Patterns of Female Firefighter Injuries on the Fireground

Name of Report: Patterns of Female Firefighter Injuries on the Fireground
Author: Richard Campbell
Date Issued: July 2017

Report and fact sheet

Patterns of Female Firefighter Injuries on the Fireground

Firefighting has traditionally been a male occupation. While men still comprise the vast majority of firefighters, the number of women in the fire service has been increasing over the years. This report examines the pattern of female firefighter injuries on the fireground.

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Patterns of Female Firefighter Injuries on the Fireground fact sheet

This printable fact sheet includes quick stats from the Patterns of Female Firefighter Injuries on the Fireground report.

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Report highlights

• Between 2010 and 2014, NFPA estimates that female firefighters experienced an average of 1,260 injuries on the fireground each year.
• Approximately two-thirds (65%) of the injuries were experienced by career firefighters, with volunteer firefighters experiencing the remaining 35% of injuries.
• The leading primary injury symptom was strain or sprain for both career (29%) and volunteer (19%) firefighters.
• The leading cause of injury was overexertion or strain for both career (23% of injuries and volunteer (30%) firefighters, followed by exposure to hazard (17% career, 22% volunteer) and slip or trip (16% of career and volunteer).