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Incident-level risk factors for firefighter injuries at structural fires.
Anthony Fabio1, Myduc Ta, Stephen Strotmeyer
1University of Pittsburgh, Center for Injury Research and Control, 200 Lothrop Street, Suite B400-PUH, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. fabioa@msx.upmc.edu
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
|November 27, 2002
Summary
Firefighter injuries are linked to incident characteristics like multiple alarms and civilian injuries. Higher incidents (over 3 stories) increase risk, while fires above 49 feet may reduce it, informing safety measures.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Epidemiology
- Fire Science
Background:
- Firefighting involves significant hazardous exposures and traumatic injuries.
- Limited epidemiologic data quantifies factors contributing to firefighter injuries.
- Understanding these factors is crucial for developing effective safety protocols.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between firefighter injury and specific incident characteristics.
- To identify key risk factors for firefighter injuries using national incident data.
- To inform the development of targeted safety interventions in the fire service.
Main Methods:
- Incident-level case-control study design.
- Utilized data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).
- Analyzed associations between injury occurrence and incident variables like alarm count, building height, and civilian casualties.
Main Results:
- Fires with 5 or more alarms showed a significantly higher risk of firefighter injury (OR = 3.85).
- Incidents in structures with more than 3 stories increased injury risk (OR = 2.49).
- The presence of civilian injuries elevated firefighter injury risk (OR = 3.69), while fires above 49 feet reduced it (OR = 0.57).
Conclusions:
- Fireground-specific factors, including incident scale and civilian casualties, are significant predictors of firefighter injury.
- Building height influences injury risk, with higher incidents potentially being safer.
- Epidemiologic identification of risk factors is vital for enhancing firefighter safety measures.