National Fire Protection Association’s new report says 96 first responders died in 2022
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – A new report by the National Fire Protection Association shows a total of 96 firefighters died while on duty last year.
Tap here to read the Fatal Firefighter Injuries in the U.S. in 2022 report.
“The statistics are showing the cardiac deaths are very impactfully even up to 24 hours after the shift,” said Cape Girardeau Fire Chief Randy Morris.
Cape Girardeau Fire Department Battalion Chief Randy Morris says his crew is fortunate enough to prepare for these situations, before they become a problem.
“Any training that we would use is to enhance our skills that we would use in an emergency scene,” said Chief Morris.
But what does that training look like?
“So, each firefighter any time they’re on shift is required to do a minimum of one hour of physical fitness each day,” said Chief Morris.
Matt Mittrucker, battalion chief of Safety and Training, says each first responder is required to undergo regular health and wellness checks along with tri-annual physicals to make sure their heart rates are capable of handling the job at hand,
“Keeping our firefighters healthy, helps prevent those heart cardiac related issues, that do have a major portion of line of duty deaths nationwide.”
Just more than one-fifth of firefighter deaths occurred while responding to or returning from emergencies.
The report also showed that overexertion and stress accounted for just over one-half of the deaths in 2022.
