety. This report is

dedicated to those firefighters who have made the ultimate sacrifice in 1995. May the

lessons learned from their passing not go unheeded.
3

BACKGROUND

For two decades, the United States Fire Administration (USFA) has kept track

of firefighter fatalities and conducted an analysis of the fatalities that occur each year.

Through the collection of information on the causes of firefighter deaths, the USFA is

able to focus on specific problems and direct efforts towards finding solutions to

reduce the number of firefighter fatalities in the future. This information is also used

to measure the effectiveness of current efforts directed toward firefighter health and

safety.

The USFA also maintains a list of firefighter fatalities. Their next of kin are

invited to the annual Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service, which is held at the National

Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland every fall.
4

INTRODUCTION

The specific objective of this study was to identify all of the on-duty firefighter

fatalities that occurred in the United States in 1995, and to analyze the circumstances

surrounding each occurrence. The study is intended to help identify approaches that

could reduce the number of deaths in future years. In addition to the 1995 findings,

this study includes a special analysis of the use of personal alert safety devices at fatal

structure fires and a special report on several fatalities that occurred during technical

rescue operations.

This report continues a series of annual studies by the US Fire Administration

of firefighter fatalities in the United States.

Who Is a Firefighter?

For the purpose of this study, the term firefighter covers all members of

organized fire departments, including career and volunteer firefighters; full-time public

safety officers acting as firefighters; state and federal government fire service

personnel; including wildland firefighters; and privately employed firefighters,

including employees of contract fire departments and trained members of industrial

fire brigades, whether full or part-time. This also includes contract personnel working

as firefighters or assigned to work in direct support of fire service organizations.

Under this definition, the study includes not only local and municipal

firefighters, but also seasonal and full-time employees of the United States Forest

Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of

Fish and Wildlife, the National Park Service, and state wildland agencies. It also

includes prison inmates serving on firefighting crews; firefighters employed by other

governmental agencies such as the United States Department of Energy; military

personnel performing assigned fire suppression activities; and civilian firefighters

working at military installations.
5

What Constitutes an On-Duty Fatality?

On-duty fatalities include any injury or illness sustained while on-duty that

proves fatal. The term on-duty refers to being involved in operations at the scene of an

emergency, whether it is a fire or non-fire incident; being en route to or returning from

an incident; performing other officially assigned duties such as training, maintenance,

public education, inspection, investigations, court testimony and fund-raising; and

being on-call, under orders, or on stand-by duty, except at the individual's home or

place of business.1

These fatalities may occur on the fireground, in training, while responding to or

returning from alarms, or while performing other duties that support fire service

operations.

A fatality may be caused directly by accident or injury, or it may be attributed

to an occupational-related fatal illness. A common example of a fatal illness incurred

on duty is a heart attack. Fatalities attributed to occupational illnesses would also

include a communicable disease contracted while on duty that proved fatal, where the

disease could be attributed to an occupational exposure.

Accidents that claim the lives of on-duty firefighters are included in the

analysis, whether or not they are directly related to emergency incidents. In 1995, this

category includes a firefighter who died in a car accident while returning from a

training class and a fire commissioner who died of a heart attack at a state fire

association convention.

Injuries and illnesses are also included in cases where death is considerably

delayed after the original incident. When the incident and the death occur in different

years, the analysis counts the fatality as having occurred in the year that the incident

occurred. For example, a firefighter died in 1995 of medical complications that

resulted from an exposure to a hazardous material in 1987. Because his death was the

result of the 1987 incident, this case was counted as a 1987 fatality for statistical

purposes, and is not included in the 96 fatalities for 1995 that were analyzed in this

 

1

 A volunteer responding from home or work would be considered "on-duty" from the moment he or

she is called to respond to an alarm, and would remain "on-duty" until they had returned from the

alarm.
6

report. Since the death occurred in 1995, he will be included in the 1995 annual

Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service at the National Fire Academy, and his name will

be included on the list of firefighters who died in 1995.

There is no established mechanism for identifying fatalities that result from

illnesses that develop over long periods of time, such as cancer, which may be related

to occupational exposure to hazardous materials or products of combustion. It has

proven to be very difficult over several years to fully evaluate occupational illness as a

causal factor in firefighter deaths, because of the limitations in the ability to track the

exposure of firefighters to toxic hazards and the potential long-term effects of such

exposures.

Sources of Initial Notification

As an integral part of the ongoing program to collect and analyze fire data, the

US Fire Administration solicits information on firefighter fatalities directly from the

US fire service and from a wide range of other sources. These include the United

States Fire Administration, and the Public Safety Officer's Benefit Program (PSOB)

administered by the Department of Justice, the Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA), the US military, the National Interagency Fire Center, and

other federal agencies.

The Fire Administration also receives notification directly from fire

departments, as well as from fire service organizations such as the International

Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the International Association of Fire Fighters

(IAFF), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the National Volunteer Fire

Council (NVFC), state fire marshals, state training organizations, other state and local

organizations, and fire service publications. The US Fire Administration also keeps

track of fatal fire incidents as part of the Major Fire Investigations Project and

maintains an ongoing analysis of data from the National Fire Incident Reporting

System (NFIRS) for the production of Fire in the United States.

Procedure for Including a Fatality in the Study

After notification of a fatal incident is received from any source, initial

telephone contact is made by the contractor with local authorities to verify the

incident, its location and jurisdiction, and the fire department or agency involved.
7

Further information may be obtained from the chief of the fire department or his

designee over the phone or by data collection forms, for both the deceased firefighter

and the incident. After this information is obtained by the contractor, a determination

is made as to whether the individual qualifies as an on-duty firefighter fatality,

according to the previously described criteria. Additional information may be

requested, either by follow-up with the fire department directly, or through state vital

records offices or other agencies. The final determination as to whether a fatality

qualifies as an on-duty death for inclusion in the statistical analysis, and in the Fallen

Firefighter Memorial Service, is made by the United States Fire Administration.

Information that is routinely requested includes NFIRS-1 (incident) and

NFIRS-3 (fire service casualty) reports, the fire department's own incident reports and

internal investigation reports, copies of death certificates or autopsy results, special

investigative reports such as those produced by the USFA or NFPA, police reports,

photographs and diagrams, and newspaper or media accounts of the incident. The

same criteria have been used for this study as in previous annual studies that were

conducted by the NFPA.
8

1995 FINDINGS

Ninety-six (96) firefighters died while on duty in 1995.2 This is a decrease

from last year’s total of 104. The total of 96 fatalities is the third lowest number of

fatalities recorded in the 19 years that this data has been collected and only the third

time that the total has been less than 100 fatalities. The lowest years were 1992 with 75

fatalities and 1993 with 77 fatalities.

This continues the long-term downward trend (down 44 percent) of reduced

fatalities that began in 1979 after a peak of 171 in 1978. Deaths in 1995 decreased

approximately 8 percent from 1994. This decrease is shown in Figure 1.

The fatalities included 63 volunteer firefighters and 33 career firefighters

(Figure 2). Among the volunteer firefighter fatalities, 57 were from local or municipal

volunteer fire departments, four were part-time or seasonal members of wildland fire

agencies, one was a member of an industrial fire brigade, and one was a member of a

department’s fire-police unit. Of the career firefighters who died, 28 were members of

local or municipal fire departments, two were members of a military base fire

department, and three were full time firefighters employed by wildland fire agencies.

Ninety of the fatalities were men; six were women.

 

2

 A total of 104 firefighters died in 1995 who would meet the criteria for an on-duty fatality. Eight of

these deaths were attributed to events that took place in earlier years, and are not included in this

analysis. Three firefighters died of complications directly attributable to exposures to hazardous

chemicals at emergency incidents, including one from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

after an exposure to formic acid at an incident in 1987. The other two died from exposures to

hazardous chemicals that occurred in 1989 and 1990. One firefighter died from HIV which he

contracted during surgery that was necessitated by a 1980 on-duty injury. A firefighter who was

paralyzed in an apparatus accident en route to an emergency in 1980 died from complications relating

to his injuries. Two firefighters died while in comas, one resulting from an incident in 1979 and the

other from a heart attack at a fire in 1994. One firefighter died from carbon monoxide poisoning that

occurred at a 1994 incident.
Figure 1 

On-Duty Firefighter Deaths 1977-1995

157

126

139

125

119

126

121

136

118

108

77

104

131

109

113

171

135

75

96

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

1977197819791980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995
Figure 2

Career vs. Volunteer Deaths

MILITARY

2 Deaths

METRO DEPTS

19 Deaths

OTHER DEPTS

9 Deaths

MUNICIPAL FD

28 Deaths

WILDLAND AGENCY

3 Deaths

CAREER

33 Deaths

SUBURBAN / URBAN VFD

33 Deaths

RURAL FD

24 Deaths

MUNICIPAL / LOCAL VFD

57 Deaths

FIRE POLICE

1 Death

AIR CREWS

3 Deaths

OTHER

1 Death

WILDLAND SEASONAL /

PART TIME

4 Deaths

INDUSTRIAL BRIGADE

1 Death

VOLUNTEER

63 Deaths

FIREFIGHTER ON-DUTY FATALITIES 1995

96 Total Deaths
11

The 96 deaths resulted from 85 incidents. There were seven multi-fatality

incidents that resulted in 18 firefighter deaths. Four firefighters died in Seattle,

Washington at a warehouse fire and three firefighters died in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

at a house fire. Three pilots were killed in the mid-air collision of two planes returning

from dropping retardant on a wildfire in California. Two military firefighters were

killed in a fire at a civilian off-base oil refinery. Two firefighters were overrun by

wildfire when their apparatus stalled. Two others died after their mini-pumper was hit

by a train at a grass fire on a railroad right-of-way. Two firefighters died when a

tanker overturned while en route to a fire.

The number of deaths associated with brush, grass or wildland firefighting

dropped from the exceptionally high number of 38 in 1994 to 18 in 1995. Seven of

these deaths resulted from three incidents: the aircraft crash, the stalled truck, and the

truck that was hit by the train. Two firefighters were also killed in separate vehicle

accidents en route to grass fires. One volunteer firefighter died of a stroke while

responding to her station during the series of major wildfires that occurred on Long

Island, New York.

Eight heart attack deaths were associated with brush, grass or wildland fire

protection, including seven related to fire incidents and one that occurred while taking

a stress test for a position with a state wildfire agency. Of the eighteen wildfire related

fatalities, only four were full time career employees of wildland fire agencies.

Type of Duty

In 1995, 82 firefighter on-duty deaths were associated with emergency

incidents, accounting for 85 percent of the 96 fatalities (Figure 3). This includes all

firefighters who died while responding to an emergency, while at the emergency

scene, or after the emergency incident. Non-emergency activities accounted for 14

fatalities. Non-emergency duties included training, administrative activities, or

performing other functions that were not related to an emergency incident. Two

firefighters who died of heart attacks while marching in parades are included in the

non-emergency category.
12

A distribution of deaths by type of duty being performed is shown in Figure 4.3

As in previous years, the largest number of deaths occurred during fireground

operations, which accounted for 42 percent of the fatalities, down from 57 percent in

1994. There were 40 fireground deaths, 18 resulting from heart attacks on the scene,

15 from asphyxiation, four from trauma, and three from burn injuries.

The second largest category was responding to or returning from emergency

incidents, which accounted for 29 deaths in 1995. This has been the second leading

cause of deaths since 1993. Twelve firefighters suffered fatal heart attacks while

responding or returning from emergency incidents. Seven firefighters were killed in

fire apparatus accidents while en route to emergency incidents. All six of these

accidents involved apparatus rollovers, and in at least three of these incidents the

firefighters were not wearing seat belts. One death involved a firefighter who was

killed when he was thrown off from the back step of an engine during an overturn

accident.

Five firefighters were killed in accidents involving their personal vehicles while

en route to emergency calls -- three of these were collisions with vehicles driven by

other emergency responders en route to the same incident. Three pilots were killed

when two aircraft collided while returning from a wildfire. One fire chief died while

backing a fire engine into the station after a call, when he fell and received a fatal head

injury. One firefighter had a stroke while responding to the fire station.

Thirteen deaths were related to activities at the scene of non-fire emergency

incidents. Six firefighters died of heart attacks at EMS or rescue incidents. Five

firefighters died during technical rescue incidents, including three who drowned while

operating in swift moving flood waters and a fourth who died during a diving accident

in a quarry. (Two of these deaths occurred during body recovering operations.) One

industrial fire brigade member died during a confined space operation when he was

overcome by an oxygen deficient environment and asphyxiated while attempting to

rescue a worker from an excavation. One firefighter died in a helicopter crash while

involved in a search and rescue operation and one firefighter was electrocuted by a

downed power line.

 

3

 A summary of all the firefighter fatality incidents is included as Appendix A.
Figure 3

Firefighter Deaths While Performing Emergency Duty - 

1995

Non-Emergency 

15%

Emergency

 85%
Figure 4

Firefighter Deaths by Type of Duty - 1995

Other/On-Duty

11%

Fireground 

Operations

42%

Non-Fire 

Emergenices

14%

Training

3%

Responding/

Returning

30%
15

Eleven deaths occurred during non-emergency duty activities. These deaths

include nine firefighters who died from heart attacks while on duty -- two at parades,

two at fire department conferences, two while performing stress and agility tests, one

while participating in a fire department fundraiser, one while conducting a fire

inspection, and one while on duty in the fire station. One firefighter died from a

seizure while on-duty as a dispatcher and one other firefighter was killed when his

ambulance crashed during a routine drive.

Three deaths were attributed to training activities, including one death in an

apparatus accident during driver training. One firefighter was killed in a car accident

while returning from a paramedic class, and an instructor collapsed and died while

teaching a confined space rescue course. There were no deaths associated with live

fire training.

Cause and Nature of Fatal Injury or Illness

As used in this study, the term cause refers to the action, lack of action, or

circumstances that directly resulted in the fatal injury, while the term nature refers to

the medical nature of the fatal injury or illness, or what is often referred to as the

physiological cause of death. Often, the fatal injury is the result of a chain of events,

the first of which is recorded as the cause. For example, if a firefighter is struck by a

collapsing wall, becomes trapped in the debris, runs out of air before being rescued,

and dies of asphyxiation, the cause of the fatal injury is recorded as "struck by

collapsing wall" and the nature of the fatal injury is "asphyxiation." Similarly, if a

wildland firefighter is overrun by a fire and dies of burns, the cause of the death would

be listed as "caught/trapped," and the nature if death would be "burns." This follows

the convention used in NFIRS casualty reports, which are based on NFPA Fire

Reporting standards.

Figure 5 shows the distribution of deaths by cause of fatal injury or illness. As

in most previous years, the largest category is stress or overexertion, which was listed

as the primary factor in 50 percent of the deaths, up from 35 percent last year.

Firefighting has been shown to be one of the most physically demanding activities that

the human body performs, and most deaths attributed to stress result from heart

attacks. Of the 48 stress related fatalities in 1995, 46 firefighters died of heart attacks,
16

one died of a stroke, and one died of a seizure. Eleven of the 48 deaths listed as stressrelated occurred during non-emergency activities.

The second leading cause of firefighter fatalities was being struck by or coming

in contact with an object. Of the 25 firefighters (26 percent) who died in these

incidents, 15 were involved in vehicle accidents, four died in aircraft crashes, two were

struck by vehicles while on emergency scenes, two were struck by a train at a fire

scene, and one was struck by a collapsing wall. One firefighter was electrocuted when

he came in contact with a downed electric power line.

The third leading cause of firefighter fatalities was being caught or trapped,

which accounted for 20 deaths (21 percent). Five firefighters died as a result of

becoming trapped by floor collapses, four in a warehouse fire and one in a tenement

house. Four firefighters were trapped by rapidly changing fire conditions inside

burning structures and one died at a residential fire when a garage door closed,

trapping his crew inside. Two firefighters were overrun by a rapidly moving wildland

fire when their truck stalled. Two others were caught in a boilover in a oil refinery

fire. Three firefighters were caught by swift moving flood currents and drowned; two

who were tied into ropes while attempting flood rescues and one who was trapped by a

hydraulic (recirculating water current) at a body recovery.

Two asphyxiation deaths were attributed to exposure. One of these was a

firefighter who died when he entered an oxygen deficient atmosphere without an

SCBA (Self-contained Breathing Apparatus) or SABA (Supplied Air Breathing

Apparatus). The second was caused by breathing a bad mixture of air from a SCUBA

tank while engaged in a body recovery operation at 200 foot depth.

One firefighter died when he fell and struck his head after returning from a fire

incident.
Figure 5

Firefighter Deaths by Cause of Fatal Injury

Exposure

2%

Stress

50%

Fell or Jumped

1%

Caught or 

Trapped

21%

Struck by/Contact 

with Object

26%
18

Figure 6 shows the distribution of the 96 deaths by the medical nature of the

fatal injury or illness. Forty-six firefighters died of heart attacks in 1995, including at

least 19 who were known to have high risk factors for heart attacks, including prior

heart conditions, high blood pressure, obesity, or smoking.4 Two of the heart attacks

occurred during agility or stress testing. Eighteen firefighters suffered heart attacks at

fire scenes and twelve suffered heart attacks en route to or returning from calls. Six

heart attacks occurred at EMS or rescue incidents. Two heart attack deaths occurred at

fire conferences, two while marching in parades, one while conducting a fire

inspection, one while instructing a class, one while on duty in the station, and one at a

fire department fundraiser.

Internal trauma was the second leading nature of death, responsible for 24

deaths. This total includes 17 firefighters who were involved in vehicle accidents and

4 in aircraft crashes. This category also includes 2 firefighters who were killed when

they were struck by vehicles at emergency scenes, and one firefighter who died after

being struck by a collapsing wall at a warehouse.

Asphyxiation was the third leading medical reason for firefighter deaths,

responsible for 20 deaths. A total of 13 firefighter deaths resulted from carbon

monoxide poisoning or inhalation of smoke or superheated gases during structural

firefighting. All of these deaths occurred when the firefighters were caught and

trapped by rapidly spreading fires or structural collapses. (Seven of these deaths

occurred in only two incidents.) Two firefighters died of asphyxiation in a stalled

brush truck when they were overrun by a wildfire. Three firefighters drowned in fast

moving flood waters, one while attempting a body recovery in a creek, one while

conducting a search for occupants of a vehicle caught in rising flood waters, and one

after successfully rescuing an occupant of a vehicle trapped in flood water. One

rescuer died of asphyxiation during a body recovery in a quarry, and one industrial

firefighter was asphyxiated when he attempted a rescue in a oxygen deficient

atmosphere without breathing apparatus.

 

4

 Autopsy results and medical records were not available for all of the heart attack victims.
19

Burn injuries claimed the lives of 3 firefighters. Two of these firefighters died

of burns after being caught by a boilover at a oil refinery fire, and one died of burns

after being caught in the basement of a tenement building when the floor collapsed

beneath him.

One firefighter was electrocuted by a downed power line. One died of a stroke

while en route to the station, and one died from seizure while on-duty.

Ages of Firefighters

Figure 7 shows the distribution of firefighter deaths by age and cause of death.

Younger firefighters were more likely to have died as a result of traumatic injuries

from an apparatus accident or after becoming caught or trapped during firefighting

operations. Stress was shown to play an increasing role in firefighter deaths as ages

increased. This is also reflected in Figure 8 which shows the distribution of deaths by

age and nature. Trauma and asphyxiation were responsible for most of the deaths

among younger firefighters, while heart attacks were much more prevalent among

older firefighters. Twenty-six of the 31 firefighters who were over 50 years old and all

8 of the firefighters over 60 years old died from heart attacks.
Figure 6

Firefighter Deaths by Nature of Fatal Injury

Heart Attack

48% Electrocution

1%

Internal Trauma

25%

Burns

3%

Asphyxiation

21% Stroke/Seizure

2%
Figure 7

 Firefighter Deaths by Age and Cause - 1995

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Under 21 21 to 25 26 to 30 31 to 35 36 to 40 41 to 45 46 to 50 51 to 55 56 to 60 Over 60

Number of Deaths

Exposure

Struck by/Contact with

Object

Caught or Trapped

Fell or Jumped

Stress
22

Fireground Deaths

Fireground deaths decreased by a third from 1994 to 1995, primarily due to the

decrease in wildland firefighting deaths. 5 There were 40 fireground deaths in 1995.

Figure 9 shows the distribution of fireground deaths by fixed property use.

Twenty-seven of the fireground deaths occurred at structure fires. As in most

years, residential occupancies accounted for the highest number of these fireground

fatalities with 18 deaths. Residential occupancies usually account for 70-80 percent of

all structure fires and a similar percentage of the civilian fire deaths each year, 67

percent of the firefighter deaths in 1995 occurred in residential structures.6 The

frequency of firefighter deaths in relation to the number of fires is much higher for

non-residential structures. Six firefighters died in storage occupancies which include

warehouses and other storage facilities. One firefighter died of a heart attack at a

recycling plant fire, one died of a heart attack at a fire in a commercial use building,

and the type of structure was unreported at one other heart attack death. No

firefighters died in public assembly occupancies in 1995.

Outdoor properties accounted for 13 deaths. Two firefighters died at an oil

refinery fire. Ten firefighters died while engaged in grass, brush or wildland

firefighting in 1995, down from 22 in 1994. One chief was killed when he was struck

by a passing car during an auto fire.

 

5

 The fireground fatalities would be approximately the same as last year if the 14 deaths at Storm King

Mountain are not included in the 1994 statistics.

6

 Complete NFIRS data for 1995 fire incidence was not available at the time of this report, but

typically residential fires account for between 70 and 80 percent of all fatal fires each year.
Figure 8

 Firefighter Deaths by Age & Nature

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Under

21

21 to

25

26 to

30

31 to

35

36 to

40

41 to

45

46 to

50

51 to

55

56 to

60

Over

60

Number of Deaths

Stroke/CVA

Burns

Electrocution

Internal Trauma

Asphyxiation

Heart Attack
Figure 9

Fireground Deaths by Fixed Property Use - 1995

15%

3%

44%

3%

3%

27%

5%

Storage

Commercial

Residential

Street/Road

Unreported

Outdoor Property

Manufacturing
25

Figure 10 illustrates the activities the 40 deceased firefighters were engaged in

at the time they sustained their fatal injuries or illnesses. There was a substantial

increase this year compared to past years in the number of firefighters who died while

engaged in traditional engine company duties of fire attack and advancing hose lines.

Twenty-three firefighters died while performing these fireground operations, including

9 who died from asphyxiation after becoming trapped by rapid fire spread or structural

collapse while advancing hose lines. Eight other firefighters suffered heart attacks

while performing similar functions. Two firefighters died while attacking an oil

refinery fire in a foam crash truck. Four other firefighters suffered heart attacks while

performing water supply operations on the fireground.

Traditional truck and ladder company duties accounted for nine deaths. Search

and rescue operations in burning structures were being conducted when five of these

deaths occurred, a drop from 14 search and rescue deaths in 1994. Four of the 9 died

of asphyxiation, all caught or trapped by rapidly spreading fires. One died of burns

when the floor collapsed trapping him in a fully involved basement. Two firefighters

died of heart attacks while performing ventilation at house fires. One firefighter died

of heart attack during overhaul, and one died while forcing entry to a building when a

brick wall collapsed, crushing him.

Three firefighters died of heart attacks while performing support functions or

standing by on the fireground.

Cutting fire lines to contain grass, brush, and forest fires accounted for three

firefighter fatalities. All three died as a result of heart attacks.

Two incident commanders suffered fatal heart attacks at fire incidents and one

was struck by a vehicle.

Time of Alarm

The distribution of 1995 fireground deaths according to the time of day when

the incidents were reported is shown in Figure 11. The highest number of fireground

deaths occurred for alarms that were received between 0100 and 0300. The second

highest number was between 1300-1500. There were no fireground deaths between the

hours of 2100-2300.
Figure 10 

Fireground Deaths by Type of Activity - 1995

Incident Command

8%

Support Duties

8%

Advancing Hose 

Lines

47%

Water Supply

9%

Forcible Entry

3%

Search and 

Rescue

13%

Ventilation

5%

Cutting Fire 

Breaks (Wildland)

8%
Figure 11 

Time of Alarm - 1995 

(For 51 Fatalities where time of alarm was reported)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

0700-

0859

1900-

1059

1100-

1259

1300-

1459

1500-

1659

1700-

1859

1900-

2059

2100-

2259

2300-

0059

0100-

0259

0300-

0459

0500-

0659
28

Month of the Year

Figure 12 illustrates firefighter fatalities by month of the year. Firefighter

fatalities peaked in June and July. Other high months were recorded in January and

March. The late fall months into early winter (October, November, and December)

were among the lowest months. (Conversely the number of residential fires peaked

during the winter and was lowest during June and July.)

State and Region

The distribution of firefighter deaths by state is shown in Table 1.7 Thirty-four

states are represented on the list, led by New York with 13 deaths. Figure 13 shows the

firefighter fatalities divided by region of the country and whether they were career

structural, volunteer structural, or career or seasonal wildland firefighters.

 

7

 This list attributes the deaths according to the state where the fire department or unit is based, as

opposed to the state where the death occurred. They are listed by those states for statistical purposes,

and for the National Fallen Firefighters' Memorial at the National Fire Academy.
Figure 12

Firefighter Deaths by Month of Year

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

Total Deaths

31

Table 1.

1995 On-Duty Firefighter Fatalities

State Number of Deaths State Number of Deaths

Alabama 2 New Mexico 1

Arkansas 2 New York 13

California 8 North Carolina 2

Colorado 1 Ohio 1

Connecticut 1 Oregon 1

Florida 1 Pennsylvania 8

Georgia 2 South Carolina 2

Hawaii 1 Tennessee 5

Idaho 2 Texas 6

Illinois 3 Virginia 2

Indiana 5 Washington 5

Kansas 2 West Virginia 2

Kentucky 1 Wisconsin 1

Maine 2

Maryland 4

Massachusetts 1

Michigan 2

Mississippi 2

Missouri 1

Nevada 1

New Jersey 3

Total: 96
32

Analysis of Urban/Rural/Suburban Patterns in Firefighter Fatalities

The US Bureau of the Census defines urban as a place having at least 2,500

population or lying within a designated urban area. Rural is defined as any community

that is not urban. Suburban is not a census term but may be taken to refer to any place,

urban or rural, that lies within a metropolitan area defined by the Census but not within

one of the designated central cities of that metropolitan area.

Fire department areas of responsibility do not always conform to the

boundaries used for the Census. For example, fire departments organized by counties

or special fire protection districts may have both urban and rural sections. In such

cases, it may not be possible to characterize the entire coverage area of the fire

department as rural or urban, and firefighter deaths were listed as urban or rural based

on the particular community or location in which the fatality occurred.

The following patterns were found for 1995 firefighter fatalities. These are

estimates based upon data reported by the fire departments.

Table 2.

Urban Suburban Rural Federal or State

Parks/Wildland

Total

Firefighter

Deaths

33 33 24 6 96

Past analysis of urban, suburban and rural firefighter fatalities has shown that

little correlation exists between the demographic nature of a department's area and

firefighter fatalities. Experience has shown that training, use of proper equipment, and

incident management have more of an impact on firefighter safety than geographic

location.
33

FAILURE TO USE PASS DEVICES

Fourteen firefighters died in 1995 when they were caught or trapped in

structural fires. Only two of these firefighters were found wearing personal alert safety

system (PASS) devices that were in the “on” or “armed” positions. Eleven

firefighters’ PASS units were turned off when they died. In only one structural death

was the status of the PASS unknown. In 1994, of six deaths where PASS information

was available, only two firefighters died while wearing PASS devices that were turned

“on” and four firefighters died with PASS units found turned off (the status of several

others was not reported).

The eleven firefighters who died in 1995 without activating their PASS devices

account for 79 percent of the structural firefighter deaths that were attributed to being

caught or trapped by rapidly spreading fire conditions or structural collapses (Figure

14). In all but one of these cases asphyxiation was the primary cause of death, due to

either toxic smoke inhalation or hypoxia after running out of air. All of these

firefighters are believed to have been wearing breathing apparatus. It is possible that

some of these firefighters might have been reached by fellow firefighters had their

status and location been determined by PASS activation. PASS devices were not

reported to be a factor in any of the heart attack deaths.

The use of PASS devices has gained widespread acceptance in the fire service

since they were first developed ten years ago. The mandatory use of PASS devices

was adopted as part of the NFPA 1500 Standard on Fire Department Occupational

Safety and Health Program in 1987. Analysis of these recent structural fatalities

clearly shows that many firefighters are failing to activate their PASS devices, even

when they are trapped and able to initiate other emergency procedures.

Several reasons may exist for the failure of firefighters to arm their PASS

devices. These include forgetting or intentionally not turning on the PASS when they

activate their SCBA, turning off the PASS because many earlier models are prone to

annoying false alerts, and failure to manually activate the PASS as part of their

emergency survival procedures. Insufficient training in incorporating PASS activation

into SCBA donning procedures and emergency procedures may be a contributing

factor to some of these deaths. Traditional firefighter training is very specific and

skills oriented, designed to
Figure 14

PASS Status of Firefighters Caught or Trapped During 

Interior Firefighting- 1995

PASS OFF

79%

PASS STATUS 

UNKNOWN

7%

PASS ON or 

ARMED

14%
35

train new firefighters to act in an automatic and reactive fashion. Under stress, many

firefighters, even more experienced ones, simply revert back to their original training

which has become ingrained and instinctive, and may forget to arm PASS devices or

activate them in emergencies. Some firefighters may not have received any specific

re-training to make PASS use automatic and instinctive.

Several efforts may help increase the use of PASS devices. Initial firefighter

training must incorporate the activation of PASS units every time an SCBA is turned

on, to make the use of the devices instinctive. Manual PASS activation should also

become a standard part of emergency survival procedures training for all trapped

firefighters, so that this also becomes an automatic reflex. Thorough re-training

should also take place for experienced firefighters, to overcome their old, learned

behaviors.

Manufacturers have developed improved PASS devices in the last few years to

meet revised NFPA standards and to reduce false activation. As these newer units

replace older ones, firefighters should encounter fewer false alerts. Also, some

manufacturers are developing integrated PASS devices that turn on automatically as

part of SCBA activation, arming themselves as soon as the air bottles are turned on.

This new technology should help make PASS use standard and universal as new

SCBA systems become more widely used over the next decade.

The use of PASS devices must be emphasized in training and on the

fireground. This should be an integral component of a fireground accountability

system and a routine function for firefighters operating in hazardous areas.
36

DEATHS DURING TECHNICAL RESCUE OPERATIONS IN 1995

Deaths during technical rescue operations rose from none in 1994 to five in

1995. Four of these deaths were associated with water related emergencies, while one

was associated with an attempted technical rescue in an excavation pit.8 As indicated

in this analysis report, only 14 of the 96 firefighter fatalities resulted from traumatic

injuries during interior structural firefighting operations. Given that there are many

more structural fires than technical rescue incidents every year, five deaths indicate a

much higher level of risk during these incidents. (The exact death rate can not be

determined and compared, because there is no standard reporting mechanism for all

types of technical rescues.) The growing number of departments expanding into

technical rescue operations makes these deaths more significant.

It is disturbing that all five technical rescue deaths involved rescuers who did

not follow standard safety practices or adequately evaluate the level of risk they faced.

The field of technical rescue has grown rapidly, and industry consensus

standards do exist for trench and confined space rescue, including mandatory OSHA

regulations. Water rescue standards are currently under development by the NFPA,

and coincide with industry consensus standards set by many state and private training

agencies.9

The psychological profile of firefighters may contribute to the reasons why

some of these deaths occur. Firefighters tend to be action and mission oriented

persons. They are indoctrinated by fire department training and culture to overcome

any obstacles to accomplish their tasks. This occasionally leads firefighters to

improvise rescues in situations where they have not received any training. The

widespread adoption of minimum training levels for firefighters has helped to reduce

traumatic fireground deaths in the last two decades. Similar training is available for

technical rescue, but has not been as widely adopted.

 

8

 One instructor died of a heart attack while teaching a confined space rescue course. His death is not

included in this special analysis, which we have confined to emergency operations.

9

 An overview of applicable standards for technical rescue is presented in the Technical Rescue

Program Development Manual, available on request from the United States Fire Administration.
Figure 15

Technical Rescue Deaths Versus Traumatic Deaths During 

Interior Structural Firefighting (19 Fatalities)

Technical Rescue 

Deaths

26%

Traumatic Interior 

Firefighting 

Deaths

74%
38

All of the technical rescue deaths in 1995 involved action oriented rescuers in

high risk situations attempting to overcome obstacles or unusual situations. Two of the

five deaths involved body recovery operations, where the time pressure to take

immediate actions is not present.

An analysis of the technical rescue deaths reveals common flaws in both risk

assessment/evaluation and in tactical decisions that were made in the rescue efforts.

Three of the deaths occurred during swiftwater and flood emergencies. Record

flooding, especially in the Southeast United States, led to many flood related

emergencies in areas where these types of incidents are unusual, and caused many fire

departments to become involved in rescue incidents for which they were not trained.

In one swiftwater death, a volunteer assistant fire chief (who was also a career

firefighter) drowned while searching automobiles along a flooded highway. The

officer was an experienced member of the fire service who was a qualified state fire

training instructor and had received rope rescue training, however, he was wearing full

firefighting turnout gear in the water and had tied himself into a rope attached to a fire

vehicle. Both of these practices should be avoided at all moving water emergencies.

He was not wearing a life jacket of any kind. The chief waded into the water and was

swept downstream by the quickly rising fast moving water and held underneath by the

rope to which he was attached. The vehicles turned out to have been previously

abandoned by their occupants, who were already in safe locations at the time of the

incident. At the same incident, two other rescuers were thrown from a rescue boat and

swept downstream, but were successfully rescued.

In a second swiftwater rescue fatality, a 34 year old volunteer firefighter tied

himself to a rope with two other firefighters and waded out to a car which was being

swept off a road into a swollen creek bed. As the firefighter reached the car, he was

able to pull the driver from the front seat just as the car was swept into the fast moving

water of the creek. As the force of the water increased, the firefighters and the driver

were all swept downstream. A dive team member on the shore jumped into the water

and was able to reach the driver. They were both swept downstream and later rescued

by a boat. All three firefighters were held downstream by the static rope while shore

personnel tried to pull them out of the water. The firefighter who had attempted the

initial rescue of the victim became entangled in a guide wire to a telephone pole as he

was pulled from the water, and drowned. Again, lack of training in the rescue
39

environment, failure to properly size-up hazards, and choosing improper equipment

and improper techniques for the situation led to a rescuer’s death.

In both of these swiftwater drownings, the deaths occurred despite the use of

standard fireground incident command procedures and a designated safety officer.

However, the command structures lacked the necessary technical expertise to evaluate

the special hazards posed in the swiftwater rescue environment.

A third swiftwater rescue death occurred when a forty year old firefighter

drowned while attempting a body recovery in a creek. He and two other rescuers

became trapped in a naturally occurring hydraulic below a falls. The two other

firefighters were rescued and survived. All three personnel were members of a fire

department dive team, and the firefighter that drowned was an instructor for dive, ice

and water rescue, yet failed to assess the level of risk involved with the swiftwater

body recovery operation. The rescuers were reportedly familiar with the dangers of

hydraulics below man-made low-head dams, but did not realize that this phenomenon

also occurs naturally as the result of water moving over any submerged object. The

firefighter died while attempting to recover the body of a canoeist who had drowned in

the same spot the day before. Recovery efforts had been suspended the day before due

to dangerously high water levels.

The three personnel had formulated a plan to wade into the water below the

falls wearing wet suits and buoyancy compensators. After a discussion, they decided

to hold on to a safety rope with their hands instead of tying themselves into the line,

for fear that if one of them got into trouble, the others would be unable to escape. This

indicates that the divers were aware of a risk, and were attempting to improvise a plan.

When the firefighters did wade into the water, they were drawn into the hydraulic and

lost their grip on the safety line. One firefighter was able to rescue himself and a

second was retrieved by a rescuer on shore with a pike pole, while the third firefighter

was trapped under water and drowned before he floated free. A lack of understanding

of the hazards, risks, and techniques for fast moving water resulted in a preventable

tragedy.

All three of these deaths could have been prevented with proper training,

proper equipment, and with an accurate assessment of the hazards to the rescuers.
40

A fourth water related death occurred when a rescue diver was asphyxiated in a

quarry while diving to a depth of over 200 feet. It was determined that he had the

wrong mixture of oxygen and nitrogen in his SCUBA tank. Deep dives require a

special mixture of air to prevent the build up of nitrogen and other molecules in body

tissues. This can cause hypoxia leading to reduced level of consciousness,

disorientation, or unconsciousness in divers. The dive was part of a body recovery

effort to find a drowning victim.

The fifth technical rescue death occurred when a member of an industrial fire

brigade died of asphyxiation while attempting to rescue three unconscious workers

who were in a pit that was being excavated as part of a construction project. The three

workers had been overcome by an oxygen deficient atmosphere created when argon, a

heavier than air gas, was accidentally pumped into the pit, displacing the oxygen. The

fire brigade member entered the pit alone, without breathing apparatus, in an attempt

to aid the workers and was quickly overcome from the lack of oxygen. A local

technical rescue team responded to the plant and, using breathing apparatus removed

the firefighter and the workers. The firefighter and two of the three workers died.

Failure to size-up the hazard and risks involved in this rescue effort contributed to the

firefighter’s death.

Many technical rescues are inherently high risk incidents. These incidents are

infrequent, many involve highly volatile environments, and often require specialized

training and equipment and involve complicated techniques. All these technical

rescue deaths might have been prevented with more thorough awareness training in the

hazards of the rescue environment and a more complete size-up and analysis of the

risks. The size-up must consider the limitations of the rescuers’ training, equipment,

and resources.

The increasing number of fire departments involved in providing technical

rescue services must obtain the specific knowledge and skills to prevent repetitions of

similar tragedies in the future. Confined space rescue requires training in accordance

with OSHA regulations (CFR 1910.146). Underwater rescue and recovery requires

thorough training in diving equipment and in the diving environment. Swiftwater

rescue requires specialized training in hazard recognition and specific rescue

techniques. Collapse and trench rescue require knowledge in shoring, building

construction, and other disciplines.
41

An awareness of various technical rescue hazards should be incorporated into

regular training for all first responder agencies and rescue services.

CONCLUSIONS

The analysis of firefighter deaths in 1995 indicates that the overall long term

trend toward fewer firefighter fatalities is continuing. The 96 fatalities are the third

lowest recorded, and only the third time the total number of fatalities has dropped

below 100, all within the last four years.

Stress induced heart attacks continue to remain the number one reason for

firefighter deaths.10 Health and fitness programs should help to reduce these numbers

in the long term. Better screening for high risk firefighters through medical exams

may help to prevent some deaths in the short term, by identifying firefighters who are

unfit for strenuous duty or may be at high risk for heart disease. Many factors that

place firefighters at high risk are controllable, such as better nutrition or stopping

smoking.

Two tragic fires resulted in the loss of seven firefighters. These and several

other incidents reinforce the need for proper size-up, progress reports, as well as a

working accountability system at all incidents to keep track of all personnel. An

accountability system should track all members, including who and where they are,

who they are working for, what they are doing, and how long they have been doing it.

Accountability is an essential part of a fireground command system.

The institution of rapid intervention teams into emergency operations may help

save more firefighters’ lives. PASS devices must be used at all incidents, to improve

the chances of being alerted to and locating a downed firefighter.

Responding to incidents continues to claim too many lives. After almost

eliminating personal vehicle accidents as a cause of fatalities in 1994, several lives

were lost in 1995. In at least three cases, responders crashed into each other while

responding to the same incident. All fire departments should have a policy regarding

driver training for responding to emergency incidents, and all drivers should use

 

10 Figure 16 shows the relation between stress-related and action-related firefighter deaths.
42

caution when approaching intersections. Also, seatbelts can only save lives if they are

worn; they were not used in several 1995 fatal accidents.

As in last years analysis, the 1995 statistics indicate that risk management, in

the form of assessing firefighters health risks, sizing up fireground conditions, and

evaluating hazards at special rescue scenes is the key to reducing on-duty firefighter

fatalities even further.
Figure 16

Stress vs. Actions

FIREGOURND OPS

23 Deaths

RESCUE / EMS OPS

7 Deaths

RESPONDING / RETURNING

7 Deaths

EMERGENCY OPS

37 Deaths

TRAINING

1 Death

OTHER

10 Deaths

NON-EMERGENCY OPS

11 Deaths

HEALTH / FITNESS RELATED

Heart Attacks/Strokes/Seizures

48 Deaths

FIREGOURND OPS

25 Deaths

RESCUE / EMS OPS

2 Deaths

RESPONDING / RETURNING

18 Deaths

EMERGENCY OPS

45 Deaths

TRAINING

2 Death

OTHER

1 Death

NON-EMERGENCY OPS

3 Deaths

ACTION / OPERATION RELATED

Truama/Asphyxia/Burns/Exposure

48 Deaths

FIREFIGHTER ON-DUTY FATALITIES 1996

96 Deaths
44

APPENDIX: SUMMARY OF FATAL INCIDENTS IN 1995

Incident 1

On January 5, four members of the Seattle (WA) Fire Department died when a

floor collapsed without warning during a commercial building fire. Lt. Walter

Kilgore, Lt. Gregory Shoemaker, Firefighter James Brown, and Firefighter Randall

Terlicker died when a modified and unprotected wood floor support failed under

heavy fire conditions. Contributing factors to this incident included an unusual and

complicated building configuration, companies entering the structure on different

levels from different sides of the building, a lack of pre-fire plans, conflicting

interpretations of observed fire conditions from different locations on the fireground,

personnel not recognizing the significance of their own observations and operations

with respect to the overall incident, a lack of progress reports that would have

permitted the incident commander to reevaluate his attack plan, and inadequate

information passed on to responding companies about an arson threat against the

building. The cause of the fire was determined to be arson, and a suspect has been

charged. 11

Incident 2

On January 7, Firefighter Wilbur Pinnell of the Winchester (TN) Fire

Department suffered a fatal heart attack while returning from extinguishing a garbage

fire that had extended to a commercial occupancy.

Incident 3

On January 24, Forestry Technician Henry Frizzell of the Tennessee Division

of Forestry suffered a fatal heart attack while returning from a fire.

 

11 A detailed analysis of this incident was conducted by the United States Fire Administration as part

of the Major Fires Investigation Project. The report, "Four Firefighters Die in Seattle Warehouse Fire,"

is available on request from the United States Fire Administration.
45

Incident 4

On January 26, Chief Lathan Grant Smith, Jr., of the East Providence (AL)

Volunteer Fire Department died after suffering a heart attack while fighting a brush

fire. Grant was a founder of the East Providence VFD and a career firefighter with the

Talladega Fire Department.

 Incident 5

On January 28, Firefighter Victor Melendy of the Stoughton (MA) Fire

Department died when he was caught in a flashover while searching for victims on the

third floor of a rooming house.

 Incident 6

On January 31, Firefighters Marcus King and Jared Lee Wright of the Claude

(TX) Volunteer Fire Department were killed when their fire apparatus was struck by a

train while they were fighting a brush fire on a railroad right-of-way. Both firefighters

suffered severe traumatic injuries and died several days later. Wright was 18 years old

at the time of his death; King was 15 years old.

 Incident 7

On February 2, Firefighter Ernestine Garcia of the Willard (NM) Fire

Department died when she was thrown from a fire engine in a rollover accident while

responding to a brush fire. The vehicle apparently hit a soft shoulder on the side of the

road, crossed the road and rolled over. The driver, a 17 year old junior firefighter, was

hospitalized for multiple injuries. He was permitted to drive to fires but prohibited

from operating on the fireground until he turns 18. The weather was clear and there

was no oncoming traffic at the time of the crash.

 Incident 8

On February 8, Chief Glenn Scott of the Era (TX) Volunteer Fire Department

died from a heart attack while returning from an emergency call.

 Incident 9
46

On February 13, Firefighter Lisa Batten of the Gilmer County (GA) Fire

Department died from traumatic injuries she received in a car accident while returning

from a paramedic class.

Incident 10

On February 14, three Pittsburgh (PA) Fire Department firefighters died after a

stairway collapsed, trapping them in the basement. Captain Thomas Brooks,

Firefighter Patricia Conroy, and Firefighter Marc Kolenda died from asphyxiation

when they ran out of air while operating a hose line in the basement. Investigations by

the City of Pittsburgh and others after the fire indicated that problems with incident

command and accountability were key factors contributing to the firefighters deaths.

Other factors included a possible lack of crew integrity and a failure of the crew to

take emergency survival actions that may have helped them escape. All of the

deceased firefighters were wearing PASS devices that were found in the “Off”

position. The fire was ruled an arson and a suspect has been arrested.12

Incident 11

On February 14 Firefighter Wendell Ayers of the Pacific Grove (CA) Fire

Department collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack while attempting to assist in

the rescue of two people on a yacht that had run aground.

Incident 12

On February 22, Firefighter Shawn O'Brien of the Franklin (ME) Volunteer

Fire Department collapsed and died of a heart attack after a structure fire.

 

12 A detailed analysis of this incident was conducted by the United States Fire Administration as part

of the Major Fires Investigation Project. The report, "Three Firefighters Die in Pittsburgh House Fire,"

is available for free from the United States Fire Administration.
47

Incident 13

On February 25 Chief Jimmy Bryant of the Indian Field (SC) Fire Department

died of a heart attack after discovering a fire at a campground. The fire was

deliberately set.

Incident 14

On March 3, Firefighter Neil Hyland of the Massapequa (NY) Volunteer Fire

Department died in an automobile accident while responding to a fire call.

Incident 15

On March 5, Lt. Raymond Schiebel of the New York City (NY) Fire

Department went into cardiac arrest while operating at a fire in Brooklyn. Schiebel

died two days later at a hospital. An investigation into the incident revealed that a

paramedic allegedly failed to properly intubate Lt. Schiebel during resuscitation

efforts, inserting the endotrachial tube into his esophagus instead of into his trachea.

Incident 16

On March 8, Firefighter Donald Koebel of the Johnson County (KS) Fire

District #2 died when he became trapped in the basement of a house fire and ran out of

air. Koebel was part of the initial entry crew attempting to locate the seat of the fire

when the floor collapsed beneath him. Heavy smoke and fire conditions prevented

other firefighters from rescuing him. The fire originated in the basement of the house.

Incident 17

On March 9, Lieutenant Joseph Mambretti of the San Francisco (CA) Fire

Department died of severe respiratory burns he received after becoming trapped in the

garage of a house that was on fire. Mambretti, the officer on the first arriving engine,

had led his crew with the first attack line into the garage when the electrically

controlled garage door closed behind them. The fire spread quickly due to 50 mileper-hour winds, creating heavy fire conditions in the garage and injuring the three

firefighters before other crews could breach garage door with axes and saws to pull

them out.
48

Incident 18

On March 13, Forest Ranger Bobby Crowe of the Georgia Forestry

Commission died of a heart attack after battling a fire in a half-acre of wood pallets.

Incident 19

On March 15, Firefighter Phillip Sherburn of the Aumsville (OR) Rural Fire

Protection District died of a heart attack shortly after responding to a house fire.

Sherburn collapsed while performing water supply operations.

Incident 20

On March 18, Firefighter Henry Williams of the Delran (NJ) Volunteer Fire

Department died when he suffered a heart attack while taking a firefighter stress test

for the New Jersey Forest Service.

Incident 21

On March 24, Fire Engineer Donald Kaczka of the Chicago (IL) Fire

Department died after suffering a heart attack at the scene of a rubbish fire at a

recycling plant.

Incident 22

On March 27, Firefighter Dana Morrison of the Ferry County (WA) Fire

Protection District No. 2 died after suffering a heart attack while operating a hose line

at a fire.

Incident 23

On March 29, Deputy Chief Norman Prime of the South China (MA) Fire

Department died of a heart attack while fighting a brush fire.
49

Incident 24

On April 2, Firefighter James Weaver of the Gallupville (NY) Volunteer Fire

Department died of a heart attack while performing water supply operations at a brush

fire. Weaver was 71 years old.

Incident 25

On April 13, Firefighter Herloff "Ted" Hansen of the Hobart (IN) Fire

Department was killed while conducting search operations for two reported trapped

victims at a house fire. Hanson and another firefighter were operating on the second

floor when fire erupted from a concealed space near the stairwell, trapping them on the

second floor, where they ran out of air. They were able to find their way to a window

where a rescue ladder had been placed. Hansen aided his injured partner through the

window and on to the ladder when a flashover occurred and he was killed. Three

other firefighters were injured attempting to rescue Hansen and his partner.

Incident 26

On April 15, Forestry Technician James Wilson of the Tennessee Division of

Forestry suffered a fatal heart attack after returning from the scene of a four acre

brush fire.

Incident 27

On April 17, Engineer Judith Luster-Stauss and Firefighter Michael Lohbeck of

the Castella (CA) Volunteer Fire Department were killed while responding to a barn

fire when their tanker truck failed to negotiate a curve and overturned into a creek.

Both died of traumatic injuries at the scene of the accident. The firefighters had

apparently gone in the wrong direction and were reported to be heading away from the

fire at the time of the crash.
50

Incident 28

On April 23, Lieutenant Earl McNeil, Jr. of the Princess Anne (MD) Volunteer

Fire Department died of a heart attack after fighting a brush fire. Lt. McNeil was a

retired career firefighter with the Boston Fire Department.

Incident 29

On April 24, Firefighter Leroy Cropper of the Ocean City (MD) Volunteer Fire

Department suffered a heart attack after fighting a fire in a hotel. Cropper was

hospitalized and died on April 28.

Incident 30

On May 5, Firefighter Greg Cusson of the Noble Township (IN) Volunteer Fire

Department was killed when his car collided with another fire department vehicle at

the scene of a reported explosion at a school.

Incident 31

On May 9, Firefighter Travis McCormick of the New Union (AL) Volunteer

Fire Department suffered a fatal heart attack at the scene of a mobile home fire.

Incident 32

On May 12, Chief Ray Parnell McKay, Jr., of the Northeast Lamar County

(MS) Fire Department suffered a fatal heart attack as he was leaving the fireground.

Incident 33

On May 12, Firefighter Dana Stivers of the North Pulaski (AR) Fire Protection

District No. 15 was killed when the fire engine in which she was riding overturned,

crushing her. The driver of the engine received minor injuries. The engine was on a

non-emergency training run and the driver had apparently swerved to avoid an

oncoming car. Stivers had just completed her six month probation period in the

department.
51

Incident 34

On May 19, Robert Lapp of the Grantsville (MD) Volunteer Fire Department

and the Northern Garrett (MD) Volunteer Rescue Squad died of an apparent heart

attack while transporting a patient to the hospital from the scene of a motor vehicle

accident.

Incident 35

On May 24, Firefighter Ron Deer of the Wayne Township (IN) Fire

Department was killed when the fire engine in which he was riding overturned. One

other firefighter was paralyzed in the incident; two others received minor injuries.

Deer and the other critically injured firefighter were in the back of the engine and were

not wearing seatbelts when the accident occurred. The raised roof of the engine

separated from the cab when it overturned and they were thrown from the engine .

The engine was responding on a box alarm which turned out to be a false alarm.

Incident 36

On June 3, Chief Bradley Hocking, Sr. of the Pipestone-Berrien TownshipEauclaire (MI) Fire Department suffered a heart attack after responding to the scene of

a fatal vehicle accident. Chief Hocking was transported by an ambulance to a nearby

hospital, where he died on June 6.

Incident 37

On June 5, Firefighter William Walls of the Rock Community (MO) Fire

Protection District suffered a fatal heart attack after fighting a fire in a mobile home.

Incident 38

On June 6, Lieutenant Peter “Butch” Borwegan of the Edison (NJ) Division of

Fire was discovered unconscious on the apparatus floor of Edison Fire Station 5.

Attempts to resuscitate Lt. Borwegan were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead

at a nearby hospital.
52

Incident 39

On June 7, Firefighter David Barrera of the Eagle Pass (TX) Fire Department

died after suffering a seizure while on duty as a dispatcher.

Incident 40

On June 11, Firefighters Richard Hogan and Christopher Rezac of the Sheppard

Air Force Base (TX) Fire Department were killed while fighting a fire at an oil refinery in 

Addington, Oklahoma. Hogan and Rezac had responded in a P-19 crash truck to assist 

local fire departments with suppression efforts. The fire was located in an oil storage tank 

and had been caused by a lighting strike. Rezac and Hogan were killed when several 

thousand gallons of burning oil boiled over the side of the tank, trapping their crash truck 

in a mixture of oil and mud. They attempted to flee on foot but were overrun by the flow 

of oil and died of massive burns.

Incident 41

On June 12, Fire Commissioner Kevin Sutch of the Levittown (NY) Fire

Department suffered a fatal heart attack while attending the New York State Firemen’s

Convention in Albany, New York.

Incident 42

On June 22, Contract Pilots Gary Cockrell and Lisa Netsch of Aero Union

Corporation, and Pilot Michael Smith of the USDA Forest Service were killed in an

aircraft collision over Ramona, California when Smith’s spotter plane hit the DC-4 air

tanker piloted by Cockrell and Netsch. Both planes were on final approach to the

airport after returning from dropping fire retardant on a brush fire.

Incident 43

On June 22, Assistant Chief Carter Martin of the Brookville-Timberlake (VA)

Volunteer Fire Department drowned after he waded into fast moving flood waters to

search three vehicles that had been swept downstream. Chief Martin was swept under

water and trapped. He was wearing full protective firefighting turnout clothing while

in the water, was not wearing a life vest and had been tied into a rope that was attached
53

to a fire engine. Two other rescuers were thrown into the water but survived. Martin

also served as a career firefighter with the Lynchburg (VA) Fire Department and was

an instructor with the Virginia Department of Fire Programs. It was later discovered

that the occupants of the vehicles had reached safety on their own prior to the response

of emergency personnel.

Incident 44

On June 29, Fire Protection Specialist John Woodward of the New York State

Office of Fire Prevention and Control died of a heart attack while conducting a fire

inspection.

Incident 45

On July 6, Lieutenant Randy Williford of the North Little Rock (AR) Fire

Department suffered a heart attack after attempting to complete an agility test required

for a promotion to the rank of Captain. Williford died of heart failure at a hospital on

July 9.

Incident 46

On July 10, Firefighter Gary Soupene of the Riley County (KS) Rural Fire

Department was killed while responding in his personal vehicle to a reported grass

fire. Soupene was slowing down to pick up another volunteer when his vehicle was

struck from behind by a car driven by another firefighter responding to the same

incident, flipping Soupene’s car and killing him. The reported fire turned out to be a

bale of hay that had caught on fire.

Incident 47

On July 10, Firefighter John Schuyler of the Weldon (PA) Fire Company

suffered a fatal heart attack while responding on foot to the fire house after a vehicle

fire had been dispatched.
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Incident 48

On July 14, Firefighter John Weingart of the Detroit (MI) Fire Department

suffered a fatal heart attack while hooking up to a fire hydrant at a residential dwelling

fire.

Incident 49

On July 15, Assistant Chief Edward Pitcher of the Sharon County (CT)

Volunteer Fire Department was electrocuted when he came in contact with a downed

power line during the clean up of debris after a storm.

Incident 50

On July 15, Adam Sorenson of the Ruth (NV) Volunteer Fire Department was

killed when the ambulance he was driving swerved and crashed. The ambulance was

not responding to an emergency or transporting any patients when the accident

occurred.

Incident 51

On July 19, Mayor Arthur Thompson, Fire Commissioner for the Freeport

(NY) Fire Department, suffered a heart attack while en route to a fire. He was

transported by an ambulance to a local hospital where he died.

Incident 52

 On July 20, Firefighter Lyle Garlinghouse of the Osceola (FL) Fire

Department suffered a fatal heart attack at an EMS incident.
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Incident 53

On July 21, Firefighter Peter Crown, a helicopter pilot for the Honolulu (HI)

Fire Department was killed when his helicopter crashed in the Koolau Mountains on

the island of Oahu. Crown had been conducting a search for a lost hiker and had been

towing two police officers in the helicopter’s basket to the search area when the

helicopter crashed in inclement weather. The two police officers were also killed.

Incident 54

On July 25, Firefighter Mitch Weaver of the Tunnelton (WV) Volunteer Fire

Department died of a heart attack while at the scene of a vehicle accident.

Incident 55

On July 28, Firefighters Bill Buttram and Josh Oliver of the Kuna (ID) Rural

Fire Department were killed when the 1955 brush truck they were driving stalled and

they were overrun by a fast moving wildfire.

Incident 56

On July 30, Chief William Luker of the Cedar Creek (MS) Volunteer Fire

Department was killed when the 1972 3,500 gallon tanker truck he was driving

overturned en route to a barn fire, ejecting him from the truck. Luker was not wearing

a seat belt at the time of the accident.

Incident 57

On August 1, June Fitzpatrick of the Rocky Point (NY) Fire District died of a

stroke while en route to the fire station for an emergency.
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Incident 58

On August 5, Firefighter William Marks of the Munhall (PA) Fire and EMS 1

was killed when the engine on which he was riding jumped a curb and overturned en

route to an electrical fire in a row house. Marks was riding on the tailboard of the

engine at the time of the accident. Several other firefighters were seriously injured.

Incident 59

On August 7, Firefighter Eric Mangieri of the New Kensington (PA) Fire

Company was killed when he became trapped while trying to escape from a house fire

during a flashover.

Incident 60

On August 16, Firefighter Christopher Garneau of the Warrenton (VA)

Volunteer Fire Company died of a heart attack while responding to an emergency

incident. An autopsy revealed that Garneau, age 17, had an enlarged heart.

Incident 61

On August 21, Firefighter-EMT Bruce Cormican of the Black River Falls (WI)

Fire Department drowned while conducting a body recovery in a creek for a drowning

victim. Cormican and two other members of the Black River Fall dive team were

trapped in a hydraulic created by a small waterfall while wading into the creek and

searching for the victim’s body. Shore personnel were able to remove the three

rescuers with a pike pole, but they could not revive Cormican after pulling him out of

the water. 

Incident 62

On August 24, Rescue Diver Corey Berggren of the Knoxville (TN) Volunteer

Rescue Squad died while conducting dive operations in a quarry to recover the body

of a drowning victim. Berggren had apparently breathed the wrong mixture of gas

from his SCUBA tank during a the 200 foot dive, asphyxiating him.
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Incident 63

On August 27, Firefighter James Greg Hinson of the Mebane (NC) Fire

Department drowned after rescuing a man from a vehicle on a flooded highway.

Hinson and two other firefighters had tied themselves into a rope that was attached to a

haul line on a fire department vehicle. As he reached the car and pulled the occupant

out, the car was swept into the flooded creek channel. Hinson and the other

firefighters slipped into the current, and he became trapped on a guide wire to a

telephone pole when other rescuers tried to haul them out of the water. The two other

firefighters were rescued. A rescue diver from another department entered the water to

reach the car driver, and they were both swept into a tree, where they were later

rescued by boat. Hinson was pulled from the water within seven minutes in cardiac

arrest.

Incident 64

On August 31, Firefighter Marty Kautz of the Brush (CO) Volunteer Fire

Department was killed in a vehicle accident while en route to a medical emergency.

Kautz and three other firefighters responded in his minivan from the fire station to a

report of a child choking. They were struck en route by a car driven by an emergency

medical technician who had run a stop sign while en route to the ambulance quarters to

respond to the same call. Kautz was killed and the three firefighters injured.

Incident 65

On September 6, Fire-Police George Peters of the Eflinwild (PA) Volunteer

Fire Company suffered a fatal heart attack at the scene of a multi-alarm fire.

Incident 66

On September 8th, Past Chief John Pache of the Aviation (NY) Volunteer Fire

Company No. 3 suffered a fatal heart attack while en route to a structure fire.
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Incident 67

On September 13, Captain John McCroden of the City of Geneva (OH) Fire

Department died when he suffered a heart attack while ventilating the roof at a fire in a

single family house.

Incident 68

On September 16, Firefighter Eric Schaefer of the Baltimore City (MD) Fire

Department was killed when a 1 1/2 foot thick granite wall collapsed on him while he

was engaged in forcible entry at a multiple alarm fire in an old warehouse that had

been converted to numerous shops and businesses.

Incident 69

On September 17, Firefighter Gene Schubert of the Harriman (TN) Fire

Department suffered a fatal heart attack at the scene of a fire.

Incident 70

On September 19, Captain Ray Leccioni of the Colma (CA) Fire District

suffered a fatal heart attack while at a medical call.

Incident 71

On September 23, First Assistant Chief Frederick Fairweather of the Bullville

(NY) Fire Company suffered a fatal heart attack while marching with the department

in the Bullville parade. He was a retired firefighter with the Newburgh Fire

Department.
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Incident 72

On September 26, Lt. Thomas O’Boyle of the Chicago (IL) Fire Department

suffered a fatal heart attack at a fire in a furniture warehouse. Lt. O’Boyle, aide to the

Fire Commissioner, had just exited the structure after checking on the progress of

firefighters inside when he collapsed.

Incident 73

On September 28, Sergeant John Fisher of the Greensburg (PA) Volunteer Fire

Department suffered a fatal heart attack while responding on foot to an emergency call

for a pedestrian struck by a train.

Incident 74

On September 30, Instructor Richard Washburn of the Kentucky Tech

Fire/Rescue Training, and a member of the Whitehall (KY) Fire Department, collapsed

and died while he was teaching a confined space entry and rescue course at a regional

fire school.

Incident 75

On October 8, Firefighter Peter McLaughlin of the New York City (NY) Fire

Department was killed while performing a search on the fourth floor at a fire in a

tenement building, when the fire broke through the ceiling engulfing the apartment in

flames. McLaughlin’s route of escape was blocked by a window gate. He died of

burn injuries and smoke inhalation. The fire started on a mattress in a fourth floor

bedroom. The building had been previously cited for over 170 fire code violations.

Incident 76

On October 26, Corporal John Riggins, Jr. of the Indianapolis (IN) Fire

Department suffered a fatal heart attack after performing roof ventilation at a house

fire.
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Incident 77

On October 28, Past Chief James “Frank” Ainsworth of the Friendship (WV)

Fire Company suffered a fatal heart attack at a fundraising event for the fire company.

Ainsworth was treasurer and served on the Board of Directors of the department at the

time of his death.

Incident 78

On October 29, Firefighter Stephen Sulzinski of the Hicksville (NY) Fire

Department suffered a fatal heart attack while attending a fire service activity in

Albany.

Incident 79

On November 7, Asst. Chief Walter Augustin of the Congers (NY) Fire

Department suffered a fatal heart attack while marching in the Congers parade with the

department.

Incident 80

On November 9, Firefighter John Haviar, a industrial fire brigade member at a

Reynolds Aluminum plant, was killed when he entered an oxygen deficient

atmosphere in an excavation pit without breathing apparatus to attempt the rescue of

three workers. Argon gas had been accidentally pumped into the pit, displacing the

oxygen and trapping the workers. Haviar was overcome and was killed along with

two of the workers.

Incident 81

On November 11, Chief Thomas Buff, Jr. of the Blaney (SC) Volunteer Fire

Department was killed when he was struck by a passing police cruiser. The Blaney

VFD had just finished extinguishing a vehicle fire on an interstate highway when a

minor accident occurred in the opposing lanes of traffic. Chief Buff started across the

road to check on the occupants of the cars when he was hit, receiving multiple

traumatic injuries.
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Incident 82

On November 19, Assistant Chief David Harness of the Hanna Township (IN)

Volunteer Fire Department was killed when he was struck by a vehicle at the scene of

an emergency.

Incident 83

On November 25, Firefighter Michael Canonico of the Andover Township (NJ)

Fire Department was killed while responding on his motorcycle to a report of a furnace

fire. Canonico died when he attempted to pass a pickup truck on the right and the

truck made a right turn, striking him.

Incident 84

On December 14, Captain James Shue of the Locke Township (NC) Volunteer

Fire Department was killed when the engine he was driving overturned en route to an

odor of smoke call, which turned out to be a false alarm. Two other firefighters were

injured.

Incident 85

On December 31, Lt. John Clancy of the New York City (NY) Fire Department

was killed when the floor collapsed beneath him at a fire in an abandoned residential

building as he entered to conduct a search for occupants. Lt. Clancy fell into the

basement where he died of burns.