The purpose of this project is to enhance the occupational health and safety of firefighters by understanding the nature and scope of SARS-CoV-2 infection in this occupational group. <more>

Our aim is to improve the health and safety of fire investigators by determining the effectiveness of PPE, post-fire skin-cleansing wipes, and on-scene decontamination methods for mitigating exposures to toxic fireground contaminants while conducting investigations. <more>

To address the knowledge gap about cancer risk and risk factors among volunteer firefighters, this project assesses how volunteer firefighters’ exposures resemble and differ from career firefighters. <more>

The COVID19 pandemic is an unprecedented public health and economic crisis that has had a profound impact on the national fire service, individual fire departments, and individual firefighters. The speed and virulence of the COVID19, as well as the constantly changing data, statistical models and scientific evidence is requiring the fire service to regularly update their standard operations, reassess and allocate resources and provide training for firefighters. Further, as the rest of the nation shelters in place, firefighters and EMS personnel have been deemed essential and required to continue their work on the frontlines in some of the highest-risk environments putting both themselves and their families at an uncertain level of risk. <more>

To evaluate causes of stress, cancer, and adverse reproductive health effects in women firefighters, and plan effective interventions to mitigate these conditions. Specific aims: 1) Compare stress and biomarkers of cancer risk and reproductive health in incumbent and new recruit women firefighters; 2) Evaluate changes in these conditions over time in an inception cohort of women new recruits; and 3) Develop, beta test, and assess the feasibility of a peer support intervention for women firefighters. <more>

The purpose of this project is to reduce firefighter fatalities and injuries through an improved understanding of holistic live-fire training risks and benefits. Chemical contaminants during training may result in larger carcinogenic exposures than typical fire ground activities, yet there exists a limited understanding of how fuel source impacts this risk or how this risk can be balanced against the potential benefits of improved training experiences that can reduce injuries on the fireground. <more>