By Bill Carey
1 February 2022
“Do you know the number of cardiac line of duty deaths from last year?”
The United States Fire Administration lists 24 deaths as having occurred due to Heart Attack. One is listed as Cerebrovascular Accident, and two are listed as Other, which usually is cardiac related as revealed by autopsies and investigation reports.
Here is the breakdown of all of these nature of death:
Volunteer: 14
Career (including part-time and paid-on-call): 13
Average Age, Volunteer: 63
Oldest: 89
Youngest: 26
65 and Older: 7 (89, 86, 80, 73, 72, 72, 70)
Average Age, Career: 49
Oldest: 69
Youngest: 32
65 and Older: 1 (69)
Location at time of Death
Fire Department: 9
Home: 7
Fireground: 6
Training: 2
Motor Vehicle Accident Scene: 1
EMS: 1*
* in this incident the victim was at the scene of an MVA preparing to leave when he was struck by another vehicle. The victim when into cardiac arrest while being treated for his injuries and later died.
Photographs courtesy of Unsplash.
Data Not Drama 