However, for the more than one million firefighters in the United States, firefighting is still considered a very hazardous and highly stressful occupation. Their risk of suffering a fatal incident is three times greater than for all workers. Likewise, firefighters risk the chance of injury and death with every emergency call that they respond to. Patients under the influence of narcotics or alcohol, family members of the victim, or bystanders may threaten them with knives, guns, or physical assault. As a result of this, many fire departments have issued bulletproof vests to protect the lives of their members.
Fire departments respond to more and more non-fire emergency calls.
Emergency service workers respond to floods, earthquakes, and airline crashes where the death toll and property destruction is overwhelming. They care for victims of domestic violence and child abuse. Firefighters extricate mangled bodies from motorized vehicles following an accident and provide medical assistance to homeless patients on the streets of inner cities. At times, they must physically restrain patients who are combative due to mind-altering drugs. Likewise, they comfort parents and family members when a child or loved one has died.