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Displaying 61 - 80 of 83

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify wildland firefighters’ (WLFFs) self-reported hydration and nutrition practices, they perceived may impact health and safety while on an active fire assignment in the United States.   Study Design…
Author(s): Samantha Worden, Callie N. Collins, Annie Roe, Katie Brown, Alistair M. S. Smith, Crystal A. Kolden, Andrew S. Nelson, Randy Brooks, Samantha Ramsay
Year Published:

Wildland fire smoke is a complex mixture of air contaminants that have the potential cause adverse health effects. Individuals can be exposed occupationally if they work as wildland firefighters or public exposure from ambient air that is…
Author(s): Joe Domitrovich, George Broyles, Roger D. Ottmar, Timothy E. Reinhardt, Luke P. Naeher, Michael T. Kleinman, Kathleen M. Navarro, Christopher E. Mackay, Olorunfemi Adetona
Year Published:

Ontario wildland firefighting is a hazardous and safety-critical operation with relatively high injury rates. This is indicated by the 10-year average of 4.46 lost-time injuries per 100 workers in Ontario wildland firefighting compared to 0.95-1.88…
Author(s): Zachary McGillis
Year Published:

Wildland firefighters suppressing wildland fires or conducting prescribed fires work long shifts and are exposed to high levels of smoke with no respiratory protection. Inhalation of smoke is a safety concern for wildland firefighters and can…
Author(s): Kathleen M. Navarro, Stacey S. Frederick
Year Published:

Planned burning is a preventative strategy aimed at decreasing fuel loads to reduce the severity of future wildfire events. During planned burn operations, firefighters can work long shifts. Furthermore, remote burning locations may require…
Author(s): Grace E. Vincent, Brad Aisbett, Sarah J. Hall, Sally A. Ferguson
Year Published:

Each year, the general public and wildland firefighters in the US are exposed to smoke from wildland fires. As part of an effort to characterize health risks of breathing this smoke, a review of the literature was conducted using five major…
Author(s): Olorunfemi Adetona, Timothy E. Reinhardt, Joe Domitrovich, George Broyles, Anna M. Adetona, Michael T. Kleinman, Roger D. Ottmar, Luke P. Naeher
Year Published:

This study examined firefighters’ sleep quantity and quality throughout multi-day wildfire suppression, and assessed the impact of sleep location, shift length, shift start time and incident severity on these variables. For 4 weeks, 40 volunteer…
Author(s): Grace E. Vincent, Brad Aisbett, Sarah J. Hall, Sally A. Ferguson
Year Published:

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this investigation was to characterize the effects of self-selected work activity on energy expenditure, water turnover, and thermal strain during wildland fire suppression. A secondary aim was to contrast current data with…
Author(s): John S. Cuddy, Joseph A. Sol, Walter S. Hailes, Brent Ruby
Year Published:

To curtail the spread of wildfire, firefighters are often required to work long hours in hot, smoky conditions with little rest between consecutive shifts. In isolation, heat, smoke, and sleep disruption can have a detrimental impact on cognitive…
Author(s): Brad Aisbett, Alexander Wolkow, Madeline Sprajcer, S.A. Ferguson
Year Published:

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this project was to determine the effects of wildfire suppression on muscle glycogen utilization in wildland firefighters (WLFFs). METHODS: Wildland firefighters (n = 11) participated in the study. Muscle biopsies were…
Author(s): John S. Cuddy, D.R. Slivka, T.J. Tucker, Walter S. Hailes, Brent Ruby
Year Published:

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a water + electrolyte solution versus plain water on changes in drinking behaviors, hydration status, and body temperatures during wildfire suppression. METHODS: Eight participants…
Author(s): John S. Cuddy, J.A. Ham, S.G. Harger, D.R. Slivka, Brent Ruby
Year Published:

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of supplemental feeding strategies on self-selected activity during wildland fire suppression. METHODS: Seventy-six wildland firefighters were studied in three experiments for three fire…
Author(s): John S. Cuddy, Steven E. Gaskill, B.J. Sharkey, S.G. Harger, Brent Ruby
Year Published:

INTRODUCTION: Our lab has recently documented the total energy expenditure during arduous wildfire suppression using the doubly labeled water methodology. The elevated rates of isotopic elimination indicate an arduous working environment that may…
Author(s): Brent Ruby, D.A. Schoeller, B.J. Sharkey, C. Burks, S. Tysk
Year Published:

PURPOSE: The purpose of this investigation was to determine the total energy expenditure (TEE) by using the doubly labeled water (DLW) methodology during 5 d of wildfire suppression in Montana, California, Florida, Washington, and Idaho. METHODS:…
Author(s): Brent Ruby, T.C. Schriver, T.W. Zderic, B.J. Sharkey, C. Burks, S. Tysk
Year Published:

This strategy is based on the premise that sustainable resources are predicated on healthy, resilient ecosystems. In fire-adapted ecosystems, some measure of fire use-at appropriate intensity, frequency, and time of year-should be included in…
Author(s): Lyle Laverty, Gerald W. Williams
Year Published:

It has become increasingly clear that wildland firefighters are experiencing collapses in decisionmaking and organizational structure when conditions on the fireline become life-threatening. Since 1990 wildland fire agencies have lost 23 people who…
Author(s): Ted Putnam
Year Published:

Incident Kits - Employee Behavioral Health and Wellbeing The long hours, months of endurance, and ongoing needs for engagement in fire and emergency response, when left unmitigated, pose risks to the wellbeing of all our employees who are making…

The Psychologically Healthy Fire Departments initiative provides tools and resources to support responder health and wellbeing. Scroll this page or use the following navigation links to learn more and access resources. Directory of Behavioral Health…

The intent of RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR) is to focus line-going personnel on operations and decision-making issues related to fireline safety in order to recognize and mitigate risk, maintain safe and effective…

The Mental Health Subcommittee (MHSC) provides national leadership in wildland firefighter mental health and wellness. The MHSC promotes and facilitates a national interagency approach to proactively identifying and addressing firefighter mental…