FIRE FIGHTERS
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Job Hazards
Exposures to smoke, chemicals, falling debris, and the fire itself can make fighting fires dangerous. Learn more about our current projects, published research, and conference presentations that focus on job hazards among fire fighters.
Structural Hazards
Every fire is different. Each structural or vehicle fire involves different hazards and exposures. These exposures depend on:
- building material
- materials stored within
- fire conditions, such as temperature and oxygen availability
The phase of a fire can influence exposure level. Knockdown typically has higher exposure to heated gas, vapors, and particulate matter compared to overhaul. Respiratory protection is more likely to be worn during knockdown. Though exposures may still exist at lower levels during overhaul, respiratory protection is less often used.
Learn what we are doing to better understand what hazards structural fire fighters are exposed to and how exposure occurs.
Chemical Exposures
Publications
- Contamination of firefighter personal protective equipment and skin and the effectiveness of decontamination procedures (2017) – open access
- IFSI Research Supplement: Introducing the 10 Considerations Related to Cardiovascular and Chemical Exposure Risks (2017)
- Volatile organic compounds off-gassing from firefighters’ personal protective equipment ensembles after use (2015)
- Firefighter’s Perspective on Flame Retardants (2015)
- Off-Gassing Contaminants from Firefighters’ Personal Protective Equipment (2015)
- Simulated Smoke, Real Health Effects (2014)
- Systemic exposure to PAHs and benzene in firefighters suppressing controlled structure fires (2014) – open access
- Health hazard evaluation: HETA 2010-0156-3196 Evaluation of dermal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fire fighters (2013) Full report: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2010-0156-3196.pdf ; Summary: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2010-0156-3196S.pdf
- Health hazard evaluation: HETA 2012-0028-3190 Evaluation of chemical exposures during fire fighter training exercises involving smoke simulant (2013)
- Health hazard evaluation: HETA 2008-0014-3151, Miami Dade County Fire Rescue, Miami, FL (2012) [PDF 7443 KB, 40 pages] (CO exposure among surf rescuers)
- Assessing the risk to firefighters from chemical vapors and gases during vehicle fire suppression (2011)
- Health hazard evaluation: HETA 2008-0241-3113 Chemical and particle exposures during vehicle fire suppression training, Miami Township Fire and Rescue, Yellow Springs, Ohio (2010) [PDF 4966 KB, 56 pages]
- Health hazard evaluation: HETA 2002-0393-2928 Lake Havasu municipal employees, Lake Havasu City, Arizona (2004) [PDF 5724 KB, 85 pages] (carbon monoxide, formaldehyde)
- Characterization of firefighter exposures during fire overhaul (2000)
- Health hazard evaluation: HETA 99-0062-2804 Newark Fire Department, Newark, New Jersey (2000) [PDF 468 KB, 29 pages] (chlorine gas, nitrogen trichloride)
- Health hazard evaluation: HETA 97-0034-2683 International Association of Fire Fighters, Indianapolis, Indiana (1998) [PDF 208 KB, 17 pages] (chemical exposure, hazardous materials)
- Health hazard evaluation: HETA 91-0230-2543 International Association of Fire Fighters, Henderson, Nevada (1995) [PDF 1065 KB, 37 pages] (chlorine gas exposure)
- Health hazard evaluation: HETA 91-0190-2491 International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), Jersey City, New Jersey) (1995) [PDF 1862 KB, 45 pages] (methylene chloride exposure, hazardous materials)
- Health hazard evaluation: HETA 95-0047-2485 Valdosta Fire Department, Valdosta, Georgia (1995) [PDF 166 KB, 9 pages] (chemical exposure, hazardous materials)
- Health Hazard Evaluation: HETA 87-109-1950 North Riverside Fire Department, North Riverside, Illinois (1989) [PDF 1053 KB, 22 pages] (Zinc chloride exposure, Injury)
- Health Hazard Evaluation: HETA 85-274-1879 Zinc Chloride Smoke Generating Devices, International Association of Fire Fighters, Washington, D.C. (1988) [PDF 4531 KB, 44 pages] (Zinc chloride, Hydrochloric acid exposure)
- Health hazard evaluation: HETA-83-326-1535, Liquid Disposal, Incorporated, Shelby Township, Michigan (1984) (exposure to dioxin)
- NIOSH Testimony on Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB’s); Manufacture, Processing, Distribution in Commerce and Use Prohibitions: Use in Transformers by J. D. Millar, December 14, 1984 (1984)
- Firefighters’ occupational exposure to carbon monoxide (1974)
Diesel Exhaust
Publications
- Controlling diesel exhaust exposure inside firehouses
- Health hazard evaluation: HETA 99-0266-2850 Costa Mesa Fire Department, Costa Mesa, California (2001) [PDF 467 KB, 38 pages] (diesel exhaust)
- Biomarkers of smoke exposure among firefighters (2001)
Emergency Response Hazards
Publications
- Health hazard evaluation: HETA 2005-0369-3034 Hurricane Katrina response (2007)
- A multidimensional evaluation of fire fighter training for hazardous materials response: first results from the IAFF program (1998)
Fire-Damaged Floor
Publications
- Workplace Solution: Preventing Deaths and Injuries of Fire Fighters Working Above Fire-Damaged Floors Publication Number 2009-114 (2009) Español
- NIOSH Alert: Preventing injuries and deaths of fire fighters due to truss system failures (2005) Publication No. 2005-132
Job Stress
Publications
- Health Hazard Evaluation: HETA 2006-0023-3003 New Orleans Fire Department, New Orleans, Louisiana (2006) [PDF 1049 KB, 43 pages]
- Outcomes of a leadership intervention for a metropolitan fire department (2001)
- Health hazard evaluation: HETA- 94-0390-2822, Anaheim Fire Department, Anaheim, California (2000) [PDF 223 KB, 16 pages]
- Psychosocial Risk Factors in Fire Fighter Stress (1999)
- Exposure to traumatic incidents and prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptomatology in urban firefighters in two countries (1999)
- Exposure to duty-related incident stressors in urban firefighters and paramedics (1998)
- Social support and network conflict in firefighters and paramedics (1997)
Other Publications
- Workplace Solution: Preventing Death and Injuries of Fire Fighters Operating Modified Excess/Surplus Vehicles Publication Number 2011-125(2011) Español
- Biological monitoring of woodsmoke (2005)
- Workplace Solutions: Preventing Deaths And Injuries To Fire Fighters During Live-Fire Training In Acquired Structures Publication Number 2005-102 (2005)
Español - Workplace Solutions: Divers Beware: Training Dives Present Serious Hazards To Fire Fighters Publication Number 2004-152 (2004)
Español - Project HEROES (Homeland Emergency Response Operational and Equipment Systems) Task 1: A review of modern fire service hazard and protection needs (2003) [PDF 1017 KB, 128 pages]
- Occupational noise exposure and hearing loss in fire fighters assigned to airport fire stations (1991)
- Industrial Process – Firefighting (1978)
Wildland Fires
Wildland fire fighters may be at risk of being exposed to fire retardants, hazardous gases, and particulates from burning wood and soil. These men and women work 14-16 hour days, on average, for up to two weeks straight. The conditions are rough. Each fire fighter typically hauls in their own supplies and camps for the duration of the job.
Wildland fire fighters are seasonal employees, which makes it difficult to study long-term health effects of job-related exposures. Therefore, most of our research among wildland fire fighters consists of exposure assessment. This page lists publications and conference presentations from our studies of job hazards among wildland fire fighters.
Conference Presentations
Acute respiratory effects of smoke exposure in wildland firefighters (Research Symposium 2006)
Publications
Chemical Exposures
- Health hazard evaluation report: HETA 2008-0245-3127, Determining base camp personnel exposures to carbon monoxide during wildland fire suppression activities – California(2011)
- Health hazard evaluation report: HETA-98-0173-2782, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado (2000) (carbon monoxide)
- Health hazard evaluation report: HETA 90-0365-2415, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Yosemite National Park, California (1994) (carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide)
- Health hazard evaluation report: HETA 91-312-2185 U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Gallatin National Forest, Montana (1992) (carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, silica)
- Health hazard evaluation report: HETA-88-320-2176, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (1992)
- Health hazard evaluation report: HETA 92-045-2260, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, New River Gorge National River, West Virginia (1992) (sulfur dioxide)
Other
- Particle size-dependent radical generation from wildland fire smoke (2007)
- NIOSH Hazard ID: Fire fighters exposed to electrical hazards during wildland fire operations. (2005) Publication No. 2002-112
- Health hazard evaluation report: HETA 91-152-2140, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Southern California (1991) (respiratory problems)
- Page last reviewed: June 21, 2017
- Page last updated: October 13, 2017
- Content source:
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies (DSHEFS)