Tendency of Firefighters' Fatalities while on Duty Fire Dispatchments

Abstract

In this study, we surveyed 47 fire departments that have jurisdiction over the location of prefectural offices, and investigated and grasped 62 cases of line of duty deaths during fire dispatchments from 1948 to 2019. As a result, the injurie mechanisms were 18 for building collapse, nine for thick smoke, eight for flames, six for explosions, six for illnesses during firefighting activities, and five for traffic accidents. 89 % of injuries and illnesses caused fatalities could be classified as external factors, and 11 % as internal factors. It was revealed that those in their 40s and younger have a high proportion of external factors such as trauma, while those in their 50s have a high proportion of internal factors such as myocardial infarction that developed during activity.