Trends in Firefighter Fatalities Due to Structural Collapse, 1979-2002

Published

November 1, 2003

Author(s)

L D. Brassell, D D. Evans

Abstract

Between the years 1979 and 2002 there were over 180 firefighter fatalities due to structural collapse, not including those firefighters lost in 2001 in the collapse of the World Trade Center Twin Towers. Structural collapse is an insidious problem within the fire fighting community. It often occurs without warning and can easily cause multiple fatalities. As part of a larger research program to help reduce firefighter injuries and fatalities the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) funded the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to examine records and determine if there were any trends or patterns that could be detected in firefighter fatalities due to structural collapse. If so, this information may be valuable immediately in training or incident command to increase safety of firefighters.

Citation

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) - 7069

Report Number

7069

NIST Pub Series

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

building technology, firefighter fatalities, structural collapse

Citation

Brassell, L. and Evans, D. (2003), Trends in Firefighter Fatalities Due to Structural Collapse, 1979-2002, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=861268 (Accessed October 11, 2025)