Firefighter Deaths at All-Time Low
Deaths in Fairfax County have also been historically low in recent years.
http://vienna.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/firefighter-deaths-at-alltime-low

Sixty-four firefighters died in on-duty deaths in 2012, the second-lowest annual total in 35 years, according to a report from the National Fire Protection Association.

The report, released earlier this month, states that nationwide, firefighters reported the lowest number of cardiac death and deaths at structure fires.
The National Fire Protection Association is a non profit that focuses on research, training, and education in fire, electrical, and building safety.

Deaths while on duty have also been low in Fairfax in recent years.

In calendar year 2011, there were no deaths among Fairfax County firefighters actively responding to calls, "a first in the department's 62-year history," according to its annual report.

But in 2011, Fairfax County firefighter Horace "Teddy" Pendergrass, a 21-year veteran of the department, passed away while on duty. He died of natural causes.

To view the 2012 Firefighter Fatality Report, visit www.nfpa.org.
Attachments:

Fire Departments love to talk about what heroes they are, but if they conclude that it's too risky to try to rescue you, they'll watch you burn. Once in a while, they will miscalculate the risk and one of them will get hurt or killed, but it is very, very rare. Of the 64 deaths cited, probably 60 of them were heart attacks and their fat asses would have dropped dead at home or wherever they happened to be.

Nobody expects firefighters to commit suicide, but just cool the hero bullshit. Fire Departments exist to minimize insurance losses. Too bad the insurance industry isn't forced to pay the "heros".

The International Association of Fire Fighters, the Union, will not allow physical standards for firefighters. Why? Because they would lose thousands and thousands of members who are too fat, or are unable to do the job based on some other physical ailment. Less members, less revenue for the IAFF. Don't get started on volunteers and the lack of standards there, nobody is checking up on the the guys and girls up in the woods who are dropping dead whenever they put on their gear.

ffd Wrote:
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> Fire Departments love to talk about what heroes
> they are, but if they conclude that it's too risky
> to try to rescue you, they'll watch you burn.
> Once in a while, they will miscalculate the risk
> and one of them will get hurt or killed, but it is
> very, very rare. Of the 64 deaths cited, probably
> 60 of them were heart attacks and their fat asses
> would have dropped dead at home or wherever they
> happened to be.
>
> Nobody expects firefighters to commit suicide, but
> just cool the hero bullshit. Fire Departments
> exist to minimize insurance losses. Too bad the
> insurance industry isn't forced to pay the
> "heros".


Spot on assessment. Surround and drown. Cut back on Fire services (hardly used). Re-deploy assets to rescue calls (something like 75% of calls). No more running Class A pumpers down roads at 65 MPH in a 25 MPH zone to Rescue calls. Fuckers crash 3-4 times a month.

ONE A WEEK? MAYBE THEY SHOULD STOP HIRING RETARDS. Unless it's a stealth nigger-killing program.

Now that they've outlawed the dangerous forms of fire, everybody is safer now.

Nobody complains when the laws of our society actually work.

The article is simply wrong. They have not had line of duty deaths every year responding to a call except 2011.

Taso Wrote:
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> The article is simply wrong. They have not had
> line of duty deaths every year responding to a
> call except 2011.


No shit, that would be like at least 61 Fairfax County Fire Dept line of duty deaths. There is no where anything near that number.

19 fire Fighters lost their lives in Arizona.

19 fire Fighters lost their lives in Arizona.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/30/arizona-wildfire-yarnell_n_3526934.html

IAFF Wrote:
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> The International Association of Fire Fighters,
> the Union, will not allow physical standards for
> firefighters. Why? Because they would lose
> thousands and thousands of members who are too
> fat, or are unable to do the job based on some
> other physical ailment. Less members, less
> revenue for the IAFF. Don't get started on
> volunteers and the lack of standards there, nobody
> is checking up on the the guys and girls up in the
> woods who are dropping dead whenever they put on
> their gear.


Good point. The IAFF needs as many members as possible, no matter the size and physical shape.

w773b Wrote:
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> 19 fire Fighters lost their lives in
> Arizona.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/30/a
> rizona-wildfire-yarnell_n_3526934.html

I (obviously) know nothing about forest fire fighting but, from images/videos I've seen, the DEPTH of the fires doesn't seem to be that great, in general.

When I read that this many died in a forest fire I have to wonder why someone didn't literally run INTO the fire to escape - just sheer survival instinct until it's too late? (assumed is they all wear goggles minimally and SOME sort of heat protection)

Olde Farte, II Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> w773b Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 19 fire Fighters lost their lives in
> >
> Arizona.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/30/a
>
> > rizona-wildfire-yarnell_n_3526934.html
>
> I (obviously) know nothing about forest fire
> fighting but, from images/videos I've seen, the
> DEPTH of the fires doesn't seem to be that great,
> in general.
>
> When I read that this many died in a forest fire I
> have to wonder why someone didn't literally run
> INTO the fire to escape - just sheer survival
> instinct until it's too late? (assumed is they all
> wear goggles minimally and SOME sort of heat
> protection)


Wildland firefighters have helmets and goggles as well as heavy cotton pants, shirts and gloves. They carry all their gear into the area to operate, mostly handtools, like a Pulaski, or axes. They had a deployable shelter to use in case of a fire turning on them or being caught by a flash. The shelter, also called a shake and bake, consists of the firefighter getting low to the ground and covering up in this tent like structure which has a silver coating on the outside to reflect heat. Many wildland firefighters have survived as a result of their shelters, but many have not. Looks like this one turned quick and caught them off guard.

Wildland Wrote:
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> ...They had a deployable shelter to use in
> case of a fire turning on them or being caught by
> a flash. The shelter, also called a shake and
> bake, consists of the firefighter getting low to
> the ground and covering up in this tent like
> structure which has a silver coating on the
> outside to reflect heat. Many wildland
> firefighters have survived as a result of their
> shelters, but many have not. Looks like this one
> turned quick and caught them off guard.

Ah, that's interesting - thanks for the response.

[the slang term is morbidly funny but the fact that these "shelters" are actually deployed does indeed suggest the fires rapidly come and go, in general]

Olde Farte, II Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wildland Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ...They had a deployable shelter to use in
> > case of a fire turning on them or being caught
> by
> > a flash. The shelter, also called a shake and
> > bake, consists of the firefighter getting low
> to
> > the ground and covering up in this tent like
> > structure which has a silver coating on the
> > outside to reflect heat. Many wildland
> > firefighters have survived as a result of their
> > shelters, but many have not. Looks like this
> one
> > turned quick and caught them off guard.
>
> Ah, that's interesting - thanks for the response.
>
> [the slang term is morbidly funny but the fact
> that these "shelters" are actually deployed does
> indeed suggest the fires rapidly come and go, in
> general]


All part of the firefighter/police morbid humor. Getting your "red card", which certifies you have been trained to be a wildland firefighter is a fairly intense deal, having to hike with a weighed pack in a certain amount of time, written testing and being able to deploy the shelter. If you have to deploy the shelter in real life, it's no joke.

Wildland Wrote:
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> If you have to deploy the shelter in real life, it's no joke.

Yeah, after reading your post I looked the shelters up and found a video that I watched where the (experienced) firfighter essentially says the same thing "You use these, something REALLY bad went wrong".

Others apparently were asking why so many died and what methods they have to prevent it (sometimes); this just appeared on CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2013/07/01/newday-petersons-fire-shelter-explainer.cnn.html