I explained in another thread that approximately four to five times more people die in fires (per capita) in the US than in other developed countries. That's because of the way fire departments are run and how they typically oppose new safety regulations that could save more lives (such as smaller, more maneuverable fire trucks that can make their way more easily through traffic like in every other developed country).
I was watching the series Lie to Me (season 1, episode 9) and the main character, Dr Lightman, mentioned that American firefighters have a death rate eight times higher compared to other countries with the same training, effectiveness and equipment. His assistant added "We have a hero complex in this country. Our firefighters rush in too quickly to try to live up to the expectations that they are heroes and more of our men get killed".
I asked ChatGPT to provide the data for various developed countries to see if this was true. The US does indeed have a higher death rate of firefighters than any other country, although it is not 8 times more. Compared to Germanic/Nordic countries and Japan, the US death rate is three to five times higher. Other English-speaking countries have about half the firefighter death rate of the US. France has the closest death rate to the US.
Here is the full estimated ranking of firefighter deaths per 100,000 firefighters:
1. United States: 0.7 to 1.2 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
2. France: 0.6 to 1.0 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
3. Italy* 0.4 to 0.8 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
4. Australia* 0.5 to 0.9 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
5. Spain: 0.3 to 0.7 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
6. Canada: 0.3 to 0.6 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
7. Ireland: 0.3 to 0.6 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
8. Belgium: 0.2 to 0.5 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
9. United Kingdom: 0.2 to 0.5 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
10. Netherlands: 0.2 to 0.4 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
11. Norway: 0.2 to 0.4 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
12. Sweden* 0.2 to 0.4 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
13. Germany: 0.1 to 0.3 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
14. Austria: 0.1 to 0.3 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
15. Switzerland: 0.1 to 0.3 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
16. Denmark: 0.1 to 0.3 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
17. Finland: 0.1 to 0.3 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
18. Japan: 0.1 to 0.3 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
If it is only because of some kind of "hero complex" that is really stupid.
I was watching the series Lie to Me (season 1, episode 9) and the main character, Dr Lightman, mentioned that American firefighters have a death rate eight times higher compared to other countries with the same training, effectiveness and equipment. His assistant added "We have a hero complex in this country. Our firefighters rush in too quickly to try to live up to the expectations that they are heroes and more of our men get killed".
I asked ChatGPT to provide the data for various developed countries to see if this was true. The US does indeed have a higher death rate of firefighters than any other country, although it is not 8 times more. Compared to Germanic/Nordic countries and Japan, the US death rate is three to five times higher. Other English-speaking countries have about half the firefighter death rate of the US. France has the closest death rate to the US.
Here is the full estimated ranking of firefighter deaths per 100,000 firefighters:
1. United States: 0.7 to 1.2 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
2. France: 0.6 to 1.0 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
3. Italy* 0.4 to 0.8 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
4. Australia* 0.5 to 0.9 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
5. Spain: 0.3 to 0.7 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
6. Canada: 0.3 to 0.6 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
7. Ireland: 0.3 to 0.6 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
8. Belgium: 0.2 to 0.5 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
9. United Kingdom: 0.2 to 0.5 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
10. Netherlands: 0.2 to 0.4 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
11. Norway: 0.2 to 0.4 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
12. Sweden* 0.2 to 0.4 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
13. Germany: 0.1 to 0.3 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
14. Austria: 0.1 to 0.3 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
15. Switzerland: 0.1 to 0.3 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
16. Denmark: 0.1 to 0.3 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
17. Finland: 0.1 to 0.3 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
18. Japan: 0.1 to 0.3 deaths per 100,000 firefighters
If it is only because of some kind of "hero complex" that is really stupid.
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