ONFFS Fire Damage & Casualty Statistics
The National statistics in First Nations is presently 12.7% higher than the National average for fire casualties. These statistics prove that fire fighting/prevention programs must be designed into the Ontario Region and other Regions as well. In Ontario, fire department responses have grown sharply in the past few years. The following information illustrates the number of lives lost and the dollar value in First Nations in the Ontario Region:
- 1993: $1,023,475.00 - 11 Lives
- 1994: $2,828,298.00 - 1 Life
- 1995: $3,281,575.00 - 5 Lives
- 1996: $3,213,500.00 - 2 Lives
- 1997: $2,023,301.00 - 8 Lives
- 1998: $1,549,165.00 - 1 Life
- 1999: $1,436,595.50 - 5 Lives
- 2000: $7,497,482.00 - 4 Lives
- 2001: $3,615,135.00 - 4 Lives
- 2002: $15,375,622.47 - 9 Lives
- 2003: $5,726,655.00 - 5 Lives
- 2004: $5,668,563.00 - 2 Lives
- 2005: $5,747,087.00 - 0 Lives
- Total: $58,986,453.97 - 57 Lives
These statistics are for reported cases only. Although the statistics show in large dollar loss, there is no figure which can be placed on a life which has been lost due to fire. In many cases, these losses could have been minimized with greater community skill. Since the year 2000, the Ontario Region reported 762 house fires totaling over $16.2 million in losses.
Despite the limits placed on First Nations fire departments and their communities as a whole, motivating and acknowledging our fire fighters as they perform their jobs under adverse conditions in a stressful environment is often more valuable than any physical or monetary reward.