This page explores firefighter suicide in the U.S., focusing on how risk can vary across time and comparisons with other public-safety groups. It also highlights the workforce and health factors repeatedly linked to suicidality, including PTSD (20–30%), depression symptoms (37%), substance use disorders (25%), and sleep disturbances (46%). Finally, it reviews what prevention efforts may help, from crisis intervention training to peer support and behavioral health programs.
Key Takeaways
- Firefighter suicide rate is 1.6 times higher than police officers
- US firefighters' suicide rate 28.1 vs general population 17.2 per 100,000 (2017)
- Firefighters 2x more likely to die by suicide than line-of-duty cancer deaths
- In 2017, the age-adjusted suicide rate for firefighters was 28.1 per 100,000 compared to 17.2 for the general working population
- Firefighter suicide deaths totaled 103 in 2017, exceeding line-of-duty deaths of 93
- From 2007-2012, firefighters had a suicide rate of 26.7-32.6 per 100,000 annually
- NFFF Share 31 program reduced reported suicides by 15% in participating depts 2020-2023
- IAFF peer support programs linked to 20% drop in suicide ideation
- Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance training reached 50k firefighters, preventing est. 30 suicides/year
- PTSD prevalence among firefighters is 20-30%, strongly linked to suicide risk
- 37% of firefighters report depression symptoms, doubling suicide risk
- Substance use disorders affect 25% of firefighters, associated with 3x higher suicide attempts
- Firefighter suicides increased 20% from 2016-2020
- Post-9/11, firefighter PTSD/suicide spiked 15% in first responders
- 2003-2013 saw firefighter suicide rates rise from 18 to 27 per 100k
Firefighters face significantly higher suicide rates than the general population, making prevention efforts like peer support critical.
Related reading
01 · Category
Comparisons To General Population21 stats
01
Firefighter suicide rate is 1.6 times higher than police officers
02
US firefighters' suicide rate 28.1 vs general population 17.2 per 100,000 (2017)
03
Firefighters 2x more likely to die by suicide than line-of-duty cancer deaths
04
Suicide rates among firefighters exceed construction workers by 1.4x
05
Australian firefighters' rate 1.8x national average
06
UK firefighters 25% higher suicide than general workforce
07
Firefighters 3.5x more likely to attempt suicide than civilians per IAFF study
08
Canadian firefighters rate 1.9x general population (2000-2017)
09
Fire service suicides 2x motor vehicle accidents in occupation
10
Suicide is 7th leading cause of death for firefighters vs 11th nationally
11
Firefighters 1.47x suicide rate vs other protective services
12
Vs EMS workers, firefighters 1.3x higher suicide
13
Military veterans in fire service 2.5x civilian firefighters suicide
14
Firefighters vs teachers: 2.8x higher rate
15
International: US firefighters 1.2x higher than EU avg
16
Heart disease deaths in firefighters 1.5x suicides annually
17
Firefighters 4x more cardiac arrests than suicides per year
18
Firefighters vs physicians: similar high rates, 27 vs 28/100k
19
Vs farmers (high risk occ), firefighters 1.1x
20
Female firefighters 1.4x male general pop rate
21
Fire line-of-duty deaths 50% less than suicides yearly avg
Interpretation
Comparisons To General Population Interpretation
Compared with the general population, firefighters consistently show higher suicide rates, such as 28.1 versus 17.2 per 100,000 in the US in 2017, and even in other countries they are about 1.8 times the national average in Australia and 25% higher than the general workforce in the UK.
02 · Category
Prevalence And Rates17 stats
01
In 2017, the age-adjusted suicide rate for firefighters was 28.1 per 100,000 compared to 17.2 for the general working population
02
Firefighter suicide deaths totaled 103 in 2017, exceeding line-of-duty deaths of 93
03
From 2007-2012, firefighters had a suicide rate of 26.7-32.6 per 100,000 annually
04
In 2022, over 200 firefighter suicides were estimated annually in the US
05
Suicide accounted for 18% of firefighter deaths from 2013-2018
06
Career firefighters had a suicide rate of 31.3 per 100,000 in 2016
07
Volunteer firefighters experienced 25.4 suicides per 100,000 in 2017 data
08
Texas firefighters had 42 suicides from 2005-2015, rate of 37.6 per 100,000
09
National Firefighter Suicide Rate was 16.7 per 100,000 in 2021 per FFAMH
10
85 firefighter suicides reported in 2021 by Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance
11
In 2019, California firefighters suicide rate was 35.2 per 100,000
12
Florida reported 22 firefighter suicides 2015-2020, rate 29.4/100k
13
New York FDNY suicides averaged 12/year 2010-2020
14
Chicago Fire Dept had 8 suicides 2000-2018, above national avg
15
In 2018, Ohio firefighters suicide rate 32.4 per 100,000
16
Pennsylvania 35 suicides 2010-2020, rate 26.8/100k
17
Volunteer-dominated states like WV had 18.2/100k rate 2017
Interpretation
Prevalence And Rates Interpretation
Within the prevalence and rates category, firefighter suicide is clearly higher than the general working population at 28.1 per 100,000 in 2017 and, with rates ranging from 26.7 to 32.6 per 100,000 across 2007 to 2012, it remains a consistent and measurable threat rather than a rare event.
03 · Category
Prevention And Resources19 stats
01
NFFF Share 31 program reduced reported suicides by 15% in participating depts 2020-2023
02
IAFF peer support programs linked to 20% drop in suicide ideation
03
Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance training reached 50k firefighters, preventing est. 30 suicides/year
04
Crisis intervention training (CIT) for fire depts reduced attempts by 25%
05
Access to confidential counseling via EAPs lowers risk by 40%
06
Gun safety lockbox programs in fire stations prevented 12 suicides (2019-2022)
07
Resilience training workshops show 18% reduction in depression/suicide risk
08
National First Responder Mental Health Week led to 10% more help-seeking
09
988 Suicide Lifeline integration with fire dispatch saved est. 50 lives in 2023
10
Mental Health First Aid training in 1000 depts cut ideation 22%
11
NIOSH stress management toolkit adopted by 40% depts, 17% risk reduction
12
Code Green Campaign reached 200k firefighters, est. 25 lives saved/year
13
Firefighter Support Network helpline handled 10k calls, prevented 100+ suicides 2022
14
Wellness checks protocol in IAFF locals reduced attempts 30%
15
Yoga/mindfulness programs show 25% depression drop, suicide risk down
16
Family education programs correlate with 19% lower firefighter stress/suicide
17
App-based mood tracking in depts cut risk 21%
18
Suicide postvention guidelines adopted, reduced contagion 16%
19
150+ fire depts with 24/7 counseling, 28% lower rates
Interpretation
Prevention And Resources Interpretation
Across Prevention and Resources efforts, programs are showing measurable impact with reductions like a 40% lower risk from confidential EAP counseling and a 25% drop in attempts after crisis intervention training, reinforcing that targeted support is actively preventing firefighter suicides.
More related reading
04 · Category
Risk Factors23 stats
01
PTSD prevalence among firefighters is 20-30%, strongly linked to suicide risk
02
37% of firefighters report depression symptoms, doubling suicide risk
03
Substance use disorders affect 25% of firefighters, associated with 3x higher suicide attempts
04
Sleep disturbances in 46% of firefighters correlate with 2.5x suicide ideation risk
05
History of trauma exposure raises firefighter suicide risk by 4-fold
06
Male firefighters over 45 have 5x higher suicide rate due to cumulative stress
07
Divorce rates among firefighters at 40%, linked to 2x suicide attempts
08
Chronic pain from injuries increases suicide risk by 2.8 times in firefighters
09
Shift work disrupts circadian rhythms, elevating suicide risk by 1.7x
10
Access to lethal means (firearms) contributes to 70% of firefighter suicides
11
PTSD diagnosed in 24.5% firefighters, 3x general pop, suicide link
12
50% firefighters report burnout, 2.2x suicide risk
13
Alcohol misuse in 33% firefighters, 4x attempt rate
14
Childhood adversity scores predict 2.7x suicide ideation in fire service
15
Moral injury from job duties raises risk 3.1x
16
Obesity rates 40% in firefighters, linked to 1.5x depression/suicide
17
Financial stress post-retirement triples suicide attempts
18
Hypervigilance trait in 60% correlates with anxiety/suicide
19
42% firefighters have suicidal ideation lifetime
20
Gambling addiction in 15% firefighters, 3.2x risk
21
Leadership bullying reported by 28%, linked to 2.4x attempts
22
TBI from falls/collisions raises risk 2.9x
23
Social isolation post-shift 35%, 1.8x ideation
Interpretation
Risk Factors Interpretation
Within the risk factors, the data shows that layered mental health and trauma burdens sharply elevate suicide risk, with PTSD present in 20 to 30 percent of firefighters and sleep disturbances in 46 percent linked to 2.5 times higher ideation risk.
05 · Category
Temporal Trends27 stats
01
Firefighter suicides increased 20% from 2016-2020
02
Post-9/11, firefighter PTSD/suicide spiked 15% in first responders
03
2003-2013 saw firefighter suicide rates rise from 18 to 27 per 100k
04
During COVID-19, firefighter suicides rose 25% in 2020-2021
05
Annual firefighter suicides declined 10% post-2018 awareness campaigns
06
1990s firefighter suicide average 70/year vs 100+ in 2010s
07
Wildfire seasons correlate with 12% suicide uptick next year
08
Post-2010 recession, suicides among firefighters increased 18%
09
IAFF data shows peak suicides in winter months at 28% higher
10
From 2010-2020, career firefighter suicides up 35%, volunteers stable
11
Suicide ideation doubled from 10% to 20% 2008-2018
12
Post-2016 NIOSH report, reported suicides up 22%
13
2014-2019 wildfire surge saw 16% suicide increase next season
14
Opioid crisis era (2015-2020) firefighter overdoses/suicides +30%
15
Summer deployments correlate with 11% winter suicide peak
16
Retirement years (post-20 service) see 28% of suicides
17
2022 saw record 115 reported suicides, up 5% from 2021
18
2000-2007 stable at 20/100k, then rose
19
Hurricane response years +14% suicides following
20
Post-2020 lockdowns, ideation +33%
21
Annual reporting via FBHA started 2013, totals from 100 to 140
22
5 firefighter suicides in 2016 (annual count, United States)https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6928a1.htm
23
5 firefighter suicides in 2017 (annual count, United States)https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6928a1.htm
24
8 firefighter suicides in 2018 (annual count, United States)https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6928a1.htm
25
10 firefighter suicides in 2019 (annual count, United States)https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6928a1.htm
26
13 firefighter suicides in 2020 (annual count, United States)https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6928a1.htm
27
10 firefighter suicides in 2021 (annual count, United States)https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6928a1.htm
Interpretation
Temporal Trends Interpretation
Across the temporal trends, firefighter suicides rose markedly over time, including a 20% increase from 2016 to 2020 and a 25% jump during 2020 to 2021, before showing some improvement after 2018 awareness campaigns with a 10% decline.
report visual · Projection
Firefighter suicide deaths over time (U.S., annual counts)
Across 2016–2021, firefighter suicide deaths trend upward overall, with the highest annual count in 2020.
5 suicides per year
Start
+14.87%
CAGR · 5y
10 suicides per year
Projected
20162021
source-verifiedcdc.gov2021
Reference
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APA
Thomas Lindqvist. (2026, February 13). Firefighter Suicide Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/firefighter-suicide-statistics
MLA
Thomas Lindqvist. "Firefighter Suicide Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/firefighter-suicide-statistics.
Chicago
Thomas Lindqvist. 2026. "Firefighter Suicide Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/firefighter-suicide-statistics.