Study of Firefighter Line of Duty Injuries and Near Misses

Overview

This project applies fire research results to emerging questions from the fire service generated by near-miss incidents, line of duty injuries (LODIs), line of duty deaths (LODDs), or unpredicted/unexpected fire phenomena. The Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), part of UL Research Institutes, selects incidents for examination based on the potential for each analysis to yield important insights. To perform each analysis, FSRI partners with the requesting fire department using existing fire research results, tools, and computational modeling to provide insight and explanations to the fire service community on current issues. FSRI may conduct additional research to develop data and tools needed to fill gaps from previously conducted studies or conduct pilot studies as required, with the aim of preventing similar future incidents.

By analyzing the factors that contribute to incidents with knowledge of fire dynamics, research results from past studies, and current fire ground experience, FSRI can provide recommendations on changes to codes, standards, and firefighting tactics as well as develop reports and training materials to improve the outcomes of similar incidents. Training materials may include videos or online courses that explain the incidents, the reasons the incidents occurred, and recommended changes to be applied to strategy and tactics in the future. The results serve as relevant examples to continue to support the fire service’s move toward evidence-based strategies and tactics.

This project was initiated through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency’s FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program as a Fire Prevention and Safety Grant: (EMW-2018-FP-00476)  

Context 

Notable fire incidents provide a unique opportunity to interact with and collect information from the scene and the personnel involved within a short time after the incident occurs. Studying these incidents with the advantage of primary accounts of actions and observations enables the most accurate representation of events and facilitates an objective determination of the factors that contributed to the outcome. 

“After our incident where a mayday was called and four of our firefighters were burned, Cobb Fire knew we needed the help of an independent agency to assist us in determining the factors that contributed to this incident. We reached out to FSRI for their expertise and resources to help us truly understand what happened inside that structure in the early morning hours. The FSRI team worked diligently with our After Actions Review Team and our members that were involved with the fire. In the end, FSRI was able to use the data they gathered during their research and firsthand accounts from our crews to put together a detailed report that will benefit Cobb Fire and the entire fire service.” 

— Kevin Gross, Deputy Fire Chief of Preparedness, Cobb Fire & Emergency Services, Georgia

Objectives

The goal of this project is to enhance the tactical effectiveness, situational awareness, and safety of firefighters by developing knowledge based on the application of fire dynamics research to significant fire incidents.