2008 NFPA Firefighter Fatality Report

2 EXCELLENT REPORTS.... THE NFPA ANNUAL FIREFIGHTER FATALITY REPORT NUMBERS DIFFER FROM THE USFA 2008 FIREFIGHTER FATALITY REPORT

As they do annually, the NFPA provides an excellent report on how (within the NFPA definition of what an LODD is) firefighters lost their lives. However, to be clear, the NFPA calculates LODD's differently than the United States Fire Administration.
The way the NFPA looks at on-duty (LODD) deaths shows 103 Firefighter LODD's in 2008. On the other hand, the USFA's report stated that there were 114 Firefighter LODD's during the same time period.
Based upon the NFPA's determination of on duty firefighter fatalities in 2008, a total of 103 on-duty firefighter deaths occurred in the U.S. This is the same number of deaths (using the NFPA calculations) as occurred in the U.S. in 2007, and the fourth time in the last 10 years that the annual total has been 103. The largest share of deaths (39 deaths) occurred while firefighters were responding to or returning from emergency calls. This includes a single incident which resulted in nine deaths. Stress, exertion, and other medical-related issues, which usually result in heart attacks or other sudden cardiac events, continued to account for the largest number of fatalities.
Rita Fahy, one of the authors, has recently done a podcast about the fatalities, and the link is below if you would like to check it out. There is also a podcast that Mike Karter has done on the Patterns of Firefighter Fireground Injuries as well: Check it out HERE: 
http://feeds2.feedburner.com/NFPApodcast
For more information, based upon which LODD numbers you want to look at, go to our FIRE REPORTS page located here for the new NFPA report:
http://firefighterclosecalls.com/fullstory.php?88488
and here:
http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/firereports.php 
For the USFA reported information, go to:
http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/media/press/2009releases/010709.shtm
Why are the numbers different? In our opinion, it's the same reason FD company officers in different FD's wear different color helmets...and why some FD's lay 3" to supply a 1500 gpm pumper and why some FD's...err, uhh...well, you get the idea. Change is tough in our business and tradition, right or wrong-is also at the base of the issue. The IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section www.IAFCSafety.org has reached out to the various organizations in an attempt to have one number based upon one common criteria.
Time will tell how that works out. 
Actually, the better news is that both the NFPA and the USFA reports both have ALL the info you would need to create solutions to your FD minimizing their chance of being the subject of those reports.