keeping it safe robert tutterow
Could the firefighting profession be facing some of the problems facing football?
The idea for this month’s column was the annual National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) line-of-duty death (LODD) report that was released in December 2017 for calendar year 2016. In reviewing the report, I was struck by how we have entered an era when the dangers of firefighting are profoundly broader than they were … or than we thought they were. A lower percentage of firefighters die from on-scene firefighting (structural collapse, asphyxiation, burned) than ever before. In fact, there is a trend of fewer “traditional” LODDs over the past 40 years. However, if one factors in death by cancer and suicide, the number of firefighter deaths is startling.
New Awareness
How does this relate to football? Concussions. More data and science are indicating the long-term impact of blows to the head and repeated concussions. Fewer and fewer young kids are participating in football because of this issue. Parents are reluctant to encourage their kids to play and often discourage them from playing. Will the increasing awareness of cancer and suicide among firefighters have a similar impact on recruiting new members—career and volunteer? Granted, participation in football almost always begins at a much earlier age than participation in firefighting. But, there are similarities.
There has always been honor in serving in the military and in being public safety responders. As a rule, the public appreciates the sacrifices made by such servants. There is a lot of ceremony, and rightly so, in honoring fallen military and emergency responders who pass in the line of duty. Do we offer the same honor for those who lose their life from cancer or suicide? For some reason, it does not seem to resonate the same way.
By the Numbers
The NFPA LODD report showed that 69 firefighters died in the line of duty in 2016. This was the fifth time in the past six years that the number has been less than 70. When the NFPA started keeping LODD records in 1977, there was a 15-year period when the average was around 130 per year. This was followed by a similar approximate 15-year time period when the number was around 100 per year. These two plateau periods beg the question: Are we now in another 15-year plateau period? Only time will tell. Let us all hope it is a shorter plateau followed by another significant drop.
The 2016 NFPA LODD report fully acknowledges there are deaths by suicide. However, the NFPA tracking system does not include cancer, and it only includes suicides that occur while on duty. The NFPA report cites the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA), reporting that 99 firefighters died of suicide in 2016 as well as an additional 36 EMTs and paramedics who died the same year. The report says that one-fifth of the suicides were retired firefighters, EMTs, and/or paramedics. It is safe to assume there are a lot more emergency responder suicides that are not reported or known to the FBHA.
The report fully acknowledges the information from the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) about cancer deaths. According to the IAFF, more than 80 firefighter cancer deaths were reported by its members. How many were not reported, and how many non-IAFF members died of cancer?
Observations
Here are a few random observations from the report. The number of career LODDs (19) was the lowest since the NFPA started keeping records in 1977. The number of cardiac-related on-duty LODDs (26) was also the lowest since the NFPA started keeping records. For comparison, the average number of cardiac-related deaths from 1977 through 1986 was 60. This should be touted as an example of how focused initiatives can make a difference in LODD numbers.
More firefighters were killed responding to and returning from a call (17) than were killed on the fireground (15). One firefighter was killed when he lost control of the tanker he was driving and it overturned. It was discovered that he was texting at the time! Though not specifically categorized in the report, it seems the percentage of LODDs related to wildland firefighting is increasing.
If the actual number of emergency responder cancer and suicide deaths was known, I suspect we would find them to be astounding. Are these numbers something that will lead loving and caring parents to discourage their children from pursuing a career as an emergency responder? This may or may not be the case as time moves on, but it should be an issue that the collective emergency response community addresses. I think we are accelerating the prevention initiatives in certain pockets of the country. My observation is that the level of prevention initiatives is proportionate to the leadership promoting an adaptive culture.
NOTE: The NFPA historical data excludes the LODDs from the World Trade Center. The full report, “Firefighter Fatalities in the United States-2016,” is at www.nfpa.org.
ROBERT TUTTEROW retired as safety coordinator for the Charlotte (NC) Fire Department and is a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment editorial advisory board. His 34-year career includes 10 as a volunteer. He has been very active in the National Fire Protection Association through service on the Fire Service Section Executive Board and technical committees involved with safety, apparatus, and personal protective equipment. He is a founding member and president of the Fire Industry Education Resource Organization (F.I.E.R.O.).
