- Author
- Karter, M. J., Jr. | Stein, G. P.
- Title
- U. S. Fire Department Profile Through 2007.
- Coporate
- National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA
- Report
- NFPA USS07, November 2008, 33 p.
- Keywords
- fire departments | fire statistics | fire fighters | surveys
- Abstract
- NFPA estimates that there were approximately 1,148,800 firefighters in the U.S. in 2007. Of the total number of firefighters 323,350 or 28% were career firefighters and 825,450 (72%) were volunteer firefighters. Most of the career firefighters (74%) are in communities that protect 25,000 or more people. Most of the volunteer firefighters (95%) are in departments that protect fewer than 2,500 people. There are an estimated 30,185 fire departments in the U.S. Of these, 2,263 departments are all career, 1,765 mostly career, 4,989 are mostly volunteer and 21,168 are all volunteer. In the U.S., 13,221 or 44% of departments provide EMS service, 4,472 departments or 15% provide EMS service and advance life support, while 12,492 departments or 41% provide no EMS support. (This report includes statistics through 2007 on the numbers and characteristics of U.S. of fire departments and firefighters. It also includes information on the number of fire stations, pumpers and ladders nationwide, rates of usage of such equipment by community size, and total national direct expenditures on local fire protection.)