Firefighter Fatalities in the 

United States in 2017 

September 2018

Firefighter Fatalities in 

the United States in 2017

Prepared by

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Federal Emergency Management Agency

U.S. Fire Administration

National Fire Data Center

and

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

https://www.firehero.org

In memory of all firefighters

who answered their last call in 2017.

To their families and friends.

To their service and sacrifice.

Mission Statement

We provide national leadership to foster a solid foundation for 

our fi re and emergency services stakeholders in prevention, 

preparedness and response.

Table of Contents i

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... 1

Background .......................................................................................................................... 1

Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 3

Who is a firefighter?........................................................................................................... 3

What constitutes an on-duty fatality?............................................................................. 3

Sources of initial notification ........................................................................................... 4

Procedure for including a fatality in the study .............................................................. 4

2017 Findings........................................................................................................................ 7

Career, volunteer and wildland agency deaths ............................................................. 9

Gender................................................................................................................................. 9

Multiple firefighter fatality incidents .............................................................................. 9

Wildland firefighting deaths............................................................................................. 10

Type of Duty ......................................................................................................................... 13

Fireground operations ...................................................................................................... 14

Type of fireground activity ............................................................................................... 14

Fixed property use for structural firefighting deaths................................................... 15

Responding/Returning...................................................................................................... 15

Training................................................................................................................................ 16

Nonfire emergencies......................................................................................................... 16

After the incident............................................................................................................... 17

Cause of Fatal Injury ........................................................................................................... 19

Caught or trapped ............................................................................................................. 19

Contact with ....................................................................................................................... 20

Fall........................................................................................................................................ 20

Lost or disoriented ............................................................................................................ 20

Other ................................................................................................................................... 20

Stress or overexertion....................................................................................................... 21

Struck by object ................................................................................................................. 22

Vehicle crashes................................................................................................................... 23

Nature of Fatal Injury.......................................................................................................... 27

Firefighter Ages.................................................................................................................... 29

Deaths by Time of Injury .................................................................................................... 31

Firefighter Fatality Incidents by Month of Year .............................................................. 31

State and Region.................................................................................................................. 33

Analysis of Urban/Suburban/Rural Patterns in Firefighter Fatalities.......................... 39
ii Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017

Appendix............................................................................................................................... 41

Acronyms.............................................................................................................................. 45
Acknowledgments | Background 1

Photo/Mark A. Whitney

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; wildland fire service organizations, such as 

the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the 

Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; as well as the U.S. Department 

of Justice, the National Fire Protection Association, and many others, contributed 

important information to this report.

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation was responsible for compilation of a large 

portion of the information used in this report. Their cooperation and work toward 

reducing firefighter deaths is gratefully acknowledged.

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

through an increased awareness and understanding of their causes and how they can be 

prevented. Firefighting, rescue and other types of emergency operations are essential 

activities in an inherently dangerous profession, and unfortunate tragedies do occur. 

These are the risks that all firefighters accept every time they respond to an emergency 

incident. However, the risks can be greatly reduced through efforts to improve training, 

emergency scene operations, and firefighter health and safety.

Background

For 41 years, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has tracked the number of firefighter 

fatalities and conducted an annual analysis. Through the collection of information on 

the causes of firefighter deaths, the USFA is able to focus on specific problems and direct 

efforts toward finding solutions to reduce the number of firefighter fatalities in the future. 

This information is also used to measure the effectiveness of current programs directed 

toward firefighter health and safety.

Several programs have been funded by the USFA in response to this annual report. For 

example, the USFA has sponsored significant work in the areas of general emergency 

vehicle operations safety, fire department tanker/tender operations safety, firefighter 

incident scene rehabilitation, and roadside incident safety. The data developed for this 

report are also widely used in other firefighter fatality prevention efforts.
2 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017

In addition to performing this analysis, the USFA, working in partnership with the National 

Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), develops a list of all on-duty firefighter fatalities 

and associated documentation each year. If certain criteria are met, the fallen firefighter’s 

next of kin, as well as members of the individual’s fire department, are invited to the 

annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service. The service is held at the National 

Emergency Training Center (NETC) in Emmitsburg, Maryland, during Fire Prevention Week 

in October of each year. The 37th Annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend 

will be held Oct. 6 and 7, 2018. Additional information regarding the memorial service can 

be found at https://www.firehero.org, or by calling the NFFF at 301-447-1365.

Other resources and information regarding firefighter fatalities, including current fatality 

notices, the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial database, and links to the Public Safety 

Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program, can be found at https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/firefighterfatalities/.
Introduction 3

Introduction

This report continues a series of annual studies began in 1986 by the USFA of on-duty 

firefighter fatalities in the U.S.

The specific objective of this study is to identify all on-duty firefighter fatalities 

that occurred in the U.S. and its territories in 2017 and to analyze the circumstances 

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

reduce the number of firefighter deaths in future years.

Who is a firefighter?

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

fire departments with assigned fire suppression duties in all 50 states; the District of 

Columbia; and the territories of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the 

commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. It includes career and 

volunteer firefighters; full-time public safety officers acting as firefighters; fire police; state, 

territory 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-time or part-time. It also 

includes contract personnel working as firefighters, or assigned to work in direct support 

of fire service organizations (e.g., air-tanker crews).

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

seasonal and full-time employees of the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, 

the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, and state wildland agencies. The definition also includes prison inmates serving 

on firefighting crews; firefighters employed by other governmental agencies, such as the 

U.S. Department of Energy; military personnel performing assigned fire suppression 

activities; and civilian firefighters working at military installations.

What constitutes an on-duty fatality?

An on-duty fatality includes any injury or illness that was sustained while on-duty and 

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

emergency, whether it is a fire or nonfire incident; responding to, or returning from, an 

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

education, inspection, investigations, court testimony or fundraising; and being on call, 

under orders or on standby duty (except at the individual’s home or place of business). An 

individual who experiences a heart attack or other fatal injury at home, while he or she 

prepares to respond to an emergency, is considered on-duty when the response begins. 

A firefighter who becomes ill while performing fire department duties and suffers a heart 

attack shortly after arriving home (or at another location) may be considered on-duty 

since the inception of the heart attack occurred while the firefighter was on-duty.

On Dec. 15, 2003 the president of the U.S. signed the Hometown Heroes Survivors 

Benefit Act of 2003 into law. After being signed by the president, the act became Public 

Law 108-182. The law presumes that a heart attack or stroke is in the line of duty if the 

firefighter was engaged in nonroutine, stressful or strenuous physical activity while 

on-duty, and the firefighter became ill within 24 hours after engaging in such activity. 
4 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017

The full text of the law is available at https://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.

cgi?dbname=108_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ182.108.pdf.

The inclusion criteria for this study have been affected by this change in the law. Before 

Dec. 15, 2003, firefighters who became ill as the result of a heart attack or stroke after 

going off-duty needed to register a complaint of not feeling well while still on-duty in order 

to be included in this study. For firefighter fatalities after Dec. 15, 2003, firefighters will 

be included in this report if they became ill as the result of a heart attack or stroke within 

24 hours of a training activity or emergency response. Firefighters who became ill after 

going off-duty, where the activities while on-duty were limited to tasks that did not involve 

physical or mental stress, will not be included.

A fatality may be caused directly by an accidental or intentional injury in either emergency 

or nonemergency circumstances, or it may be attributed to an occupationally related fatal 

illness. A common example of a fatal illness incurred on-duty is a heart attack. Fatalities 

attributed to occupational illnesses also include a communicable disease contracted 

while on-duty that proved fatal when the disease could be attributed to a documented 

occupational exposure.

Firefighter fatalities are included in this report even when 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 in which the incident took place.

There is no established mechanism for identifying fatalities that result from illnesses, 

such as cancer, that develop over long periods of time and may be related to occupational 

exposure to hazardous materials or toxic products of combustion. It has proved to be very 

difficult to provide a complete evaluation of an occupational illness as a causal factor in 

firefighter deaths due to the following limitations: the exposure of firefighters to toxic 

hazards is not sufficiently tracked; the often delayed long-term effects of such toxic hazard 

exposures; and the exposures firefighters may receive while off-duty.

Sources of initial notification

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

information on firefighter fatalities directly from the fire service and from a wide range 

of other sources. These sources include the PSOB program administered by the U.S. 

Department of Justice (DOJ), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the U.S. Department of 

Defense, the National Interagency Fire Center, and other federal agencies.

The USFA receives notification of some deaths directly from fire departments, as well as 

from such fire service organizations as the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the 

International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 

the National Volunteer Fire Council, state fire marshals, state fire training organizations, 

other state and local organizations, fire service internet sites, news services, and fire 

service publications.

Procedure for including a fatality in the study

In most cases, after notification of a fatal incident, initial telephone contact is made with 

local authorities by the USFA to verify the incident, its location, the jurisdiction, and the 

fire department or agency involved. Further information about the deceased firefighter 
Introduction 5

and the incident may be obtained from the chief of the fire department, designee over 

the phone, or by other forms of data collection. After basic information is collected, a 

notice of the firefighter fatality is posted at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial site 

in Emmitsburg, Maryland, as well as on the USFA website. A notice of the fatality is also 

transmitted by email to a large list of fire service organizations and fire service members.

Information that is routinely requested from fire departments that have experienced 

a fatality include National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS)-1 (incident) and 

NFIRS-3 (fire service casualty) reports; the fire department’s own incident and internal 

investigation reports; copies of death certificates and autopsy results; special investigative 

reports; law enforcement reports; photographs and diagrams; and newspaper or media 

accounts of the incident. Information on the incident may also be gathered from NFPA or 

NIOSH reports.

After obtaining this information, a determination is made as to whether the death qualifies 

as an on-duty firefighter fatality according to the previously described criteria. With the 

exception of firefighter deaths after Dec. 15, 2003, the same criteria were used for this 

study as in previous annual studies. Additional information may be requested by the USFA, 

either through follow-up with the fire department directly, from state vital records offices, 

or other agencies. The final determination as to whether a fatality qualifies as an on-duty 

death for inclusion in this statistical analysis is made by the USFA. The NFFF criteria as a 

line-of-duty death (LODD) for inclusion in the annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial 

Service is made by the NFFF.
6 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017
2017 Findings 7

2017 Findings

Eighty-seven firefighters died while on-duty in 2017, four less than the revised 2016 total 

of 91. The 2017 total includes 16 firefighters who died under circumstances that were 

part of inclusion criteria changes resulting from the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefit 

Act. When not including these fatalities for the purposes of a trend analysis, there were 

71 non-Hometown Hero firefighter fatalities in 2017, tied (with 2012) for the third lowest 

annual total since the USFA began this study.

An analysis of multiyear firefighter fatality trends needs to acknowledge the changes from 

the December 2003 Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefit Act. Some graphs and charts 

in this report may not indicate the Hometown Heroes portion of the total. However, this 

does not diminish the sacrifices made by any firefighter who dies while on-duty, or the 

sacrifices made by his or her family and peers.

In the same light, when conducting multiyear comparisons of firefighter fatalities in this 

report, the losses resulting from the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City 

on Sept. 11, 2001, are sometimes also set apart for illustrative purposes. This action is by 

no means a minimization of the supreme sacrifice made by these firefighters.
8 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017

Figure 1. On-duty firefighter fatalities (1977-2017)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

19771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017

Number of deaths

Year

152

173

126

140

136

128

113

119119

108108

107

104

100100

93

115

106

450

102

114

108

99

93

107

110

82

74

65

71

100

69

75

69

71

77

83

126

122

132

136

plus 1 Hometown Heroplus 11 Hometown Heroesplus 17 Hometown Heroesplus 15 Hometown Heroesplus 13 Hometown Heroesplus 12 Hometown Heroesplus 14 Hometown Heroesplus 16 Hometown Heroesplus 22 Hometown Heroesplus 14 Hometown Heroesplus 9 Hometown Heroesplus 27 Hometown Heroesplus 15 Hometown Heroesplus 22 Hometown Heroesplus 16 Hometown Heroes

Figure 2. Firefighter fatalities per 100,000 fires* (1997-2016)

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

19971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016

Number of deaths

Year

3.34

2.96

4.50

3.34

3.29

3.73

3.79

3.42

2.81

2.98

3.53

3.86

2.97

2.33

2.52

2.33

4.84

2.39

2.45

2.01**

*

NFPA

**The 2017 ratio will be included in the 2018 report.
2017 Findings 9

Career, volunteer and wildland agency deaths

In 2017, firefighter fatalities included 33 career firefighters, 48 volunteer firefighters, and 

6 part-time or full-time members of wildland or wildland contract fire agencies (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Career, volunteer and wildland agency deaths (2017)

Firefighter fatalities

87 total deaths

Career

33 deaths

Rural fire

departments

5 deaths

Urban/Suburban

fire departments

28 deaths

Full-time

2 deaths

Part-time or 

seasonal

4 deaths

Rural fire

departments

37 deaths

Urban/Suburban

fire departments

11 deaths

Volunteer

48 deaths

Wildland agency

6 deaths

Gender

Four firefighters who died while on-duty in 2017 were female and 83 were male.

Multiple firefighter fatality incidents

The 87 deaths in 2017 resulted from a total of 86 fatal incidents, including one multiple 

firefighter fatality incident taking the lives of two firefighters.

Table 1. Multiple firefighter fatality incidents

Year Number of incidents Total number of deaths

2017 1 2

2016 3 7

2015 3 7

2014 2 4

2013 4 34

2012 4 10

2011 3 6

2010 4 8

2009 6 13

2008 5 18
10 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017

From 1990 to 2017, there have been 485 firefighters killed during 

activities involving brush, grass or wildland firefighting — an 

average of 17 deaths per year. There were an average of 12 such 

deaths per year over the past decade.

Wildland firefighting deaths

In 2017, 10 firefighters were killed during activities involving brush, grass or wildland 

firefighting. This total includes part-time and seasonal wildland firefighters, full-time 

wildland firefighters, and municipal or volunteer firefighters whose deaths are related to 

a wildland fire (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Firefighter fatalities related to wildland firefighting (2008-2017)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Number of deaths

Year

10

26

17

12

10

16

31

11 12

15
2017 Findings 11

Table 2. Firefighter deaths associated with wildland firefighting (2008-2017)

Year Total number of 

deaths

Number of fatal 

incidents

Number of 

firefighters killed 

in multiple-death 

incidents

2017 10 10 0

2016 15 13 4

2015 12 9 5

2014 11 11 0

2013 31 13 19

2012 16 12 6

2011 10 9 2

2010 12 12 0

2009 17 14 5

2008 26 15 14

Table 3. Wildland firefighting aircraft deaths (2008-2017)

Year Total number of deaths Number of fatal incidents

2017 0 0

2016 0 0

2015 2 1

2014 2 2

2013 0 0

2012 6 2

2011 0 0

2010 0 0

2009 5 3

2008 16 4

Despite a very active and virtually year-long fire season in 2017, there were no firefighter 

fatality incidents from an aircraft crash related to wildland firefighting.
12 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017
Type of Duty 13

Type of Duty

Activities related to emergency incidents resulted in 

the deaths of 40 firefighters in 2017 (Figure 5). This 

includes all firefighters who died responding to an 

emergency or at an emergency scene, returning from 

an emergency incident, and during other emergencyrelated activities. Nonemergency activities accounted 

for 47 fatalities. Nonemergency duties include training, 

administrative activities, performing other functions 

that are not related to an emergency incident, and 

post-incident fatalities where the illness or injury does 

not become evident until after the emergency.

A multiyear historical perspective relating to the 

percentage of firefighter deaths that occurred during 

emergency duty is presented in Table 4.

Figure 5. Firefighter deaths 

by type of duty (2017)

Emergency

46%

Nonemergency (40)

54%

(47)

Table 4. Emergency duty firefighter deaths (2008-2017)

Year Percentage of all deaths

Percentage of all deaths 

excluding Hometown 

Heroes

2017 46 56

2016 40 54

2015 49 59

2014 46 63

2013 73 77

2012 56 65

2011 54 70

2010 55 67

2009 63 82

2008 64 70

The number of deaths by type of duty being performed is shown in Table 5 and presented 

graphically in Figure 6 for 2017. 
14 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017

Table 5. Firefighter deaths by type of duty (2017)

Type of duty Number of deaths

Motor vehicle accident 1

Responding or returning 11

Training 12

On-scene nonfire 12

Other on-duty 16

On-scene fire 17

After an incident 18

Total 87

Figure 6. Firefighter deaths by type of duty (2017)

Number of deaths

0 10 20 30 40

After

On-scene fire

Other on-duty

On-scene nonfire

Training

Responding or

 returning

Motor vehicle

 accident 1

11

12

12

16

17

18

Fireground operations

Seventeen firefighters experienced fatal injuries during fireground operations in 2017. 

Of these fatalities, 10 were at the scene of a structure fire, and seven were at the scene 

of a wildland or outside fire. The average age of the firefighters killed during fireground 

operations was 45, with the youngest being 19 years old and the oldest being 74 years old. 

Seven of those killed were volunteer, six were career and four were wildland firefighters. 

The nature of fatal injury while engaged in fireground operations for seven of the 

firefighter deaths was heart attack (41 percent). The nature of fatal injury for the other 10 

deaths include: trauma (six), asphyxiation (two), and burns (two).

Type of fireground activity

Table 6 shows the types of fireground activities in which firefighters were engaged when 

they sustained their fatal injuries or illnesses. This total includes all firefighting duties on 

the fireground, such as wildland firefighting and structural firefighting.
Type of Duty 15

Table 6. Type of fireground activity (2017)

Support 1

Responding 1

Search and rescue 2

Incident command 2

Other 3

Water supply 4

Advance hoselines 4

Fixed property use for structural firefighting deaths

There were 10 fatalities in 2017 where firefighters became ill or injured while on the scene 

of a structure fire. Table 7 shows the distribution of these deaths by fixed property use.

Table 7. Structural firefighting deaths by fixed property use (2017)

Residential 8

Commercial 1

Other 1

Responding/Returning

In 2017, 11 firefighters died or experienced an onset of symptoms while responding to or 

returning from 11 emergency incidents; six while responding to, and five while returning 

from an incident.

Table 8. Firefighter deaths while responding to or returning from an incident 

(2008-2017)

Year Number of firefighter deaths

2017 11

2016 13

2015 8

2014 13

2013 14

2012 17

2011 11

2010 17

2009 15

2008 25
16 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017

Training

In 2017, 12 firefighters died while engaged in training activities. Nine of the 12 firefighters 

died from heart attacks. There were two deaths from traumatic injuries: one from a 

fall and one from a vehicle crash. One firefighter died from a pulmonary embolism — 

categorized as “other” — which was directly attributed as a complication of a leg fracture 

suffered during live fire training.

For the 12 firefighters who died while engaged in training activities, three firefighters 

died while performing fire department mandated physical fitness training; one died while 

involved in an apparatus drill; one died in a vehicle crash while on-duty and en route to 

a paramedic training class; one died while engaged in an equipment drill; two died from 

live fire training; two died during self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) training; one 

died while engaged in wildland fire training; and one firefighter died after suffering a 

heart attack (death classified as “other”) while participating in a search and rescue training 

exercise.

The average age of the 12 firefighters was 48 years old. The youngest was 29, and the 

oldest was 63.

Table 9. Firefighter fatalities while engaged in training (2008-2017)

Year Number of firefighter deaths

2017 12

2016 9

2015 7

2014 9

2013 7

2012 8

2011 8

2010 12

2009 10

2008 12

Nonfire emergencies

In 2017, 12 firefighters were killed during emergency duties not related to fire. These 

response calls included eight motor vehicle accidents, two weather/natural disasters, one 

hazmat incident, and one wildland call for “wires down” (struck and killed by a privatelyowned vehicle (POV) while at the scene). Eleven of the 12 firefighters died from traumatic 

injuries and one from a heart attack. Ten of the eleven traumatic injury deaths were from 

being struck by a vehicle, and one was from a vehicle collision involving fire apparatus. 

The average age was 57 years old. The youngest was 27, and the oldest was 83.
Type of Duty 17

After the incident

In 2017, 18 firefighters died after the conclusion of their on-duty activities. Of these 

fatalities, 15 deaths were from heart attacks. The nature of the fatal injury for the 

remaining three firefighters was not reported. The average age was 56 years old. The 

youngest firefighter was 38, and the oldest was 80. Sixteen deaths were classified as 

Hometown Heroes where no symptom or complaint of illness became evident or was 

reported during duty.
18 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017
Cause of Fatal Injury 19

Cause of Fatal Injury

The term “cause of fatal injury” refers to the action, lack of action, or circumstances that 

directly resulted in the fatal injury. The term “nature of fatal injury” refers to the medical 

cause of the fatal injury or illness, which is often referred to as the physiological cause of 

death. A fatal injury is usually the result of a chain of events, the first of which is recorded 

as the cause.

Figure 7 shows the distribution of deaths by cause of fatal injury or illness in 2017.

Figure 7. Fatalities by cause of fatal injury (2017)

Number of deaths

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Other

Vehicle collision

Struck by

Stress/Overexertion

Lost

Fall

Contact with

Caught/Trapped 2

1

2

1

52

14

10

5

Caught or trapped

Being caught or trapped covers firefighters in wildland and structural fires who were 

unable to escape due to rapid fire progression and the byproducts of smoke, heat, toxic 

gas and flames. This classification may also include firefighters who drowned and those 

who were trapped and/or crushed.

In 2017, two firefighters died from being caught or trapped. One firefighter was killed while 

attempting to fill tankers at a wildland fire/scene, involving several local fire departments. 

The firefighter fell from the back of a firefighting apparatus as it was escaping from wind 

driven flames that had changed direction and burned over their location. Firefighters 

quickly returned to find him (a 74 year-old with almost 30 years of service) walking toward 

them, apparently badly injured. As they approached, the first inquiry from the firefighter 

was to ask about the condition of a second firefighter who was also hanging on to the 

truck and was injured, asking if the 35 year-old firefighter was okay. The firefighters were 

treated by fellow responders and transported to the hospital where the firefighter who 

had fallen from the truck later succumbed to his injuries. The second injured firefighter 

was subsequently released from the hospital.

The second firefighter killed from being caught or trapped was fighting some of the 

largest fires in California’s history. He was part of a multiengine strike team, dispatched 

from San Diego. Details on this incident have not been released, pending a Cal Fire 

serious accident review.
20 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017

Contact with

In 2017, one firefighter succumbed to injuries after suffering a chainsaw injury to the 

leg while working a fire. Fire crews were clearing brush and working with air crews to 

successfully defend a threatened mobile home park when the injury occurred.

Fall

Two firefighters were killed in 2017 from injuries sustained in a fall.

ĵ One firefighter and members of his ladder truck, along with additional fire units, 

responded to an apartment fire on the second floor of a five-story apartment building. 

The firefighter, who was assigned as his unit’s outside ventilation firefighter, was 

accessing the roof of the structure when he fell five stories. The firefighter was rushed 

to a medical center where he succumbed to his injuries.

ĵ One firefighter fell from an aerial ladder while participating in a training exercise. Fellow 

firefighters and paramedics rendered immediate medical attention. The firefighter 

was in critical condition and was transported to a local trauma center where he died 

from his injuries two days later.

Lost or disoriented

One firefighter died in 2017 by becoming lost or disoriented inside of a burning structure. The 

firefighter and his ladder company were dispatched to the report of a structure fire in a strip 

mall shopping complex. Arriving firefighters found a working fire in a gym. The firefighter 

was assigned to conduct a search of the gym occupancy. After locating the fire and calling 

for a hoseline, conditions rapidly worsened and the firefighter became disoriented within 

the structure. As the structure began to collapse, all firefighters were ordered to exit the 

building, but the one firefighter who was lost was unable exit. Crews continued to battle 

the fire but, due to conditions, were unable to reach the lost firefighter. According to initial 

reports, another member of the initial search team was also trapped in the fire but was 

pulled to safety, along with an injured member of the Rapid Intervention Team.

Other

Five firefighters died in 2017 from causes of fatal injuries not previously categorized.

ĵ One firefighter collapsed while battling a two-alarm house fire. The firefighter was 

transported to the hospital where he passed away. The nature and cause of fatal 

injury has not been reported.

ĵ One firefighter responded, with his fire department, to a motor vehicle accident. The 

following morning, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were summoned to his residence. 

The firefighter had indicated to one of his family members that he began feeling ill 

while at the motor vehicle accident the previous evening. The firefighter was treated 

and transported to the hospital where he passed away. The nature and cause of fatal 

injury has not been reported.
Cause of Fatal Injury 21

ĵ While advancing a hoseline during mandatory live-burn training, one firefighter 

suffered a spiral fracture to his right fibula. A little over two weeks later, the firefighter’s 

spouse contacted 911 from their residence. The firefighter was showing signs of 

severe respiratory difficulty. Upon the arrival of emergency responders, the firefighter 

stopped breathing and went into cardiac arrest. With EMS performing CPR, he was 

immediately transported to a local hospital. CPR was continued at the hospital and, 

after approximately 20 minutes, doctors pronounced him deceased. Autopsy results 

showed that he suffered a pulmonary embolism, which was directly attributed as a 

complication of his initial leg fracture and recovery process.

ĵ One firefighter, during his normally scheduled shift, answered an emergency response 

call. Several hours later, while at home, the firefighter passed away. The nature and 

cause of his death has not been reported.

ĵ While on duty at the fire station, one firefighter succumbed to complications from a 

medical condition. The nature and cause of fatal injury has not been reported.

Stress or overexertion

Firefighting is extremely strenuous work, and it can be one of the more physically 

demanding of human activities.

Stress or overexertion is a general category that includes all firefighter deaths that are 

cardiac or cerebrovascular in nature, such as heart attacks and strokes, as well as other 

events, such as extreme climatic thermal exposure. Classification of a firefighter fatality 

in this “cause of fatal injury category” does not necessarily indicate that a firefighter was 

in poor physical condition.

In 2017, 52 firefighters died as a result of stress or overexertion:

ĵ Fifty firefighters died due to heart attacks.

ĵ Two firefighters died due to cerebrovascular accident (CVA) — stroke.

ĵ Fifteen were Hometown Heroes.

Table 10. Deaths caused by stress or overexertion (2008-2017)

Year Number Percent of 

fatalities Hometown Heroes

2008 55 45 12

2009 52 55.3 12

2010 56 62.2 16

2011 54 62 21

2012 48 57.1 14

2013 39 36.1 9

2014 63 67 24

2015 60 66.7 15

2016 43 48.3 22

2017 52 59.8 15

10-year average 52 56 16
22 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017

Struck by object

Being struck by an object was the second leading cause of fatal injuries for firefighters in 

2017, resulting in 14 firefighter fatalities.

ĵ On-scene where a dump truck got tangled in power lines, two firefighters were struck 

and killed by a hit-and-run driver while directing traffic. The driver of the vehicle was 

later apprehended by law enforcement.

ĵ While directing traffic at the scene of a minor motor vehicle accident, one firefighter 

was struck by another vehicle.

ĵ One firefighter, while outside of his vehicle checking water conditions during severe 

storms, was struck and killed by another vehicle on the highway.

ĵ One firefighter died in the hospital several days after suffering a traumatic brain 

injury while at the scene of a working residential structure fire. According to initial 

reports, the firefighter was donning protective gear when the accident occurred. As 

other firefighters were setting up a hoseline, the fire hose snagged on a truck causing 

a coupling to strike the firefighter in the head and knock him to the ground. The 

firefighter was treated at the scene and was rushed to the hospital where a computed 

tomography (CT) scan showed he had suffered a stroke on the left side of his brain. 

The firefighter later underwent surgery, but succumbed to his injury.

ĵ One firefighter was leading a crew to clear brush to contain a fire when a 120-foot tree 

uprooted and fell on him. The firefighter suffered major head, neck and back injuries. 

The remote location of the incident posed challenges for medical responders and 

before aeromedical crews could get to him, the firefighter passed away.

ĵ At approximately 2230 hours, one firefighter responded with his township fire 

department to a reported motor vehicle accident on an interstate highway. Upon 

arrival, they found an empty vehicle and no injuries to report. As fire crews were getting 

ready to leave the scene, a passing motorist lost control of his vehicle and struck the 

firefighter, who was standing at the rear of his rescue vehicle returning equipment to 

service. Crews at the scene tried to revive him but were unsuccessful. The firefighter 

was pronounced dead at the scene.

ĵ One firefighter was killed and another firefighter was injured when fire apparatus was 

struck by a POV. While working at the scene of a “wires down” call, a private vehicle 

crashed into the rear of another private vehicle that was stopped on the roadway 

behind a fire department vehicle. The fire department vehicle then struck the two 

nearby firefighters, trapping them underneath as it went down an embankment and 

stopped. One firefighter was pronounced deceased at the scene. The second firefighter, 

a 33-year-old, was flown to a medical center with critical injuries.

ĵ While part of a 20-person crew that was staging an initial attack on a forest fire in 

Montana, one firefighter was struck by a falling tree. He was flown to a hospital for 

treatment but he passed away from the injuries he sustained when struck by the tree.

ĵ One firefighter was struck by a passing vehicle while he was operating in the roadway 

at the scene of a single vehicle rollover. As firefighters were cleaning up the scene, the 

firefighter was walking with traffic in the westbound lanes when he was struck. The 

firefighter was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Cause of Fatal Injury 23

ĵ One firefighter was struck and killed by a falling tree while working on the Lolo Peak 

fire in western Montana. The firefighter was given CPR and other emergency medical 

aid by fellow firefighters before being airlifted to a hospital. Despite all efforts, the 

firefighter passed away as a result of his injuries.

ĵ One firefighter responded to a service call for a tree blocking the roadway. The 

firefighter’s POV was parked behind the fire department’s brush truck; a police 

department vehicle was also on the scene. All emergency vehicles had their lights 

activated. Just after midnight, a pickup truck, traveling eastbound on U.S. Highway 

70, approached the scene and failed to stop. The vehicle first struck the firefighter, 

who was wearing his reflective gear, killing him instantly before crashing into the 

vehicles at the scene. The driver of the vehicle received injuries and spent the night in 

the hospital. The driver has since been charged by police with driving while impaired, 

driving without an operator’s license, reckless driving, possession of marijuana and 

possession of drug paraphernalia.

ĵ Shortly after arriving on the scene of a motor vehicle crash, one firefighter was struck and 

killed by a POV being operated by another firefighter who was responding to the same 

accident scene. The second firefighter, who was allegedly driving under the influence 

of alcohol, registering a blood alcohol level of 0.21 percent, was arrested and charged 

with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing death, and reckless driving.

ĵ One firefighter, a sworn officer with statewide jurisdiction, encountered a single-vehicle 

crash that was blocking the left lane of a busy interstate highway. He activated his 

flashers and he notified state police that he would be checking upon the welfare of 

the driver involved. While he and the driver were standing on the shoulder of the 

roadway, another driver swerved their vehicle to avoid the crash scene. The vehicle 

struck them both, throwing them over the jersey wall into the opposite lanes of travel. 

Both suffered fatal injuries.

Vehicle crashes

In 2017, a total of 10 firefighters — two career, seven volunteer, and one wildland — 

lost their lives due to vehicle crashes. Vehicle crashes were the third leading cause of 

fatal firefighter injuries for the year. Four deaths involved POVs, one death involved a 

fire department engine, three involved tankers (water tenders), one death involved fire 

apparatus of a type not reported to USFA, and one involved an EMS vehicle (nontransport). 

None of the vehicle crashes in 2017 involved an aircraft.

ĵ One firefighter responded to a motor vehicle accident call reported at 1515 hours. Units 

cleared the scene at 1600 hours. Before making it back to their home, she and her 

husband, also a firefighter, were involved in a motor vehicle accident. The firefighter 

became entrapped and response personnel began resuscitation efforts. The firefighter 

was transported to the hospital but died as a result of her injuries shortly after arrival. 

The firefighter’s husband was also seriously injured in the crash and was transported 

to the hospital.

ĵ One firefighter was stopped on a highway in the department’s rescue truck preparing to 

make a left-hand turn when she was struck from the rear by a tractor-trailer. The rescue 

unit was forced into oncoming traffic where the vehicle was struck again and forced off 

the roadway into trees lining the highway. Members of the firefighter’s fire department 
24 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017

and surrounding agencies arrived on scene and began to treat the firefighter. She was 

then transported to a regional medical center where she succumbed to her injuries.

ĵ While responding to a structure fire, one firefighter died from injuries sustained when 

he lost control of the fire apparatus he was driving and crashed. According to reports 

from the highway patrol, the vehicle rolled over one and a half times, ejecting and 

pinning the firefighter beneath the tanker. Seat restraints were installed in the vehicle 

but were not in use at the time of the crash.

ĵ One firefighter succumbed to injuries sustained as a passenger in a fire department 

vehicle. After losing control on an ice and snow covered roadway, the vehicle crashed 

and came to rest on its top. The firefighter, who was reported to have not been wearing 

seat restraints, was ejected from the vehicle. Two other firefighters who were traveling 

in the vehicle at the time, all on their way to the state fire school, were reported to have 

been wearing seat restraints and received only minor injuries in the crash.

ĵ One firefighter died from injuries sustained while responding to a multiple alarm row 

house fire which had confirmed civilian entrapment. The firefighter’s POV was struck 

on the passenger side at a controlled intersection by a stolen vehicle, reportedly 

being operated by an intoxicated 19 year-old female who failed to stop. According to 

reports, the force of the accident sent the firefighter’s vehicle through a fence and into 

a parking lot. The driver of the stolen vehicle fled the scene but was arrested later at 

the hospital by law enforcement.

ĵ One firefighter was struck and killed by a piece of fire apparatus at the scene of a motor 

vehicle crash. Initial reports indicate that the firefighter was acting as a ground-guide 

while the apparatus was backing up to block the roadway and protect the scene.

ĵ One firefighter, responding to an outdoor (field) fire call, was operating the fire apparatus 

when it crashed. While negotiating a curve, the vehicle overturned several times, 

ejecting both the firefighter and a passenger. The firefighter died at the scene from 

injuries sustained. The passenger was treated and was flown to a hospital with serious 

injuries. Seat belts were not in use at the time of the crash.

ĵ One firefighter was driving a fully loaded water tanker and was responding to the scene 

of a residential structure fire. The truck left the roadway and tipped over, sliding several 

yards before striking an embankment. At that point, the water tank came loose and 

crashed into the truck cab, causing the death of the firefighter.

ĵ While returning from an assignment on the Railroad Fire in the Sierra National Forest, 

one firefighter was killed when a Ford F-350 — traveling in the opposite direction 

— suffered a tire failure, crossed the middle of the road, and struck the firefighter’s 

vehicle head-on.

ĵ One firefighter was killed while operating an empty 1993 Kenworth water tender 

(tanker). According to the highway patrol, the vehicle left the roadway on a curve and 

crashed through a guardrail down a ravine. The firefighter, who died at the scene, 

was working on the Nuns Fire burning in the hills above Oakville and was heading for 

a water resupply. The crash occurred near the bottom of a steep, winding section of 

roadway called the Oakville Grade. According to initial reports, at the time of the crash 

the roadway was open for fire operations only and no other vehicles were involved.
Cause of Fatal Injury 25

Figure 8. Firefighter fatalities in vehicle collisions (including aircraft) (2008-2017)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Number of deaths

Year

10

28

16

11

5

18

9 9

5

19
26 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017
Nature of Fatal Injury 27

Nature of Fatal Injury

Figure 9 shows the distribution of the 87 firefighter deaths that occurred in 2017 by the 

medical nature of the fatal injury or illness. For heart attacks, Figure 10 shows the type 

of duty involved.

Figure 9. Fatalities by nature of fatal injury (2017)

Number of deaths

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Heart attack

Trauma

Other

CVA

Burns

Asphyxiation 2 (2.3%)

2 (2.3%)

2 (2.3%)

4 (4.6%)

27 (31.0%)

50 (57.5%)

Figure 10. Heart attacks by type of duty (2017)

Number of deaths

0 5 10 15 20

After

Other on-duty

Training

On-scene fre

Returning

On-scene nonfire

Responding 1 

1 

9

7

3

12

17
28 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017
Firefighter Ages 29

Firefighter Ages

Figure 11 shows the percentage distribution of firefighter deaths by age (at the time of 

injury) and nature of the fatal injury. Table 11 provides a count of firefighter fatalities by 

age and the nature of the fatal injury.

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

as injuries from an apparatus accident or becoming caught or trapped during firefighting 

operations. Stress-related deaths are rare below the 31- to 35-years-of-age category and, 

when they occur, often include underlying medical conditions.

Figure 11. Fatalities by age and nature (2017)

0

20

40

60

80

100

61 and

over

under 21 to 25 26 to 30 31 to 35 36 to 40 41 to 45 46 to 50 51 to 60

21

Firefighter ages

Percent

100%100%100%

83%

17%

29%

71%

43%

57%

11%

79%

22%

78%

32%

68%

0%0%0%

Heart attack/CVA/Other

Trauma/Asphyxiation

Table 11. Firefighter ages and nature of fatal injury (2017)

Age range Heart attack/CVA/Other Trauma/Asphyxiation

under 21 0 1

21 to 25 0 1

26 to 30 0 5

31 to 35 1 5

36 to 40 5 2

41 to 45 4 3

46 to 50 8 1

51 to 60 25 7

61 and over 13 6
30 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017
Deaths by Time of Injury | Firefighter Fatality Incidents by Month of Year 31

Deaths by Time of Injury

For 2017, the distribution of firefighter deaths, according to the time of day when the fatal 

injury occurred, is illustrated in Figure 12. The time of fatal injury for 10 firefighters was 

either unknown or not reported.

Figure 12. Fatalities by time of fatal injury (2017)

Number of deaths

Time

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Unknown

2300 - 0059

2100 - 2259

1900 - 2059

1700 - 1859

1500 - 1659

1300 - 1459

1100 - 1259

0900 - 1059

0700 - 0859

0500 - 0659

0300 - 0459

0100 - 0259 2

10

10

10

10

5

9

5

10

5

5

3

3

Firefighter Fatality Incidents by Month 

of Year

Figure 13 illustrates the 2017 firefighter fatalities by month of year.

Figure 13. Deaths by month of year (2017)

Number of deaths

Month of the year

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

December 

November 

October 

September 

August 

July 

June

May 

April

March 

February 

January 4

8

7

7

3

6

5

13

6

9

9

10
32 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017
State and Region 33

State and Region

The distribution of firefighter deaths in 2017 by state is shown in Table 12. Firefighters 

based in 33 states died in 2017.

The highest number of firefighter deaths in 2017 (based on the location of the fire service 

organization) occurred in California with 12 losses. New York had seven firefighter deaths, 

followed by Indiana and Texas with five firefighter deaths each. There were no other states 

with five or more firefighter fatalities for the year.

Table 12. Firefighter fatalities by state based on location of fire service (2017)*

State Fatalities Percentage

CA 12 13.8

NY 7 8.0

IN 5 5.7

TX 5 5.7

AL 4 4.6

NJ 4 4.6

GA 3 3.4

IA 3 3.4

MA 3 3.4

MI 3 3.4

MO 3 3.4

MS 3 3.4

PA 3 3.4

AR 2 2.3

FL 2 2.3

IL 2 2.3

KY 2 2.3

MD 2 2.3

MT 2 2.3

NC 2 2.3

OH 2 2.3

OK 2 2.3

KS 1 1.1

LA 1 1.1

MN 1 1.1

NM 1 1.1

OR 1 1.1

SC 1 1.1

*This list attributes the deaths according to the state in which the fire department or unit is based, as opposed 

to the state in which the death occurred. They are listed by those states for statistical purposes and for the 

National Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the NETC.
34 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017

Table 12. Firefighter fatalities by state based on location of fire service (2017) — 

continued

State Fatalities Percentage

SD 1 1.1

VA 1 1.1

WA 1 1.1

WI 1 1.1

WY 1 1.1
State and Region 35

Figure 14. Firefighter fatalities by region (2017)
36 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017 Figure 15. On-duty firefighter fatalities by fire department location (2017)
State and Region 37

Figure 16. On-duty firefighter fatalities by incident location (2017)
38 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017
Analysis of Urban/Suburban/Rural Patterns in Firefighter Fatalities 39

Analysis of Urban/Suburban/Rural 

Patterns in Firefighter Fatalities

The U.S. Census Bureau defines “urban” as a place having a population of at least 2,500, 

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 Bureau, but not within 

one of the central cities of that metropolitan area.

Fire department areas of responsibility do not always conform to the boundaries used by 

the Census Bureau. For example, fire departments organized by counties or special fire 

protection districts may have both urban and rural coverage areas. In such cases, where 

it may not be possible to characterize the entire coverage area of the fire department as 

rural or urban, 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 2017 firefighter fatalities. These statistics are based 

on answers from the fire departments, and when no data from the departments were 

available, the data were based upon population and area served, as reported by the fire 

departments.

Table 13. Firefighter deaths by coverage area type (2017)

Urban/Suburban Rural Total

39 48 87
40 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017
Appendix 41

Appendix

Firefighter Fatality Inclusion Criteria — National Fire Service 

Organizations

The NFPA, NFFF, USFA and other organizations individually collect information on 

firefighter fatalities in the U.S. Each organization uses a slightly different set of inclusion 

criteria that are based in part on the purposes of the information collection for each 

organization and data consistency.

As a result of these differing inclusion criteria, statistics about firefighter fatalities may be 

provided by each organization that do not coincide with one another. This section will explain 

the inclusion criteria for each organization and provide information about these differences.

The USFA includes firefighters in this report that died while on-duty, became ill while 

on-duty and later died, and firefighters that died within 24-hours of an emergency 

response or training regardless of whether the firefighter complained of illness while 

on-duty. The USFA counts firefighter deaths that occur in the 50 states, the District of 

Columbia, and U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico and Guam. Detailed inclusion criteria 

for this report appear starting on page 6.

For 2017, the USFA reported 87 on-duty firefighter fatalities.
42 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017

Firefighter fatalities in 2017 for incidents occurring in 2017

0

20

40

60

80

100

USFA NFPA NFFF

Number of deaths

National fire service organization

87

60

72

Inclusion criteria for NFPA’s annual firefighter fatality study

Introduction

Each year, NFPA collects data on all firefighter fatalities in the U.S. that resulted from 

injuries or illnesses that occurred while the victims were on-duty. The purpose of the 

study is to analyze trends in the types of illnesses and injuries resulting in deaths that 

occur while firefighters are on the job. This annual census of firefighter fatalities in its 

current format dates back to 1977. (Between 1974 and 1976, the NFPA published a study 

of on-duty firefighter fatalities that was not as comprehensive.)

Who is a firefighter?

For the purpose of the NFPA study, the term firefighter covers all uniformed members of 

organized fire departments, whether career, volunteer, combination, or contract; full-time 

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

personnel; temporary fire suppression personnel operating under official auspices of one 

of the above; and privately employed firefighters, including trained members of industrial 

or institutional fire brigades, whether full- or part-time.

Under this definition, the study includes, besides uniformed members of local career 

and volunteer fire departments, those seasonal and full-time employees of state and 

federal agencies who have fire suppression responsibilities as part of their job description, 

prison inmates serving on firefighting crews, military personnel performing assigned fire 

suppression activities, civilian firefighters working at military installations, and members 

of industrial fire brigades. Impressed civilians would also be included if called on by the 

officer in charge of the incident to carry out specific duties. The NFPA study includes 

fatalities that occur in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Appendix 43

What does “on-duty” mean?

The term on-duty refers to being at the scene of an alarm, whether a fire or nonfire 

incident; being en route while responding to or returning from an alarm; performing 

other assigned duties, such as training, maintenance, public education, inspection, 

investigations, court testimony and fundraising; and being on call, under orders or on 

stand-by duty other than at home or at the individual’s place of business. Fatalities that 

occur at a firefighter’s home may be counted if the actions of the firefighter at the time of 

injury involved firefighting or rescue.

On-duty fatalities include any injury sustained in the line of duty that proves fatal, any 

illness incurred as a result of actions while on-duty that proves fatal, and fatal mishaps 

involving nonemergency occupational hazards that occur while on-duty. The types of 

injuries included in the first category are mainly those that occur at an incident scene, in 

training, or in accidents while responding to or returning from alarms. Illnesses (including 

heart attacks) are included when the exposure or onset of symptoms are tied to a specific 

incident of on-duty activity. Those symptoms must have been in evidence while the victim 

was on-duty for the fatality to be included in the study.

Fatal injuries and illnesses are included even in cases where death is considerably delayed. 

When the onset of the condition and the death occur in different years, the incident is 

counted in the year of the condition’s onset. Medical documentation specifically tying the 

death to the specific injury is required for inclusion of these cases in the study.

Categories not included in the study

The NFPA study does not include members of fire department auxiliaries; non-uniformed 

employees of fire departments; EMTs who are not also firefighters; chaplains; or civilian 

dispatchers. The study also does not include suicides as on-duty fatalities even when the 

suicide occurs on fire department property.

The NFPA recognizes that a comprehensive study of firefighter on-duty fatalities would 

include chronic illnesses (such as cardiovascular disease and certain cancers) that prove 

fatal and that arose from occupational factors. In practice, there is no mechanism for 

identifying on-duty fatalities that are due to illnesses that develop over long periods 

of time. This creates an incomplete picture when comparing occupational illnesses to 

other factors as causes of firefighter deaths. This is recognized as a gap the size of which 

cannot be identified at this time because of the limitations in tracking the exposure of 

firefighters to toxic environments and substances, and the potential long-term effects of 

such exposures.

2017 experience

In 2017, a total of 60 on-duty firefighter deaths occurred in the U.S., according to the NFPA 

inclusion criteria. 
44 Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2017

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

In 1997, fire service leaders formulated new criteria to determine eligibility for inclusion at the 

National Fallen Firefighter Memorial. LODDs shall be determined by the following standards:

1. (a) Deaths of firefighters meeting the DOJ’s PSOB program guidelines, and those cases 

that appear to meet the guidelines whether or not PSOB staff has adjudicated the 

specific case prior to the annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service.

(b) Deaths of firefighters from injuries, heart attacks or illnesses documented to show a 

direct link to a specific emergency incident or department-mandated training activity.

2. While PSOB guidelines cover only public safety officers, the Foundation’s criteria also 

include contract firefighters and firefighters employed by a private company, such as 

those in an industrial brigade, provided that the deaths meet the standards listed above.

3. Some specific cases will be excluded from consideration, such as deaths attributable 

to suicide, alcohol or substance abuse, or other gross abuses as specified in the 

PSOB guidelines.

The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial was built in 1981 in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The 

names listed there begin with those firefighters who died in the line-of-duty that year. 

The U.S. Congress created the NFFF to lead a nationwide effort to remember America’s 

fallen firefighters. Since 1992, the tax-exempt, nonprofit foundation has developed and 

expanded programs to honor our fallen fire heroes and assist their families and coworkers 

by providing them with resources to rebuild their lives. Since 1997, the Foundation has 

managed the National Memorial Service held each October to honor the firefighters who 

died in the line-of-duty the previous year.

As of this writing, the Foundation will be honoring 93 firefighters who died in the line-ofduty at the October 2018 Memorial Weekend. Seventy-two firefighters being honored are 

associated with incidents and deaths that occurred in 2017 and 21 deaths as the result of 

incidents that occurred prior to 2017.
Acronyms 45

Acronyms

AED automated external defibrillator

ALS advanced life support

CPR cardiopulmonary resuscitation

CVA cerebrovascular accident

DOJ U.S. Department of Justice

EMS Emergency Medical Services

EMT emergency medical technician

LODD line-of-duty death

mph miles per hour

NETC National Emergency Training Center

NFFF National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

NFIRS National Fire Incident Reporting System

NFPA National Fire Protection Association

NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

POV privately-owned vehicle

PSOB Public Safety Officers’ Benefits

SCBA self-contained breathing apparatus

USFA U.S. Fire Administration
16825 South Seton Ave.

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

www.usfa.fema.gov

September 2018