NIOSH announces Center for Firefighter Safety, Health, and Well-being

Washington — NIOSH has established a center to “better protect firefighters and be able to identify and prevent new and emerging hazards in the fire service earlier and faster” through research and service.

Announced Oct. 7, the Center for Firefighter Safety, Health, and Well-being consolidates agency research and efforts related to protecting firefighters on the job.

NIOSH initiatives include:

• Provide guidance and support so firefighters and first responders can do their jobs safely.
• Study the exposures firefighters face and provide recommendations to protect them both on and off the job.
• Conduct evidence-based research and provide interventions to support the mental health and well-being of firefighters.
• Understand and reduce the risk of cancer through research and active enrollment of firefighters into the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer.
• Conduct independent investigations of line-of-duty deaths and firefighter work conditions.
• Research, evaluate and certify personal protective equipment.

“Firefighters are vital to the safety of our communities, risking their health and safety to protect our own,” NIOSH Director John Howard said in a press release. “The Center for Firefighter Safety, Health, and Well-being allows NIOSH to bring together our research and knowledge in a way to better protect firefighters from both immediate and long-term risks from their jobs.”