An Inconvenient Truth About Fires with Daniel Byrne

Since 1977, firefighter line-of-duty-deaths have been dropping. You know that already, right? And structure fires as a whole are decreasing as well, which you also know. Here’s something you may not realize: more civilians are dying in fires. It’s true. Since the 1980s, the rate of fire deaths is up six percent. This statistic is readily available—the source will be in the shownotes—but it’s not been publicized much. How did we get into this situation? And what will it take to fix it? Today’s guest has some ideas. Daniel Byrne’s been a guest before on Code 3. He’s a Community Support Officer for the Burton Fire District in Beaufort County, South Carolina. He’s a third-generation firefighter, and a retired Assistant Chief of Training from the Georgia Air National Guard 165th Fire Department.