The risks firefighters face are constantly evolving on both the fireground and in the training scenarios designed to help prepare them for daily emergency responses. The training ground is undergoing a rapid evolution as we look to improve the training firefighters receive to better prepare for today’s fireground.
In an ongoing series of projects between Illinois Fire Service Institute Research, UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute and NIOSH, researchers have developed a deeper understanding of the chemical and thermal exposure risks associated with fire training activities.
Conducted by Gavin Horn, Research Engineer at UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute and Senior Research Scientist at Illinois Fire Service Institute, the webcast:
- Reviewed the critical results from those efforts with a focus on the impact of fuel type used during training evolutions.
- Discussed differences in risks for firefighter students and fire instructors in the context of high-fidelity training that can appropriately prepare firefighters for today’s fireground.
- Offered several recommended actions that can be applied to training to help reduce exposure.
This research received funding support from the Department of Homeland Security’s Fire Prevention & Safety (FP&S) Grant program, along with additional support from the CDC Foundation and the National Toxicology Program and support from Globe.
