According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), their annual report on U.S. firefighter fatalities for 2017 revealed a total of 60 deaths among firefighters while on duty. This marked the lowest number recorded since 1977, when the NFPA began tracking such data. It was also the sixth consecutive year that the total remained under 70, showing a positive trend in firefighter safety over the past decade.
Of these 60 fatalities, 32 were volunteer firefighters, 21 were career firefighters, three were federal land management employees, two were contractors working with state and federal agencies, and two were prison inmates. Both volunteer and career firefighters saw their second-lowest fatality numbers in 2017, indicating ongoing improvements in safety protocols and training.
Notably, 17 of the deaths occurred directly at fire scenes, marking the second-lowest figure since the study began. This was the second year in a row that the number stayed below 20, suggesting better incident management and protective measures at fireground operations.
In most years, the second-largest group of on-duty deaths occurs during response or return from emergency calls. However, in 2017, the largest share after fire scenes came from non-fire emergencies—11 deaths in total. These included five at motor vehicle crashes, three involving downed power lines, one at a fallen tree, one investigating an odor, and one checking for flooding during a storm. Ten of these were struck by passing vehicles, and one died from sudden cardiac arrest.
The report also highlighted that 10 firefighters were killed by vehicle strikes in 2017, significantly higher than the historical average of four per year over the past 30 years. This suggests a growing risk on roadways, especially during emergency responses.
Overexertion, stress, and medical conditions accounted for more than half of all 2017 fatalities. Out of 32 deaths in this category, 29 were sudden cardiac events, two were strokes, and one resulted from complications of a recent medical procedure. The 29 cardiac deaths were the fourth time in six years that the number remained under 30, but still made up nearly half of all on-duty fatalities.
Despite the progress, the NFPA notes that a complete enumeration of all duty-related deaths in a single year remains challenging due to the complexity of tracking incidents across different jurisdictions and roles. Continued efforts are needed to improve data collection and enhance firefighter safety across all types of emergency responses.
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