Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program

Use hazard IDs to be aware of occupational hazards and safety recommendations to avoid exposure.

Fire Fighter Deaths from Tanker Truck Rollovers
This hazard ID includes two case studies and recommendations on how to prevent tanker truck accidents. The case studies were results of two separate incidents involving firefighters who were killed in tanker truck rollovers, both incidents involved volunteer fire departments providing mutual aid with water tanker trucks. Tanker drivers may not be fully aware that tanker trucks are more difficult to control than passenger vehicles.

Traffic Hazards to Fire Fighters While Working Along Roadways
This hazard ID includes a case study and prevention recommendations for firefighters and fire departments. Any firefighter working along any type of roadway runs the risk of being struck by a motorist. These hazards are not limited to the fire service alone. Other emergency service providers such as law enforcement officers, paramedics, and vehicle recovery personnel are also exposed to these hazards.

Fire Fighters Hazards During Propane Tank Fires
This hazard ID identifies and provides recommendations for propane tank fires. During propane tank fires, the potential always exists for an explosion known as boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE). To reduce this risk, fire departments, firefighters, and propane tank owners and users should follow the recommendations. They are based on emergency response procedures in the 1996 North American Emergency Response Guide – book (NAERG96).

Use impact sheets to understand how others have put research into practice and how it influences occupational outcomes.

Training Poster Developed from Report
This impact sheet features a training poster by Firefighter Close Calls. The material is from a NIOSH FFFIPP report about hidden spaces that support the spread of fire. The report includes contributing factors as well as recommendations to prevent similar deaths from occurring.

Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation Prompts Fire Hose Performance Testing and Revised Standards
This impact sheet describes how the NIOSH FFFIPP observed the damaged houseline during their investigation and were aware of it occurring in other incidents. To address this issue, the FFFIPP investigators contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in May 2014 for assistance.

NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation Helps Incident Commander Choose Strategy and Tactics to Control Flow path and Protect Fire Fighters
This impact sheet is about how a NIOSH FFFIPP investigation led to an Incident Commander making an informed decision using material from the investigative report.

NIOSH Research Improves Equipment Design to Protect Firefighters
This impact sheet is about how a group of firefighter associations and fire apparatus manufacturers proposed a survey of U.S. firefighters to address fire-apparatus design issues and to update the NFPA standards for apparatus and PPE. In response, NIOSH collaborated with the firefighter community, firefighter apparatus manufacturers, and the NFPA standards committee to plan and conduct a national survey on firefighter anthropometry during 2008-2012 and transferred data and knowledge into product design processes.

NIOSH Research Leads to a Reduction in Safety Hazards Among Ambulance Service Workers and EMS Responders
This impact sheet is about NIOSH crash tests revealing the possibility of head injury if a worker’s head strikes the cabinets immediately above or behind them.

Use alerts to identify and be aware of hazards to prevent occupational illness and injury.

Preventing Deaths and Injuries of Fire Fighter Using Risk Management Principles at Structure Fires
This NIOSH alert addresses how firefighters are often killed or injured when fighting fires in abandoned, vacant, and unoccupied structures.

Preventing Fire Fighter Fatalities Due to Heart Attacks and Other Sudden Cardiovascular Events
This NIOSH alert requests assistance in preventing on-duty cardiovascular deaths among U.S. firefighters.

Preventing Injuries and Deaths of Fire Fighters due to Truss System Failures
This NIOSH alert requests assistance in preventing injuries and deaths of firefighters due to roof and floor truss collapse during fire-fighting operations.

Preventing Injuries and Deaths of Fire Fighters due to Structural Collapse
This NIOSH alert address how firefighters can prevent injury and death due to structural collapse.

Rhabdomyolysis in Structural Fire Fighters – A Patient Population at Risk
What Structural Fire Fighters Need to Know About Rhabdomyolysis
Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program – Selected Investigation Reports
Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program – Findings from a National Evaluation – 2010
Fire Fighter Fatality and Prevention Program Handbook
First Responders Protect Yourself from Bloodborne Pathogens
Protect Your Employees with an Exposure Control Plan
Emergency Preparedness Moving Science to Solutions
Your Safety First – Railroad Crossing Safety for Emergency Responders

Use posters to hang up for daily information and reminders of safety practices.

Row House Firefighting Tactics
This poster highlights tactics, areas for potential fire extension, and typical features of row houses. Consider displaying this poster in common areas of your department.

First Responders Protect Yourselves from Bloodborne Pathogens
This two-page poster is about the potential exposure that first responders may experience and improving the exposure control plan of your department. Consider displaying this poster in common areas of your department.

Use case notes to understand and correct specific issues as it relates to personal protective equipment.

Hot Filling Hazards with SCBA Air Cylinders
These case notes address the hazard that NIOSH FFFIPP has identified as a potential hazard associated with rapid filling of compressed breathing air cylinders and the associated latent pressure/breathing time loss.

Firefighter SCBA Facepiece Sizing Issues
These case notes focus on self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) facepiece sizing issues within fire departments.

Use report slides as a slideshow that summarizes the incident from the report and recommendations on how to prevent similar incidents.

Career Lieutenant Dies and Four Firefighters Injured at a 3-Story Multi-Family Residential Occupancy — Massachusettspdf icon
These report slides present the summary and safety recommendations from the investigative report about a 3-story multi-family residential structure fire.

Career Captain Drowns After Running Out of Air During Technical Rescue SCUBA Dive — North Carolinapdf icon
These report slides present the summary and safety recommendations from the investigative report about a technical rescue SCUBA dive.

Captain Killed and Six Firefighters Injured at a Propane Explosion in an Office Building — Mainepdf icon
These report slides present the summary and safety recommendations from the investigative report about a propane explosion in an office building.

Career Lieutenant Killed in Building Collapse While Fighting Row House Fire — Pennsylvaniapdf icon
These report slides present the summary and safety recommendations from the investigative report about row house fires.

Career Firefighter/SCUBA Diver Drowns While Searching for Civilian in an Industrialized River —Illinoispdf icon
These report slides present the summary and safety recommendations from the investigative report about scuba rescue in an industrialized river.

One Firefighter Dies and Another Injured in Natural Gas Line Explosion—Wisconsinpdf icon
These report slides present the summary and safety recommendations from the investigative report about a natural gas line explosion.

Use safety advisories to be aware and proactive of occupational hazards.

Preventing Freewheeling of Public Safety Portable Radio Volume Power Knob
This safety advisory is about how risk management principles must be applied at all structure fires to ensure the appropriate strategy and tactics are used based on the fireground conditions encountered.

Odor Fade in Natural Gas and Propane
This safety advisory is about how the NIOSH FFFIPP provides safety recommendations for fire departments that have firefighters responding to natural gas or propane incidents.

Translucent Corrugated Roof Panels May Contribute to Increased Fall Risk during Roof Operations
This safety advisory is about how NIOSH recommends that all fire departments immediately take action to reduce the risk of firefighters being injured or killed while operating on roofs that contain translucent corrugated roof panels.

Manual Adjustment of Automatic Slack Adjusters May Contribute to Unexpected Brake Failure on Automotive Fire Apparatus
This safety advisory is about how NIOSH recommends that all fire departments operating fire apparatus equipped with automatic slack adjusters (ASAs) immediately take action to reduce the risk of firefighters being injured in an apparatus crash due to brake failure.

Improper Set-up of Aerial Ladders with a Locking Waterway May Put Fire Fighters at Risk_2008
This safety advisory is about how NIOSH recommends that all fire departments utilizing aerial ladder trucks with locking (pin-anchored, lever actuated, clamped) waterways immediately take action to reduce the risk of firefighters being struck by unsecured waterways or parts of the waterway.

Use workplace solutions to address common hazards and improve occupational safety conditions.

Preventing Deaths and Injuries of Fire Fighters Working at Basement and Other Below-Grade Fires
This edition of workplace solutions addresses how firefighters are at significant risk of injury or death when fighting fires in basements or floors below-grade level and provides safety recommendations.

Preventing Deaths and Injuries of Fire Fighters during Training Exercises
This edition of workplace solutions addresses how firefighters are at risk of death or injury during training activities and provides safety recommendations.

Preventing Deaths and Injuries to Fire Fighters by Establishing Collapse Zones at Structure Fires
This edition of workplace solutions addresses how firefighters are at significant risk for injury or death due to structural collapse during firefighting operations and provides safety recommendations.

Promoting Hearing Health among Fire Fighters
This edition of workplace solutions addresses exposure to high noise levels among firefighters increases the risk for noise-induced hearing loss and provides safety recommendations.

Preventing Deaths and Injuries of Fire Fighters Operating Modified Excess or Surplus Vehicles
This edition of workplace solutions addresses how firefighters may be at risk for crash-related injuries while operating excess and other surplus vehicles that have been modified for fire service use and provides safety recommendations.

Preventing Deaths and Injuries of Fire Fighters Working Above Fire-Damaged Floors
This edition of workplace solutions addresses how firefighters are at risk of falling through fire-damaged floors and provides safety recommendations.

Preventing Deaths and Injuries to Fire Fighters during Live-Fire Training in Acquired Structures
This edition of workplace solutions addresses how firefighters are subjected to many hazards when participating in live-fire training and provides safety recommendations.

Divers Beware. Training Dives Present Serious Hazards to Fire Fighters
This edition of workplace solutions addresses how firefighters who participate in dive training risk lung damage, illness, or drowning and provides safety recommendations.