A new report shows a decline in firefighter fatalities across the United States, though dozens of first responders are still dying in the line of duty each year.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released its annual firefighter fatality study this week, revealing a 31% decrease in on-duty deaths from 2023 to 2024. According to the report, 62 firefighters lost their lives while on duty in 2024, down from 90 the previous year.
“We were happy to see that this is one of the lower counts that we have had of fatal firefighter injuries,” said Birgitte Messerschmidt, director of research at the NFPA. “Over the last 40 years, we’ve had a consistent average downward trend of fatal firefighter injuries.”
Of the 62 firefighter deaths reported in 2024, 26 were career firefighters and 19 were volunteers. The remaining deaths occurred within 24 hours of the individual being on duty, a category included in the NFPA’s tracking.
The NFPA continues to monitor trends in firefighter safety and emphasizes the need for ongoing training, equipment improvements, and health awareness to help further reduce the number of line-of-duty deaths.
WSB’s Daphne Young contributed to this story
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