Nearly half of on-duty firefighter deaths are heart-related
Cardiac events account for nearly half of all on-duty firefighter deaths in the U.S.—a proportion that has steadily increased over the past three decades, according to a Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University study.
A Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University study reveals that cardiac issues account for nearly half of on-duty firefighter deaths in the United States. The findings, published in the journal JACC: Advances, indicate that annual health screenings for firefighters may fail to detect heart conditions that could lead to sudden cardiac death.
Many on-duty firefighter deaths are linked to coronary artery disease, but an even greater number involve enlargement of heart muscle mass, which is difficult to detect through standard exercise stress tests required annually as part of firefighters' physical exams. Researchers suggest that national health guidelines for firefighters may need to be updated to incorporate screening for excess heart muscle mass.
The investigation analyzed U.S. Fire Administration records detailing 3,401 on-duty firefighter deaths from 1990 to 2025, finding that 43% of those deaths were cardiac. While overall on-duty firefighter deaths declined during this period, the proportion of deaths related to heart conditions increased by 2.2% each year.
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