Which category accounts for the smallest share among On Duty Firefighter Deaths?

• A. EMS
• B. Firegrounds
• C. Responding/Returning
• D. Normal Station Duty

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is understanding where on-duty firefighter fatalities occur most often. Among on-duty deaths, the EMS category accounts for the smallest share. That means, in practice, more fatalities happen during fireground operations and while responding to or returning from calls than during EMS patient-care tasks or routine work at the station.

EMS work has strict safety protocols, PPE, and generally occurs in more controlled environments, which helps reduce fatalities compared with the high hazards of active firefighting and the risks of driving to and from incidents. Normal station duty still has some fatalities, but it typically isn’t as large as the fireground or responding/returning categories.