Posting created July 2022
Last updated June 2023

This is a blog version of an earlier Facebook posting.

Random data play. Facts and figures about the 333 names on the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial, from research by Legeros.

Contents

– Career vs. Volunteer vs. Part-Time
– Causes
– Counties with Highest Counts
– Departments with Highest Counts
– Counts of Additions by Year
– Bits and Pieces
– More Charts

Career vs. Volunteer vs. Part-Time

191 – Volunteer
131 – Career
005 – Part-Time

[1] Missing status for 7 of 333 entries, in my research
[2] Volunteer may equal paid part-time in some cases

Causes

17 – Asphyxia
10 – Burns
11 – Cancer
127 – Cardiac
02 – Cardiac/MVA
12 – Collapse, structural
03 – COVID
05 – Drowning
08 – Electrocution
04 – Explosion, building
04 – Explosion, other
04 – Fall, other
05 – Fall, vehicle
03 – Gunshot
15 – Medical[2]
13 – MVA – Air
67 – MVA – Road
06 – Stroke
07 – Struck, other
08 – Struck, vehicle

[1] This is a VERY squishy list, notably for non-traumatic causes. Labels created by Legeros and assigned based on his ongoing interpretation of his research. Mileage may vary for others digging into the data.

[2] Medical is a catch-call category and likely includes some LODDs that were cardiac or stroke.

Counties with Highest Counts

18 – Mecklenburg
17 – Forsyth
16 – New Hanover
15 – Wake
13 – Buncombe
11 – Rowan
11 – Cumberland
10 – Craven
10 – Guilford
9 – Johnston
8 – Beaufort
7 – Onslow
7 – Burke

Departments with Highest Counts

13 – NC Forest Service
12 – Charlotte
12 – Wilmington
9 – Winston-Salem
8 – Asheville
5 – NC Air National Guard
5 – Raleigh
5 – Durham
4 – Shelby
4 – Salisbury
4 – Greensboro
4 – Rocky Mount
4 – National Spinning Co

Counts of Additions By Year

165 – 2006, dedication
25 – 2007
17 – 2008
12 – 2009
07 – 2010
02 – 2011
06 – 2012
13 – 2013
11 – 2014
08 – 2015
08 – 2016
11 – 2017
03 – 2018
07 – 2019
11 – 2020
13 – 2021
14 – 2022

Bits and Pieces

• Distribution of gender: 9 women, 324 men.
• Average age, where known for 326 of 333 records: 43.6 years
• Count of line firefighters, where rank is known (239 of 333): 84+
• Count of Chief of Departments, where rank is known (239 of 333): 32
• Other ranks and titles range from PSO (1) to Pilot (6) to Captain (26) to Deputy/Asst. Chief (27)
• Highest deaths on specific days of the month: 14th (21 LODD), 1st (20 LODD), 7th (18 LODD)
• Lowest deaths on specific day of the month: 23rd (4 LODD)

More Charts

Still More Charts

Chart comparing names on the North Carolina Fallen Firefighter Memorial in 2006 (dedication ceremony) (count of 179) with those through the 2021 ceremony (count of 319).