NFPA Journal - Spring 2024 - 68

NFPA Research The Reports
NFPA.ORG/FIREFIGHTERINJURIES
Read the complete report on firefighter
injuries in the U.S. in 2022.
returning from incidents. These collisions
resulted in an estimated 250 injuries.
Larger fire departments generally had
the highest rates of fireground injuries
per 100 firefighters, with the highest
rates in 2022 occurring in communities
protecting 250,000 or more residents.
As community size decreases, the rate
of fireground injuries also generally
declines, to a low of 0.5 injuries per 100
firefighters for departments protecting
fewer than 2,500 residents.
The injury estimates are based on data
Three FDNY firefighters were injured in a 2022 fire and building collapse in Brooklyn that
also killed a firefighter and another person inside the building. Two of the injured firefighters
are pictured here as they attend the funeral for their FDNY colleague.
Overexertion or strain was the leading
cause of fireground injuries, with 31 percent
of the fireground injury total. Cause,
as defined here, refers to the initial circumstance
leading to the injury. Other
major causes were falls, jumps, or slips
(22 percent), exposure to fire products
(10 percent), and contact with objects (9
percent). Extreme weather (3 percent)
and exposure to chemicals or radiation
(2 percent) accounted for smaller shares
of injuries on the fireground.
Approximately two-thirds (68 percent)
of firefighter injuries occurred off the
fireground, which includes training activities,
nonfire emergencies, responding
to or returning from incidents, or other
unspecified on-duty activities. Nonfireground
injuries included 7,225 injuries
while responding to or returning from an
incident; 9,050 injuries incurred during
training activities, 13,200 injuries at
nonfire emergency incidents, and 14,850
injuries during other on duty activities.
Strains, sprains, and muscular pain
were the leading type of injury in all
nonfireground activities and accounted
68 | NFPA JOURNAL * SPRING 2024
for especially high shares of injuries
in training (57 percent of total), while
responding to or returning from incidents
(46 percent), and while performing other
duties (46 percent). Wounds, cuts, bleeding,
and bruises were the second-leading
type of injury in nonfireground activities,
accounting for 11-16 percent of injuries
across all nonfireground activities.
Strain, sprain, and muscular pain injuries
also accounted for approximately
two in five injuries occurring at nonfire
emergencies. Dislocations and fractures
accounted for 5 percent of injuries sustained
while firefighters responded to or
returned from incidents and 4 percent of
injuries sustained during training activities.
Smoke or gas inhalation accounted
for 4 percent of injuries while responding
to or returning from incidents.
In 2022, an estimated 20,300 collisions
involved fire department vehicles responding
to or returning from incidents. These
collisions resulted in 800 injuries, or 1
percent of all firefighter injuries. Another
925 collisions involved personal vehicles
while firefighters were responding to or
reported by fire departments responding
to the 2022 National Fire Experience
Survey. Data was collected by sending
designated fire departments a form
requesting a description of circumstances
that led to a particular injury.
The sample for the survey is stratified
by the size of the community protected
by the fire department and includes
all United States fire departments that
protect communities with a population
larger than 5,000 residents. These 8,804
fire departments protect a population
of 288 million, or 86 percent of the U.S.
population as of July 2022. The rest of
the sample includes 16,372 randomly
selected departments that protect populations
under 5,000, for a total sample
size of 25,176, or 84 percent of all departments
in the U.S. known to NFPA.
The 2,293 departments responding to
the survey protect 98.8 million residents,
or 30 percent of the U.S. population. The
results reported here are based on injuries
incurred by public fire departments.
No state or federal firefighting entities
are included, and no adjustments were
made for injuries that occurred during
fires attended solely by private fire
brigades. Fatal firefighter injuries are
detailed in a separate NFPA report.
RICHARD CAMPBELL is senior research analyst
at NFPA. SHELBY HALL is fire analysis research
manager at NFPA.
COPYRIGHT GWR/STAR MAX/IPX 2022

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NFPA Journal - Spring 2024

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