The United States currently depends on approximately 1.1 million fire fighters to protect its citizens and property from losses caused by fire. Of these fire fighters, approximately 313,000 are career and 823,000 are volunteers. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Fire Administration estimate that on average, 100 fire fighters die in the line-of duty each year. In fiscal year 1998, Congress recognized the need for further efforts to address the continuing national problem of occupational fire fighter fatalities and funded NIOSH to implement a fire fighter safety initiative. The NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP) conducts investigations of fire fighter line-of-duty deaths to formulate recommendations for preventing future deaths and injuries. The program does not seek to determine fault or place blame on fire departments or individual fire fighters, but to learn from these tragic events and prevent future similar events. Investigations are prioritized using a decision flow chart available on the FFFIPP website. Investigation priorities will change depending on fatality data. Program Objectives: 1. Better define the characteristics of line-of-duty deaths among fire fighters; 2. Develop recommendations for the prevention of deaths and injuries; and, 3. Disseminate prevention strategies to the fire service.