USFA Releases Annual Report on Firefighter Fatalities in the United States

USFA Media Contact: (301) 447-1853

September 29, 2010

Emmitsburg, MD – The United States Fire Administration (USFA) today released the report Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2009 (PDF, 2.7 Mb).  The report continues a series of annual studies by the USFA of onduty firefighter fatalities.  The USFA is the single public agency source of information for all onduty firefighter fatalities in the United States each year.

Ninety onduty firefighters from 33 states lost their lives as the result of incidents that occurred in 2009.  Pennsylvania experienced the highest number of fatalities (8).  In addition to Pennsylvania, only New York (7), North Carolina (6), Louisiana (5), and Texas (5), respectively, had five or more firefighter fatalities.  This compares favorably to 2008's firefighter losses where 9 states experienced 5 or more onduty fatalities.  The total number of fatalities in 2009 was one of the lowest totals in more than 30 years of record.

"Over the past ten years alone, the trend shows a 14 percent reduction in onduty firefighter fatalities but we must continue every effort to be sure that when it comes to firefighter health and safety, everyone goes home,” Acting United States Fire Administrator Glenn Gaines said.

The unique and specific objective of Firefighter Fatalities in the United States is to identify all onduty firefighter fatalities that occurred in the United States and its protectorates during the calendar year and to present in summary narrative form the circumstances surrounding each occurrence.

An overview of the 90 firefighters that died while on duty in 2009:

·         The total break down included 47 volunteer, 36 career, and 7 wildland agency firefighters.

·         There were 6 firefighter fatality incidents where 2 or more firefighters were killed, claiming a total of 13 firefighters' lives.

·         16 firefighters died in duties associated with wildland fires, compared to 26 such fatalities in 2008.

·         Activities related to emergency incidents resulted in the deaths of 57 firefighters.

·         30 firefighters died while engaging in activities at the scene of a fire.

·         15 firefighters died while responding to or returning from 13 emergency incidents in 2009.  This compares to 24 responding/returning fatalities in 2008.

·         10 firefighters died while they were engaged in training activities.

·         14 firefighters died after the conclusion of their onduty activity.

·         Heart attacks were the most frequent cause of death with 39 firefighter deaths.

For 33 years, 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 by many organizations to measure the effectiveness of their current efforts directed toward firefighter health and safety.

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, which worked closely with USFA on this report, also maintains a list of firefighters who die in the line-of-duty and are honored during the annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend held each October in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  Visit www.FireHero.org for more information about the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and their assistance to the families of the firefighters lost in 2009 and beyond.

Year-to-date monthly and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted on the USFA's website.

LODD

Notice of Firefighter Fatality: Hinsdale, IL

Mark Johnson of the Hinsdale Fire Department in Hinsdale, IL has died as the result of an on-duty incident that occurred on 2010-09-2

Fire Department mourns the loss of Deputy Chief Mark Johnson. Please click for more information and arrangements.

Fire Department mourns the loss of Deputy Chief Mark Johnson     It is with deep regret that the Hinsdale Fire Department announces the Line of Duty death on Monday September 20th of Deputy Chief Mark Johnson, a twenty-four year veteran of the Department.

Notice of Firefighter Fatality: Irvine, CA

James M. Owen of the Orange County Fire Authority in Irvine, CA has died as the result of an on-duty incident that occurred on 2010-09-16

AURORA REGIONAL FIRE MUSEUM

News,  Notes,  and Announcements from the
AURORA REGIONAL FIRE MUSEUM

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Aurora Regional Fire Museum Opens New Exhibit and Offers Free Admission on Smithsonian Magazine’s 6th Annual Museum Day Exhibit, “Museums Un-Crated” offers an inside look at how and why museums collect, use, and preserve things

On Saturday, September 25, 2010, the Aurora Regional Fire Museum will open their new exhibit “Museums Un-Crated” which features nineteen rare firefighting artifacts recently transferred from the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History to the collection of the Aurora Regional Fire Museum.
It’s a well-known movie ending. The legendary Ark of the Covenant has been rescued from evil, only to be boxed up in a wooden crate, stenciled with an identification number, and then seemingly lost inside a vast storage warehouse.
Although the movie’s plot is pure fiction, large museums such as the Smithsonian do have gigantic collection warehouses where objects are stored in wooden crates. The catalyst for the new exhibit at the Aurora Regional Fire Museum is the recent transfer of nineteen rare firefighting artifacts from the collections storage warehouse of the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History to the Aurora Regional Fire Museum. Why did the Smithsonian decide to offer these objects to another museum, and why did the fire museum accept them? Who decides what a museum should collect and what should be exhibited? How do museums use the things in their collections, and where do they keep the objects not on display?
In short, the Aurora Regional Fire Museum’s new exhibit "Museums Un-Crated" opens the mythical wooden storage crates of a museum, and gives visitors an inside look at how and why museums collect, use, and preserve things.
In addition to the new exhibit, the Aurora Regional Fire Museum will join participating museums and cultural institutions nationwide in opening their doors free of charge on Saturday September 25, 2010 for the Smithsonian Magazine’s sixth annual Museum Day.
In a journey to celebrate our world’s dynamic heritage and cultural life, participating Museum Day venues emulate the free admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, DC-based facilities. Museum Day 2010 is poised to be the largest to date, outdoing last year’s record-breaking event. Over 300,000 museum-goers and 1,300 venues in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico participated in Museum Day 2009.
Listings and links to participating museums, and a free Museum Day Ticket is available to download at www.smithsonian.com/museumday. Visitors who present the official pass will gain free admission for two people at participating museums and cultural venues. One ticket is permitted per email address.

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The exhibit "Museums Un-Crated" will be open Sept. 25th though 2011. For the latest hours, exhibit, and special event information, visit the Aurora Regional Fire Museum's website:

http://www.AuroraRegionalFireMuseum.org

Remembering 9/11 NEVER FORGET

Some Links for you

All 343 Members Murdered on 9/11

FDNY - The Official Fire Department, City of New York, Web Site 

THE UNOFFICIAL HOME PAGE OF FDNY New York City Fire Department

IAFF Remembers the 9/11 Fallen

September 11, 2010– Today marks the ninth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, DC and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. On that terrible day, 347 IAFF members, including 343 FDNY fire fighters, lost their lives.

 Never Forget