SA Firefighter
General Discussion => SA Firefighter General => Topic started by: misterteddy on November 17, 2008, 06:56:37 AM
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yeah I know, it's the US and it doesnt correspond to here, but the following figures make interesting (and frightening) reading
Taken from the US National Fire Protection Association 2007 Report
"The US Fire Problem
In 2007, there were 1,557,500 fires reported in the United States (down 5% from 2006). These fires caused 3,430 civilian deaths, 17,675 civilian injuries, and $14.6 billion in property damage.
530,500 were structure fires (up 1% from 2006), causing 3,000 civilian deaths, 15,350 civilian injuries, and $10.6 billion in property damage.
258,000 were vehicle fires (down 7% from 2006), causing 385 civilian fire deaths, 1,675 civilian fire injuries, and $1.4 billion in property damage.
769,000 were outside and other fires (down 9% from 2006), causing 45 civilian fire deaths, 650 civilian fire injuries, and $0.8 billion in property damage.
The 2007 U.S. fire loss clock
A fire department responded to a fire every 20 seconds.
One structure fire was reported every 59 seconds.
One home structure fire was reported every 79 seconds
One civilian fire injury was reported every 30 minutes.
One civilian fire death occurred every 2 hours and 33 minutes.
One outside fire was reported every 41 seconds.
One vehicle fire was reported every 122 seconds."
Lots of complex reasons for the huge numbers, but you just have to wonder why it is so sometimes
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Unfortunately a large number of fires are inadvetantley started by homeless people/squatters, with a very visible problem in the states of homeless people, living in derelict buildings with no heating or electricity combine that with the reason that a large number of these people find themselves in this situation, illicit drug dependancy.
So youv'e got cold, drug affected people living in derelict buildings without any means of warmth, other than to build a "little" fire, sadly it can go pear shape.
This reason isn't the only reason for the percentage discrepancies between the rest of the world and the states, just remember though, everythings bigger in America!
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1.5million fires and about 100 firefighter deaths a year.
Im not good at maths but that is a death every 15,000 jobs? or does my calculator tell lies?
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i fear it is telling the truth
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1.5million fires and about 100 firefighter deaths a year.
Im not good at maths but that is a death every 15,000 jobs? or does my calculator tell lies?
Where did you get that figure from? (maybe I'm not good at reading, but I couldn't see it above....)
Also might be worth noting that it'd be one death per 15,000 fires, as distinct from just jobs...
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I think you will find the fire's in the US over the past few days will push those figure's out of the water....Nice to see they have lots of MONEY.....
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Last year there was something like 96 LODD's nation wide. So that number is fairly accurate.
To be honest, 1 LODD per 15,000 FIRES, although horribe, is not a figure I wouldn't expect.
Its a dangerous job!
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Last year there was something like 96 LODD's nation wide. So that number is fairly accurate.
To be honest, 1 LODD per 15,000 FIRES, although horribe, is not a figure I wouldn't expect.
Its a dangerous job!
Agreed. I use the term loosely but firefighting in oz compared to the USA is probably pretty easy. If you take into count the difference in structures, fatigue, traffic.
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I Don't think that is a fair generalization. Each country has it's own challenges and dangers when involved in firefighting.
eg. As a general rule Australia has MUCH bigger bushfires. (at AFAC a guy from LA said any fire over 50,000 acres was a Major incident") but the US has more working large structure fires. It is simply a reflection on how each country manages to minimize the risks with their firefighting.
i also believe that un till recently the London fir brigade (which is comparable to many large American departments.) was doing much better at reducing LODDs.
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i also believe that un till recently the London fir brigade (which is comparable to many large American departments.) was doing much better at reducing LODDs.
Well, no wonder the London fir brigade has fewer LODD's than other places. How often do you see plants fighting fires?
Anyhow, has anyone got any comparable stats? I mean Working fires/per capita?
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Anyhow, has anyone got any comparable stats? I mean Working fires/per capita?
Working fires per capita, no. Deaths per 100,000 fires, yes:
Statistically, prior to 2004, the UK Fire Service incurred traumatic operational fatalities at a fairly consistent average of about one firefighter per year per 100,000 structure fires. However, during the period 2004-2007 the life losses have dramatically increased to 2.7 firefighters per 100,000 structure fires. That is one firefighter fatality for every 37,000-structure fires. The death rate has almost trebled. We used to be proud of our 'safety' record but our average annual firefighter life loss rate (per 100,000 fires) is now higher than that in the USA!
In the USA the traumatic death rate amongst firefighters demonstrates that 1.9 firefighters are killed per year, per 100,000 structure fires (a rate only slightly lower than that observed in the early 1980s), although this rate was at its highest (3.0 per 100,000 structure fires) across a thirty-year period, peaking in the 1990s. The main causes of these LODD (Line of Duty Deaths) are smoke inhalation; burns; crushing injuries and related trauma. Most importantly, both the UK and US statistics provided above are strictly related to firefighting operations and exclude all other causes of death, such as heart attacks and road accidents en-route etc. [1]
USA LODD including causes other than structural fire is around the 3 per 100,000 'Fire Incidents' [2].
[1] http://www.firetactics.com/IRMP_MODERNIZATION.htm
[2] http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/statistics/history.shtm
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So have the CFS and SAMFS actually had 100,000 Fires to compare with statistically? ;)
But seriously would we actually be that much worse? Anything for other areas of Australia? I would go stat diving myself as per usual, but I really can't be bothered tonight.