By Sarah Roebuck
EMS1/FireRescue1
COLUMBUS, Ohio — To address increasing concerns about the health and wellness of firefighters and EMS clinicians, a new initiative, the Longitudinal Inquiry into Fire and EMS Health Study (LIFE Study), is being launched.
The project, aimed at thoroughly assessing the occupational risks first responders face, has received an initial funding boost of $249,000 to support its mission, the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians said in a news release.
In the last 10 years, the occupational risks faced by more than 1 million career and volunteer firefighters, along with another million EMS clinicians in the U.S., have gained increased attention, NREMT said.
“These professionals face daily exposures, workplace violence, and on-the-job injuries, which can have far-reaching effects on their cardiovascular health, cancer risk, and mental well-being,” Dr. Ashish Panchal, research director for the National Registry said in a statement. “While some individual efforts have been made to assess these risks, there has been no large-scale, long-term study to comprehensively examine the combined challenges faced by firefighters and EMS clinicians.”
The NREMT is collaborating with top universities to examine occupational hazards and safeguard first responders.
The Florida Department of Health’s Division of Emergency Preparedness and Community Support has granted $249,000 as initial funding. This funding will facilitate the first phase of the study, which encompasses forming an oversight committee, assembling a research team, designing a thorough study plan, selecting study sites, developing data collection tools and preparing federal funding applications.