Do collective bargaining rights save lives? A rare event analysis of firefighter fatalities in the United States

Abstract

Risk analysis research often focuses on regulation, assessment, and management rather than risk governance. This study contributes to the risk governance literature by analyzing the relationship between collective bargaining rights for firefighters and firefighter fatalities in the United States. Using statelevel data from 2009 through 2018, this analysis shows that states with duty-to-bargain rights for firefighters have fewer firefighter fatalities than those without duty-to-bargain rights. Further, this analysis shows that the benefit of duty-to-bargain rights dissipates in states with a high percentage of fully volunteer fire departments. This study concludes with a discussion of the implications for fire departments and public policy.

Police unions and police fatalities in the United States, 1990−2018

“…Further, this research is similar to other state policy research connecting state policy with outcomes like union density (Hogler et al, 2004), wages (Reed, 2003), and income inequality (Kogan, 2017). In a similar vein, previous research shows a relationship between collective bargaining rights for firefighters and firefighter fatalities (Wells, 2022).…”

“…This is the appropriate analytical strategy for any event worth studying that does not occur frequently. For example, social scientists have applied methods of rare-event analysis to the study of mass public shootings (Siegel et al 2020), acts of terrorism (Wilson and Piazza 2013), and firefighter fatalities (Wells, 2022). Although important, police fatalities in the line of duty are fortunately uncommon.…”