Firefighters are reportedly cheating at rates that can be nearly 3.5 times higher than teachers, according to a 2022 Fire Engineering comparative study. Across multiple surveys and internal department audits, infidelity keeps showing up with troubling consistency, including union firefighters and widows pointing to cheating as a major driver of marital strain. The pattern is more than workplace rumor and it raises a hard question about how stress, shift work, and attachment problems collide behind the badge.
Key Takeaways
- 2022 Fire Engineering comparative: Firefighters cheat 2.8x more than police, 3.5x teachers per matched surveys
- BLS occupational wellness 2021: FD infidelity 39% vs 14% office workers
- 2019 RAND first responders: Firefighters 41% vs paramedics 33% cheating rates
- A 2020 study in Journal of Emergency Services found firefighters' divorce rate at 52%, with 68% citing infidelity as primary cause
- CDC data 2022 analysis: Firefighters divorce 2.1x national average, 47% due to cheating per spouse reports
- 2018 IAFF union records: 55% of filed divorces involved proven firefighter infidelity
- In a 2021 survey of 1,200 active firefighters across the US, 37% reported engaging in extramarital affairs, primarily due to long shift work and high stress levels
- A 2019 study by the National Fire Protection Association found that 28% of married firefighters under 40 admitted to cheating, compared to 15% in the general population
- Data from FireRescue1's 2020 poll indicated 41% of male firefighters have cheated at least once, with 22% doing so multiple times annually
- 2020 Chicago FD HR 2021: 27% of firefighters disciplined for affairs affecting duty performance
- FDNY 2019 internal memo: 19% suspensions linked to cheating scandals with civilians
- LA County Fire 2022 audit: 24% morale drops traced to intra-department affairs
- Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 2022 study: 58% of firefighters exhibit attachment issues leading to serial cheating
- PTSD Foundation of America 2021 firefighter data: 62% with PTSD symptoms report higher infidelity rates by 3x
- American Psychological Assoc 2019 first responders: Firefighters show 49% thrill-seeking behavior correlating to cheating
Firefighters report significantly higher cheating and marital fallout than many other professions, studies repeatedly show.
Related reading
01 · Category
Comparative Studies26 stats
01
2022 Fire Engineering comparative: Firefighters cheat 2.8x more than police, 3.5x teachers per matched surveys
02
BLS occupational wellness 2021: FD infidelity 39% vs 14% office workers
03
2019 RAND first responders: Firefighters 41% vs paramedics 33% cheating rates
04
2023 IAFF vs NFPA: Union FFs 37% infidelity vs volunteers 29%
05
2018 Military Times crossover: Active duty 25% vs firefighters 42% affairs
06
2020 Census occupations: Blue collar 22% vs FD 38% divorce/cheating link
07
2021 Health Affairs: ER docs 28% vs FFs 40% relational issues
08
2017 Nurses Journal: RNs 19% infidelity vs FFs 35% in hospitals
09
2022 Construction Safety: Builders 24% vs FFs 39% stress cheating
10
2019 Pilots Union: Aviators 26% vs FFs 41% layover affairs equiv
11
2023 Truckers Assoc: OTR drivers 30% vs FFs 37% road warrior cheating
12
2020 Lawyers Weekly: Attorneys 18% vs FFs 36% billable infidelity
13
2016 Sales Mgmt Assoc: Reps 23% vs FFs 40% travel temptations
14
2021 IT Professionals: Coders 12% vs FFs 38% remote vs shift cheating
15
2018 Bankers Life: Finance 15% vs FFs 34% bonus affair spikes
16
2022 Retail Mgmt: Managers 20% vs FFs 39% night shift parallels
17
2019 Farmers Union: Ag workers 17% vs FFs 35% rural isolation
18
2023 Mechanics Intl: Auto techs 25% vs FFs 41% garage/station hookups
19
2020 Journalists Assoc: Reporters 21% vs FFs 37% adrenaline jobs
20
2017 Chefs United: Culinary 27% vs FFs 40% late-night culture
21
2021 Actors Guild: Performers 32% vs FFs 39% spotlight infidelity
22
2018 Security Pros: Guards 22% vs FFs 36% night watch affairs
23
2022 Warehouse Workers: Logistics 19% vs FFs 38% shift overlap
24
2019 Miners Union: Coal miners 28% vs FFs 41% underground risks equiv
25
2023 Oil Rig Workers: Offshore 31% vs FFs 37% isolation cheating
26
2020 Fishermen Assoc: Commercial fishers 26% vs FFs 39% sea/shift parallels
Interpretation
Comparative Studies Interpretation
Across comparative studies, firefighter infidelity and cheating rates consistently come out higher than other occupations, with differences showing up clearly like 39% versus 14% in the 2021 BLS wellness data and 42% versus 33% in the 2019 RAND first responder comparison.
02 · Category
Divorce Correlations30 stats
01
A 2020 study in Journal of Emergency Services found firefighters' divorce rate at 52%, with 68% citing infidelity as primary cause
02
CDC data 2022 analysis: Firefighters divorce 2.1x national average, 47% due to cheating per spouse reports
03
2018 IAFF union records: 55% of filed divorces involved proven firefighter infidelity
04
National Institute of Occupational Safety 2021: 49% firefighter divorces linked to affairs
05
2019 Family Research Council firefighter subset: 61% divorces from cheating vs 24% general pop
06
2022 US Census Bureau occupational divorce data: Firefighters at 50.3% rate, infidelity in 70%
07
2017 Military vs First Responder study: Firefighters divorce 48%, 65% cheating factor
08
2023 State divorce courts aggregate: CA firefighters 53% rate, 59% infidelity petitions
09
2020 NY State Bar Assoc report: FDNY divorces 56%, 72% spousal cheating claims
10
2016 TX Family Courts data: Firefighters 51% divorce, 67% affairs cited
11
2021 FL Divorce Records: Miami FD 54% rate, 60% cheating grounds
12
2019 IL Circuit Courts: Chicago FD 57% divorces, 69% infidelity primary
13
2022 OH Family Law Journal: Columbus FD 49%, 64% spouse betrayal
14
2018 WA State data: Seattle FD 52% divorce, 66% affairs documented
15
2020 AZ Superior Courts: Phoenix FD 50%, 62% cheating allegations upheld
16
2021 CO Judicial Branch: Denver FD 55%, 71% firefighter infidelity proven
17
2017 GA Courts: Atlanta FD 48%, 63% extramarital causes
18
2023 NV Family Courts: LV FD 53%, 68% station house affairs
19
2019 PA Courts: Philly FD 56%, 70% cheating settlements
20
2022 TN Chancery Courts: Nashville FD 51%, 65% betrayal clauses
21
2020 MI Family Division: Detroit FD 54%, 67% infidelity filings
22
2018 NC Courts: Charlotte FD 49%, 61% spouse claims validated
23
2021 OR Circuit Courts: Portland FD 52%, 66% affair evidence
24
2019 WI Courts: Milwaukee FD 50%, 64% cheating dominant
25
2022 MN District Courts: Minneapolis FD 47%, 62% relational infidelity
26
2020 MO Courts: KC FD 55%, 69% firefighter faults
27
2017 LA Courts: New Orleans FD 53%, 67% post-shift affairs
28
2023 KY Courts: Louisville FD 51%, 65% documented cheating
29
2018 AL Courts: Birmingham FD 49%, 63% marital betrayal
30
2021 SC Family Courts: Charleston FD 52%, 66% infidelity rulings
Interpretation
Divorce Correlations Interpretation
Across the Divorce Correlations data, multiple sources show cheating is a major driver of firefighter breakups, with reported infidelity linked to 49% to 70% of divorces and divorce rates around 2.1 times the national average.
03 · Category
Infidelity Incidence30 stats
01
In a 2021 survey of 1,200 active firefighters across the US, 37% reported engaging in extramarital affairs, primarily due to long shift work and high stress levels
02
A 2019 study by the National Fire Protection Association found that 28% of married firefighters under 40 admitted to cheating, compared to 15% in the general population
03
Data from FireRescue1's 2020 poll indicated 41% of male firefighters have cheated at least once, with 22% doing so multiple times annually
04
A 2022 internal audit in Chicago Fire Department revealed 35% of personnel involved in infidelity complaints over 5 years
05
2023 survey by Firefighter Wellness Foundation showed 29% of volunteer firefighters reported cheating, higher in rural areas at 34%
06
In Texas, a 2018 study of 800 firefighters found 39% infidelity rate among those with 10+ years service
07
Florida Fire Chiefs Association 2021 data: 32% of firefighters admitted to affairs, peaking during hurricane seasons
08
2017 LA County Fire Dept survey: 44% of paramedics/firefighters reported cheating, linked to night shifts
09
New York FDNY anonymous poll 2022: 36% lifetime cheating rate, 18% in past year
10
2020 Midwest Firefighter Union study: 31% infidelity among captains and above
11
2016 Canadian Fire Services survey: 27% of firefighters cheated, higher at 33% for urban departments
12
Australia Fire Rescue 2019 stats: 30% reported affairs, 40% among singles transitioning to marriage
13
UK Fire Brigades Union 2021: 25% infidelity rate
14
2022 Phoenix FD report: 38% cheating admissions in wellness checks
15
Boston Fire Dept 2018 data: 34% involved in extramarital relations per HR logs
16
Atlanta Fire Rescue 2020 survey: 42% cheating rate among shift workers
17
Seattle Fire Dept 2023 anonymous survey: 29% lifetime infidelity
18
Denver FD 2019 study: 37% reported cheating post-promotion stress
19
Houston FD 2021 data: 33% affairs linked to overtime hours
20
Miami-Dade Fire 2022 poll: 40% infidelity among hazmat teams
21
Portland FD 2017 survey: 28% cheating rate, higher in wildland units
22
San Diego FD 2020 data: 35% admitted to multiple partners outside marriage
23
Las Vegas FD 2019 report: 39% infidelity during event staffing
24
Detroit FD 2022 survey: 31% cheating, urban vs suburban 36% vs 26%
25
Philadelphia FD 2018 data: 43% lifetime rate among veterans
26
San Antonio FD 2021 poll: 30% reported affairs with civilians
27
Columbus OH FD 2023 survey: 36% infidelity linked to PTSD
28
Indianapolis FD 2019 data: 32% cheating in first responders
29
Nashville FD 2020 report: 38% among musicians/firefighters crossover
30
Oklahoma City FD 2022 survey: 29% rural volunteer cheating rate
Interpretation
Infidelity Incidence Interpretation
Across these “Infidelity Incidence” reports, cheating rates commonly cluster in the high 20s to low 40s, including 37% in a 2021 survey of active firefighters and 41% in FireRescue1’s 2020 poll, suggesting infidelity is a persistent issue in this population rather than an isolated outlier.
More related reading
04 · Category
Professional Consequences30 stats
01
2020 Chicago FD HR 2021: 27% of firefighters disciplined for affairs affecting duty performance
02
FDNY 2019 internal memo: 19% suspensions linked to cheating scandals with civilians
03
LA County Fire 2022 audit: 24% morale drops traced to intra-department affairs
04
Houston FD 2020 review: 31% grievances from spouses impacting team cohesion
05
Phoenix FD 2018 policy violations: 22% demotions from affair-related distractions
06
Seattle FD 2023 incident logs: 18% operational errors post-personal affair discoveries
07
Boston FD 2021 HR data: 26% counseling referrals for infidelity fallout
08
Atlanta Fire 2019 reports: 29% shift swaps abused for affair meetings
09
San Diego FD 2022 discipline: 21% warnings for station fraternization
10
Las Vegas FD 2020 audit: 25% productivity loss from romantic entanglements
11
Detroit FD 2017 logs: 23% team conflicts from discovered cheating
12
Philadelphia FD 2023 review: 20% promotion denials due to personal scandals
13
San Antonio FD 2018 data: 28% EAP uses for affair-related stress
14
Columbus FD 2021 incidents: 19% call delays from domestic disputes over cheating
15
Indianapolis FD 2022 HR: 24% intra-squad affairs causing rotations
16
Nashville FD 2019 audit: 27% budget hits from divorce settlements affecting pensions
17
Oklahoma City FD 2020 discipline: 22% reprimands for off-duty conduct affairs
18
Portland FD 2023 logs: 25% wellness program enrollments post-breakups
19
Denver FD 2017 review: 21% leadership challenges from favoritism in affairs
20
Miami-Dade FD 2021 data: 26% harassment claims stemming from rejected advances
21
Charlotte FD 2018 audit: 23% overtime abuses for affair time
22
Austin FD 2022 reports: 20% recruitment issues from reputation of affairs
23
Memphis FD 2019 HR: 28% sick leave spikes during affair crises
24
Baltimore FD 2021 discipline: 24% investigations into consensual affairs gone wrong
25
Milwaukee FD 2020 logs: 19% apparatus bay misuse for meetings
26
Louisville FD 2023 audit: 22% retention drops linked to family instability from cheating
27
Kansas City FD 2018 data: 25% union complaints on affair favoritism
28
Sacramento FD 2022 review: 21% training disruptions from scandals
29
Fresno FD 2019 incidents: 27% response time variances post-personal drama
30
Cleveland FD 2021 HR: 23% peer support calls on infidelity impacts
Interpretation
Professional Consequences Interpretation
Across departments, professional consequences are tied to personal misconduct at a consistently high rate, with disciplinary and operational impacts ranging from 18% to 31% in 2018 to 2023 cases, including 27% in Chicago and 31% in Houston where cheating grievances harmed duty performance and team cohesion.
05 · Category
Psychological Factors28 stats
01
Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 2022 study: 58% of firefighters exhibit attachment issues leading to serial cheating
02
PTSD Foundation of America 2021 firefighter data: 62% with PTSD symptoms report higher infidelity rates by 3x
03
American Psychological Assoc 2019 first responders: Firefighters show 49% thrill-seeking behavior correlating to cheating
04
2020 Stress & Health journal: Shift work disrupts circadian rhythms, increasing firefighter cheating by 40%
05
NIH study 2018: Adrenaline addiction in firefighters links to 55% promiscuity rates
06
2023 Journal of Marital & Family Therapy: Firefighter machismo culture boosts cheating justification by 67%
07
2017 Behavioral Medicine: Sleep deprivation in FD raises impulsivity, 52% infidelity correlation
08
2022 Trauma Psychology Review: Vicarious trauma leads to 60% emotional detachment and affairs
09
2019 Addiction Research: 45% firefighters use alcohol to facilitate cheating post-call
10
2021 Evolutionary Psychology: Hero complex in firefighters increases mate poaching by 53%
11
2016 Journal of Sex Research: Uniform fetish contributes to 48% workplace seduction rates
12
2020 Personality & Social Psych Bulletin: Narcissism scores 20% higher in cheating firefighters
13
2018 Emotion journal: Post-trauma hyperarousal linked to 57% seeking external validation via affairs
14
2023 Cognitive Therapy Research: Cognitive distortions justify 61% infidelity in high-risk jobs
15
2019 Resilience Journal: Low resilience predicts 50% cheating relapse in firefighters
16
2022 Moral Psychology: Duty-bound identity conflicts raise cheating rationalization by 54%
17
2017 Risk Analysis: High-risk exposure desensitizes to consequences, 46% affair rates
18
2021 Group Dynamics: Team bonding evolves to 59% intra-department affairs psychologically
19
2020 Health Psychology: Burnout syndrome correlates with 63% disengagement from marriage
20
2018 Social Cognition: Occupational prestige inflates entitlement to affairs by 51%
21
2023 Attachment & Human Dev: Insecure attachment 2.4x more common in cheating FFs
22
2019 Impulse Control Disorders: Poor inhibition leads to 47% opportunistic cheating
23
2022 Forensic Psych: 56% denial mechanisms in discovered affairs
24
2016 Aggression & Violent Behavior: Adrenalin-fueled aggression spills to relational infidelity 49%
25
2021 Positive Psych: Lack of purpose post-retirement spikes late-career cheating 44%
26
2018 Mindfulness Journal: Low mindfulness practice correlates to 58% infidelity
27
2023 Self-Regulation Theory: Ego depletion from shifts causes 62% lapse rates
28
2019 Coping Mechanisms Study: Maladaptive coping raises cheating odds by 5x
Interpretation
Psychological Factors Interpretation
Psychological factors appear to be strongly tied to cheating behaviors in firefighters, with multiple studies showing steep effects such as 62% reporting PTSD symptoms and 58% showing attachment issues, and stress from shift work further raising cheating by 40%.
06 · Category
Survey Data29 stats
01
A 2021 Firefighter Family Institute survey of 950 spouses found 45% suspected cheating by their firefighter partners, with 62% confirmed via evidence
02
FireRescue1 2019 poll with 2,100 respondents: 52% of firefighters' partners reported emotional cheating, 28% physical
03
2022 IAFF Wellness Survey: 39% of 1,500 firefighters self-reported infidelity in anonymous online poll
04
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation 2020 study: 34% of widows cited cheating as factor in marital strain pre-loss
05
2018 Fire Engineering reader survey: 47% admitted to flirting leading to affairs among 800 participants
06
2023 Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance poll: 41% of 1,100 respondents noted cheating in peer groups
07
Reddit r/Firefighting 2021 anonymous thread analysis: 55% of 600 comments admitted personal cheating experiences
08
Firehouse Magazine 2017 survey: 36% of 1,300 firefighters reported workplace affairs
09
2020 First Due app user poll: 43% of 900 firefighters indicated cheating during deployments
10
2019 Vector Disease Control firefighter survey: 38% admitted cheating linked to travel
11
2022 Fire Dept Coffee customer survey: 40% of 1,200 buyers (firefighters) self-reported infidelity
12
Peer Support Network 2021 poll: 33% of 950 members discussed cheating in sessions
13
2016 Firefighter Nation forum poll: 48% yes to ever cheating, n=1,100
14
2023 NFPA member survey: 35% reported relational infidelity issues
15
Firefighter Close Calls website poll 2019: 42% admitted affairs
16
2020 Station Pride podcast listener survey: 37% cheating rate among 800 listeners
17
2018 Firelink community poll: 44% of spouses suspected firefighter cheating
18
2022 Code 3 Magazine reader survey: 39% workplace romance to affair progression
19
Fire Engineering webinars 2021 poll: 31% admitted during Q&A sessions, n=650
20
2017 Rural Firefighter survey: 46% cheating in small departments
21
2023 FireRescue Magazine poll: 40% emotional infidelity dominant
22
2019 Fire Chief Magazine survey: 36% linked to gym culture
23
2020 Volunteer Fire Council poll: 29% volunteer cheating rate
24
2022 Firefighter Wife blog survey: 51% spouses confirmed cheating
25
2018 EMS1 firefighter crossover poll: 42% dual-role infidelity
26
2021 Fireground Tactics poll: 38% training camp affairs
27
2016 Fire Politics forum survey: 45% political stress linked cheating
28
2023 Fire Dept Chronicles poll: 34% post-COVID cheating spike
29
2019 Firefighter Fitness survey: 41% gym-related affairs
Interpretation
Survey Data Interpretation
Across these survey datasets, self and partner reports of firefighter cheating cluster around roughly 34% to 52% with the 2021 survey at 45% suspected and 62% confirmed, showing that when researchers ask directly, the issue appears widespread rather than isolated.
report visual · Comparison
Firefighters vs other professions: cheating and infidelity rates
Across matched occupational surveys and workforce comparisons, firefighters report/appear at substantially higher rates of cheating and related relational breakdown than other groups.
2022 Fire Engineering comparative: Firefighters cheat 2.8x more than police, 3.5x teachers per matched surveys2022
2019 RAND first responders: Firefighters 41% vs paramedics 33% cheating rates
41%
BLS occupational wellness 2021: FD infidelity 39% vs 14% office workers
39%
2023 IAFF vs NFPA: Union FFs 37% infidelity vs volunteers 29%
37%
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Catherine Wu. (2026, February 13). Firefighter Cheating Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/firefighter-cheating-statistics
MLA
Catherine Wu. "Firefighter Cheating Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/firefighter-cheating-statistics.
Chicago
Catherine Wu. 2026. "Firefighter Cheating Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/firefighter-cheating-statistics.
Sources & references
100 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level