According to an article on www.firechief.com, the National Institute of Standards and Technology recently studied the annual cost of addressing and preventing firefighter injuries in the US, and they estimated that the cost is between $2.7 and $7.8 billion. The National Fire Protection Association puts that estimate even higher—at about $16.7 billion per year—by including a variety of indirect costs, such as
- labor spent investigating firefighter injuries
- the cost of training firefighters
- physical fitness and wellness programs
- the amount fire departments pay in medical insurance for firefighters
- court settlements to injured firefighters
With either estimate, these are staggering numbers—but I can’t help wondering, what percentage of the $16.7 billion is from the costs associated with court settlements to injured firefighters? And why would injured firefighters even need to go to court in order to receive a settlement? Why are they in the position of fighting for their benefits? Hmm, looks like the attorneys win again…
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