Thoroughly investigate all firefighter fatalities, injuries, and near-misses.
How many firefighters are killed in the U.S. each year? Nearly 100. And in 2012, the National Fire Protection Association estimated that more than 69,000 firefighters were injured on the job. The NFPA believes that their estimate is accurate to +/- 6.5%. This is a projection, not an actual number – we’re really not sure how many firefighters were injured in 2012. We don’t truly know how many actual injuries there were, and we certainly have no idea how many near-miss (or near-hit) incidents occurred.
Initiative #9 asks us to learn from our mistakes—the only way to do this is to thoroughly investigate every near-miss, significant injury or fatality.
Initiative 9 Resources
Initiative 9 Research
Latest Initiative 9 News
- Join the National Firefighter Registry – The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is excited to share the National Firefighter Registry, the largest existing effort to understand and reduce cancer risk among firefighters.
- The Life and Death of FDNY Firefighter Carmelo Puccia: A New Podcast from NFFF – FDNY Firefighter Carmelo “Carmine” Puccia was killed tragically on January 6, 1970, when he was struck by a subway train while investigating a trash fire on the tracks. The podcast is a two-part installment and tells Firefighter Puccia’s story through the recollections of the two groups most affected by his loss: his family and his department. Viewers and listeners will gain insight into Firefighter Puccia as a husband, father, and firefighter—and witness FDNY’s solid determination that we will never forget.
- Boyd Street: NFFF’s Compelling New Documentary – The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation announces the release of Boyd Street, created in partnership with the Los Angeles City Fire Department and Full Vision Productions.
- NFFF Announces 4th Firefighter Life Safety Summit – This important gathering builds on the advances from previous Life Safety Summits in Tampa (FL) and Truman Fire Forums (2019 and 2022) to move firefighter health and safety strategies forward. A keynote speaker for the event is Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, whose in-depth work on command decision-making revolutionized the British Fire Service’s approach to incident command.
- National Fire Service Research Agenda Report Released – Researchers and fire service practitioners met virtually last year for the 4th National Fire Service Research Agenda Symposium resulting in the National Fire Service Research Agenda Report with nearly 300 recommendations.
- National Firefighter Life Safety Summit 2022 Postponed – The National Firefighter Life Safety Summit 2022 Planning Committee has postponed the Summit due to the current impact of the coronavirus pandemic on fire departments across the country. A new date for the Summit will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
- FSRI Releases New Online Training – Fire Service Considerations with Lithium-Ion Battery ESS – This online course focuses on a deflagration incident at a lithium-ion battery energy storage system facility in Surprise, Arizona. We will share our analysis and recommendations to improve codes, standards, and emergency response training to protect first responders, maintenance personnel, and nearby communities.
- Fire Hero Learning Network Reaches New Milestone – The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is excited to announce that the Foundation’s online learning platform, the Fire Hero Learning Network (FHLN), has reached a milestone of over 130,000 registered users.
- After the Fire Podcast – Episode 9 – In the third episode of this three-part series on the FDNY Father’s Day Fire, we are joined by the wives of Lieutenant John Downing, Firefighter Brian Fahey, and Firefighter Harry Ford.
- After the Fire Podcast – Episode 8 – In the second episode of this three-part series on the FDNY Father’s Day Fire, we discuss a Queens taxpayer fire that erupted into a 5-alarm fire claiming the lives of three firefighters Lieutenant John Downing, Firefighter Brian Fahey, and Firefighter Harry Ford.
