By Patrick Montague, Wesley R. Attwood, Emily J. Haas, Louis (Rick) Lago, and Stephen J. Ringer
Portable radios serve as an essential safety device allowing each firefighter to immediately report or be notified of changing conditions and emergencies that can affect their survival [1].
A recent serious injury investigation by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP) demonstrated how portable radios and accessories may fail after exposure to high temperatures, resulting in the loss of communications and jeopardizing firefighters’ safety [2]. The details of this investigation highlighted the safety imperative that firefighters understand the conditions in which these devices may fail and how to protect them using PPE. The most recent investigation highlighted portable radio knowledge and use considerations for firefighters including:
Knowledge considerations:
- Portable radios meeting NFPA 1802 can withstand temperatures of 500 degrees F for up to five minutes.
- Portable radios and accessories may fail after exposure to high temperatures and result in loss of communications.
Use considerations:
- Both new and older radios and cables may be preserved by wearing radio straps under the turnout coat, with the radio extended below the bottom of the coat and with the antenna tilted away to protect the cable from damage.
- Some fire departments have started using portable radio straps and, consequently, the report [2] discusses the potential value of including portable radio and cable placement in standard operating procedures, guidelines and training.
FFFIPP investigation summary
On May 30, 2024, a 33-year-old firefighter responded to a box alarm assignment and reported a one-story single-family structure fire. Upon arrival, a working fire was declared, and the firefighters received reports from the family of trapped occupants inside the structure. Two firefighters made entry into the structure ahead of the attack line to conduct search and rescue. Rapidly changing fire conditions caused both firefighters to withdraw from the structure.
One firefighter was able to escape while the second firefighter became disoriented inside the structure when a flashover occurred. This second firefighter was able to self-rescue out of a window but sustained significant burn injuries.
The portable radio was worn in a radio pocket, with the remote speaker microphone (RSM) cable positioned around the firefighter’s collar. This positioning directly exposed the cable to fire conditions, causing the radio to unintentionally transmit. The cable damage rendered the channel useless for fireground communications. Extensive thermal damage was noted to both the portable radio and RSM [2].
Known issues with portable radio placement
Between 2004 and 2014, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) conducted studies to determine the effect of high temperatures (160 degrees C/320 degrees F) on portable radios. Some of these studies demonstrated that direct exposure to high temperatures can melt the RSM and cable, resulting in losing functionality for interior firefighters and disabling broader fireground communications due to unintentional transmissions [3-4]. These failures occurred most often when portable radios were worn on the exterior of structural firefighting turnout gear with the RSM cable directly exposed to high temperatures [3].
NIST findings from user-centered interviews noted that firefighters reported being aware that the RSM cable was known to melt in high temperature environments, with several firefighter fatalities related to failure of radios and the resulting loss of communications [4]. These studies led to the development of NFPA 1802. The standard includes a requirement for portable radios and their accessories to withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees F for five minutes [5].
Strategies for safe radio placement
Radios meeting the NFPA 1802 standard were first certified in 2022. It is likely that older radios are still in use and may not offer the same heat tolerance as radios meeting the standard. These older devices could be susceptible to failure when exposed to high temperatures, such as in the incident described above [2].
In the investigation report [2], NIOSH recommended that firefighters protect new and older radios and cables by wearing radio straps under their turnout coat, with the radio extended below the bottom of the coat, and with the antenna tilted away to protect the cable from damage [2]. This placement of the portable radio allows the RSM cable to be protected from direct heat or thermal exposure. Additionally, this placement significantly reduces the possibility of an entanglement hazard involving the RSM cable and improves signal strength from the radio antenna.
A 2013 report by the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department included diagrams for proper wearing of a radio strap and portable radio for interior firefighting operations [6]. Although the RSM cable is protected from high temperatures when worn under the turnout coat, a radio strap still comes through two interface areas in structural turnout gear. Since contamination with combustion byproducts is possible, radio straps can be properly decontaminated with other PPE.
Given the findings of the NIOSH investigation and the updated NFPA 1802 standard, fire departments may consider equipping firefighters with radio straps and updating SOPs or SOGs to include proper use during interior firefighting operations. Fire academies and fire instructors may opt to include radio strap use in both entry level and advanced firefighter training.
Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
REFERENCES
- IAFC [2009]. IAFC position: Assignment of portable radios/two-way communications devices to every firefighter on the fireground. Retrieved on April 24, 2025.
- NIOSH [2025]. Career firefighter seriously injured during search operations in a residential structure fire – Oregon. By Attwood WR, Lago LR, Stakes K, and Montague PR. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, F2024-03.
- NIST [2006]. NIST Technical note 1477: Testing of portable radios in a fire fighting environment. By Davis WD, Donnelly MK, and Selepak MJ. Gaithersburg, MD: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
- NIST [2018]. Voices of first responders -identifying public safety communications problems: Findings from user-centered interviews phase 1, volume 1. By Choong YY, Dawkins S, Furman S, Greene KK, Prettyman SS, and Theofanos MF. Gaithersburg, MD: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
- NFPA [2021]. NFPA 1802: Standard on two-way, portable RF voice communications devices for use by emergency services personnel in the hazard zone. Quincy, MA: National Fire Protection Association.
- Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department [2013]. Portable radio placement in the IDLH. Fairfax, VA: Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department, Communications Division.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Patrick R. Montague, CFO, is an investigator with the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program within the NIOSH Division of Safety Research.
Wesley R. Attwood, DrCJ, is an investigator and program advisor in the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program within the Division of Safety Research as well as a coordinator for the NIOSH Public Safety Program.
Emily J. Haas, PhD, is the associate director for science for the NIOSH Division of Safety Research.
Louis (Rick) Lago is an investigator with the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program within the NIOSH Division of Safety Research.
Stephen J. Ringer, AAS, FO1, is an investigator with the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program within the NIOSH Division of Safety Research.