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