The Hazard of being a Firefighter: 53 killed in line of duty this year
Thus far in 2020, the U.S. Government Fire Administration records 53 deaths of firefighters, to include the helicopter pilot killed in California fires this week.
In 2018 final figures 206 firefighters died in the line of duty, on the scene or in route to the fire scene.
| 1,318,500 fires in 2018 | -2.5% from 2009 |
So much is involved the safety of firefighters, including vehicle safety and equipment. Self contained breathing apparatus is high on the list with multiple ongoing studies:
USFA and NIST studied the thermal performance of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) face pieces to increase the protection provided by this equipment to firefighters, especially during incidents of high thermal exposure such as flashover.
The study examined documented on-duty injuries and fatalities of firefighters due to thermal exposure of SCBA face pieces, with researchers conducting laboratory thermal testing of commercially-available SCBA face pieces. These research reports present the project findings.
- NIST Technical Note 1724 – Fire Exposures of Fire Fighter Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Facepiece Lenses
- NIST Technical Note 1785 – Thermal Performance of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Facepiece Lenses Exposed to Radiant Heat Flux
This project also supported the NFPA’s Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Technical Committeethrough identification of ways to enhance the operational effectiveness of SCBA face pieces. Included in the 2013 edition of NFPA 1981 is the new “Lens Radiant Heat Test” described in the NIST 1785 report.
Thermal imaging cameras
Thermal imaging cameras (TIC) are an important tool for many firefighters. USFA and NIST began work on a project in 2005 to develop performance metrics and standard testing protocols for TIC to help ensure operational consistency across designs and capabilities.
This work started with an assessment of the thermal imaging needs and activities of first responders. Performance metrics that describe TIC image contrast, effective temperature range, spatial resolution, image nonuniformity and thermal sensitivity were selected or developed based on an analysis of the information gathered. These imaging performance metrics and test methods were provided to standards development organizations, such as NFPA and ASTM International.
Explore the research findings by downloading these reports.
- Thermal Imaging Research Needs for First Responders: Workshop Proceedings (2005)
- Performance Metrics for Fire Fighting Thermal Imaging Cameras – Small- and Full-Scale Experiments (2008)