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The U.S. fire service

Firefighters and fire departments (U.S.)

There were 1,148,850 firefighters in the United States in 2008. Of these, 321,700 (28%) were career and 827,150 (72%) were volunteer. More statistics.

Year	Total	Career firefighters	Volunteer firefighters	Fire departments
1983	1,111,200	226,600	884,600	28,227
1984	1,129,350	231,600	897,750	28,260
1985	1,077,950	238,500	839,450	28,204
1986	1,045,950	237,750	808,200	29,840
1987	1,060,000	243,200	816,800	29,741
1988	1,040,750	252,500	788,250	30,245
1989	1,020,700	250,600	770,100	30,135
1990	1,025,650	253,000	772,650	30,391
1991	1,033,600	261,800	771,800	30,587
1992	1,058,300	253,000	805,300	30,562
1993	1,055,050	259,650	795,400	30,528
1994	1,073,600	265,700	807,900	30,495
1995	1,098,850	260,850	838,000	31,197
1996	1,081,800	266,300	815,500	31,503
1997	1,079,050	275,700	803,350	30,665
1998	1,082,500	278,300	804,200	31,114
1999	1,065,150	279,900	785,250	30,436
2000	1,064,150	286,800	777,350	30,339
2001	1,078,300	293,600	784,700	30,020
2002	1,108,250	291,650	816,600	30,310
2003	1,096,900	296,850	800,050	30,542
2004	1,100,750	305,150	795,600	30,400
2005	1,136,650	313,300	823,350	30,300
2006	1,140,900	316,950	823,950	30,635
2007	1,148,500	323,350	825,450	30,185
2008	1,148,850	321,700	827,150	30,170

Facts & figures

Most of the career firefighters (74%) are in communities that protect 25,000 or more people.
Most of the volunteer firefighters (94%) are in departments that protect fewer than 25,000 people, and more than half are located in small, rural departments protecting fewer than 2,500 people.
In 2008, a total of 104 firefighters were fatally injured while on duty. Of these, 42 were career, 54 were volunteer, and 8 were no-municipal (those not employed by local, public fire departments).
In 2008, 79,700 firefighters were injured in the line of duty. 36,595 of these injuries occurred on the fireground.
There were an estimated 14,950 collisions involving fire department emergency vehicles while responding to or returning from incidents. These collisions resulted in 670 firefighter injuries.

A fire department is a public or private organization that provides fire prevention, fire suppression, and associated emergency and non-emergency services to a jurisdiction such as a county, municipality, or organized fire district. Career firefighters include full-time uniform firefighters regardless of assignment (i.e. suppression, administrative, prevention/inspection, etc.). Career firefighters do not include firefighters who work for the state or federal government or in private fire brigades. Volunteer firefighters include any active part-time (call or volunteer) firefighters.

Sources

NFPA report: U.S. Fire Department Profile Through 2008, October 2009
NFPA report: U.S. Firefighter Fatalities in the United States, July 2009
NFPA report: U.S. Firefighter Injuries in the United States, October 2009

Updated: 12/09

			Firefighters and fire departments

			Fire department calls

			Firefighting and fire prevention occupations by women and race

			Firefighter activities, injuries, and deaths

			Firefighter injuries by type of duty

			Firefighter fireground injuries by nature of injury

			Firefighter deaths

			Firefighter deaths by type of duty

			Firefighter deaths by cause and nature of injury