The economics of firefighter injuries in the United States

Abstract

This report identifies, summarizes, and evaluates the available data and the literature describing the economic costs associated with non-fatal firefighter injuries, illnesses, health exposures, and occupational disease ('health outcomes') resulting from line-of-duty activities. National firefighter non-fatal health outcome data, published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), are compared and contrasted in terms of coverage and detail provided. A survey of the economic injury literature is used to estimate the direct and indirect costs of non-fatal health outcomes. A matching procedure is introduced to combine the statistical and economic data to produce an annual estimate of firefighter non-fatal health outcome costs. The conclusion provides a discussion of the current measurement challenges that prevent a complete and thorough accounting of those costs associated with non-fatal firefighter injuries, illnesses, health exposures, and occupational disease. Data gaps exist, largely due to delays between exposure and the onset of symptoms, in capturing the incidence and economic consequences associated with firefighter cancer and other occupational diseases, including post-traumatic stress injuries.

Changes in Health and Physical Fitness Parameters After Six Months of Group Exercise Training in Firefighters

“…Moreover, the maintenance of a healthy body weight may reduce injuries and WC claims in firefighters [30]. More exercise training interventions with this population are therefore needed, as the eventual impact on worker compensation ($63.3 billion covered by worker's compensation in 2012 [31]), or time off due to injury (30.6% of reported injuries resulted in lost workdays in 2016 [31]), is evident.…”

Firefighters and Cancer: A Review of the Current State of Cancer Incidences and Recent Trends in Risk Perception and Risk Reduction Efforts

“…2 Independent of this variance across types of cancers, data supports increased cancer incidence and mortality rates within the fire service. 3 Yet despite this evidence and new classification, notable gaps still exist in cancer research among firefighters. Partly this has been attributed to the delay between exposure to carcinogenic agents and the onset of symptoms and/or screenings.…”

“…Partly this has been attributed to the delay between exposure to carcinogenic agents and the onset of symptoms and/or screenings. 3 This move of firefighting from a possibly carcinogenic to carcinogenic occupation will help in advancing research and in advocating for individual, social, and public policies changes. However, as with any wicked problem, the relationship between firefighting and cancer has neither a straightforward nor single solution.…”

Examining the Usability of Workload Monitoring in Firefighter Recruits

“…Because of the physically strenuous and dangerous nature of firefighting, these individuals experience one of the highest rates of injury, with approximately one injury occurring every 8 minutes 2 . These injuries incur a high economic burden, with an estimated annual cost between $1.9 billion and $5.6 billion 3 . Furthermore, the majority (41%) of fireground injuries are musculoskeletal (MSK) in nature and are caused by overexertion or slips, trips, and falls 4 .…”