Report: NFPA's "United States Firefighter Injuries in 2018"
Author: Richard Campbell, Ben Evarts, and Joseph L. Molis
Issued: December 2019
Report highlights
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An estimated 58,250 firefighter injuries occurred in the line of duty in 2018, a decrease of one percent from the 2017 injury total.
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In addition to injuries, there were 6,175 documented exposures to infectious diseases and 47,150 exposures to hazardous conditions.
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Firefighters were more likely to be injured at fireground operations than other types of duties. In 2018, 22,975 injuries, or 39 percent of all reported firefighter injuries, occurred at the fireground.
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The leading cause of fireground injuries was overexertion or strain (28 percent).
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Strain, sprain, or muscular pain injuries accounted for nearly two of five (38 percent) injuries on the fireground.
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Non-fireground injuries included 4,150 injuries while responding to, or returning from an incident; 8,175 injuries incurred during training activities, 11,625 injuries at non-fire emergency incidents, and 11,325 injuries during other on duty activities.
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In 2018, an estimated 14,425 collisions involved fire department emergency vehicles responding to or returning from incidents.
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