Structure Fire Deaths, Injuries, and Losses

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Tracking detailed data on deaths and injuries from structure fires is fundamentally important for advancing fire safety and public health, particularly by allowing researchers to identify vulnerable populations who face disproportionately higher risks. This demographic-specific data is crucial for developing targeted prevention strategies, ensuring that safety interventions, such as the use of fire-safe mattresses, effectively reach and protect those most at risk, including the disabled, children, and low-income groups. Furthermore, the systematic collection of injury and death statistics, including those affecting firefighters, provides the necessary evidence base for performing rigorous benefit-cost analyses of new building codes and safety technologies, ultimately guiding decision makers toward the most economically and socially beneficial solutions to reduce the human and financial toll of residential fires.

• Identifying Vulnerable Populations to Death and Injuries from Residential Fires
  • Citation: Gilbert, S. W., & Butry, D. T. (2018). Identifying vulnerable populations to death and injuries from residential fires. Injury Prevention, 24(3), 241–248. Link: https://doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2017-042343 and  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28774896/
• Estimating the Impact of 16 CFR Part 1633 on Bed Fire Outcomes
  • Citation: Gilbert, S. W., Butry, D. T., Davis, R. D., & Gann, R. G. (2020). Estimating the impact of 16 CFR Part 1633 on bed fire outcomes. (NIST Technical Note 2092). National Institute of Standards and Technology. Link: https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2092
• Community Risk Ratings for the FireCARES System
  • Gilbert, S. (2018). Community Risk Ratings for the FireCARES System (NIST Technical Note 2028). National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce. Link: https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2028
• The Economics of Firefighter Injuries in the United States
  • Butry, D. T., Webb, D. H., Gilbert, S. W., & Taylor, J. (2019). The economics of firefighter injuries in the United States. (NIST Technical Note 2078). National Institute of Standards and Technology. Link: https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2078
• A Life-Cycle Cost Comparison of Exit Stairs and Occupant Evacuation Elevators in Tall Buildings
  • Butry, D.T., Chapman, R.E., Huang, A.L. et al. A Life-Cycle Cost Comparison of Exit Stairs and Occupant Evacuation Elevators in Tall Buildings. Fire Technol 48, 155–172 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-010-0203-8