Fire truck crashes with apparatus driver fatalities: Fatality Analysis Report System (FARS): 1991-2000

Authors

  • Steven L. Proudfoot
  • Edward Lee Husting, PhD, MPH

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.2004.0024

Keywords:

-

Abstract

This analysis reports crashes in which firefighters were killed on fire apparatus. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) from 1991 through 2000 included 33 incidents with 38 firefighter fatalities, including 23 apparatus drivers. Crashes increased steadily from two in 1991 to six in 2000. The average age of the victims was 37.7 years and the average of the drivers was 38.3. Alcohol was a possible factor in two incidents. The most commonly cited driver-related factors are “failure to keep in proper lane or running off road” and “driving too fast for conditions or in excess of posted speed limit.” Of 33 total incidents, 25 involved rollover. In 19 crashes involving rollover in which the apparatus drivers were killed, 12 drivers were either totally or partially ejected from the vehicle. Eleven were not wearing restraints. Twelve of the drivers were killed while using lights and sirens. Most fatalities took place on dry roads, in fair weather, during daylight hours. Twenty-one of 23 incidents occurred on rural roads. In 11 of the incidents, the driver was the sole vehicle occupant. Drivers should wear seat belts and adjust for vehicle limitations and hazardous conditions. Semiannual refresher driver training is recommended.

Author Biographies

Steven L. Proudfoot

Statistician, Intervention and Evaluation Team, Analysis and Field Evaluations Branch, NIOSH, Division of Safety Research, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Edward Lee Husting, PhD, MPH

Epidemiologist, Intervention and Evaluation Team, Analysis and Field Evaluations Branch, NIOSH, Division of Safety Research, Morgantown, West Virginia.

References

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Federal Emergency Management Agency: Firefighter Fatality Retrospective Study 1990-2000. Emmitsburg, MD: United States Fire Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2002.

Tessmer JM: FARS Analytic Reference Guide 1975 to 2002. Washington, DC: National Center for Statistics and Analysis, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, 2002.

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Becker LR, Zaloshnja E, Levick N, et al.: Relative risk of injury and death in ambulances and other emergency vehicles. Accid Anal Prevention. 2003; 35(6): 941-948.

Federal Emergency Management Agency: Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 1999. Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Data Center, United States Fire Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2000.

Campbell KL: Traffic Collisions Involving Fire Trucks in the United States. Center for National Truck Statistics. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, 1999.

National Fire Protection Association: NFPA 1901 Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus. Quincy, MA: National Fire Protection Association, 1999.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Fire Fighter Deaths from Tanker Truck Rollovers. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. HID14. Cincinnati, OH: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2001.

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Published

04/01/2004

How to Cite

Proudfoot, S. L., and E. L. Husting, PhD, MPH. “Fire Truck Crashes With Apparatus Driver Fatalities: Fatality Analysis Report System (FARS): 1991-2000”. Journal of Emergency Management, vol. 2, no. 2, Apr. 2004, pp. 52-56, doi:10.5055/jem.2004.0024.

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Section

Articles