The number of fatal firefighter injuries in the U.S. last year is down from the year before.
According to a recent report from the National Fire Protection Association, the 62 on-duty firefighter deaths nationwide in 2024 represent a decline from 90 in 2023.
Of those 62 deaths, 11 were as a result of heart attacks or medical conditions within 24 hours of duty. Also, most were career firefighters as compared with volunteers. Finally, about a third of the fatalities were experienced by firefighters in their 40s.
The NFPA sees this downward trend as an encouraging sign that injury prevention efforts are succeeding but sudden cardiac deaths remain a concern that will require a vested commitment from a range of actors within and outside the fire service.