Developing Guidelines for Lightning Safety for Firefighters

摘要

SEVERAL FIREFIGHTERS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY lightning strikes in the United States in the past several years. This article guides you toward creating operating guidelines for reducing the likelihood of having firefighters being struck by lightning. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that as of September 1, 2009, 31 people were killed by lightning in the United States and 28 people died as a result of lightning strikes in 2008. In addition, hundreds of lightning-related injuries occur every year. There were 424 lightning deaths in the United States between 1999 and 2008. It is widely believed that lightning strikes are typically fatal; however, only about 10 percent of the people struck by lightning are killed; the other 90 percent suffer varying degrees of injuries and disabilities.