NFPA Journal - Winter 2021 - 28

Research by Birgitte Messerschmidt
THE GLOBAL
VIEW ON FIRE
RESEARCH
Gimme Shelter
A NEW NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE FIRE SERVICE INDICATES THAT WE AREN'T
KEEPING UP WITH NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS TO FIRE STATIONS
A
s I write, wildfires are
devastating large areas in
the western United States,
Louisiana is evaluating the
damage from Hurricane
Ida, and the Northeast is reeling from
extreme rainfall. These events have two
things in common: emergency responders,
and our dependence on them during
disasters large and small.
Despite that reliance, questions persist
over our relationship with responders.
Are we taking enough care of them? Are
we providing them with the resources
they need to do their jobs?
NFPA Research has just published the
of potential fireground contaminants, a
reminder that the practice of cleaning
and decontaminating personnel and gear
before entering fire station clean zones is
critical for limiting exposure. But older
fire stations are less likely to have the
facilities needed to ensure clean zones
and prevent continued exposure.
The fireground isn't the only area
fifth needs assessment of the country's
fire service. The assessment identifies
major needs by comparing what departments
actually have with what they say
they need to be safe and effective. While
there are many important findings in this
research, the one that really struck me was how little progress
has been made in improving fire stations. Two years ago, we did
a deep dive into the renovation needs of US fire stations using
data from our fourth fire service needs assessment, conducted
in 2015, and determined that billions of dollars needed to be
invested in fire stations. It's apparent from the recent results
that the investments made over the last five years are significantly
less than what was required.
Our fire service infrastructure is aging, but it appears that we
are not keeping up with renovating or rebuilding fire stations-
nearly half of the nation's fire stations are now more than 40
years old, a slight increase since 2015. There are many reasons
having a newer or upgraded fire station is desirable, but the
most important one is to ensure the health and safety of our
emergency responders-the fire station should be a place where
they are kept safe from harm. Over the last decade we have
learned a lot about the occupational exposures faced by firefighters
and how they are linked to increased risk of cancer,
heart disease, and other serious illnesses. A recent report by
the Fire Protection Research Foundation included a long list
28 | NFPA JOURNAL * WINTER 202 1
Are we providing first
responders with the
resources they need
to do their jobs?
with exposure risk. When a dieselpowered
apparatus leaves or returns to
the station, the exhaust, if not properly
vented, will enter not only the apparatus
bay but also the firefighters' living
quarters. Consequently, firefighters can
be exposed to diesel exhaust for a significant
portion of their shifts. This exposure
has also been linked to risk of cancer,
adding to the challenge of occupational
cancer in firefighters. This exposure can
be eliminated by using an exhaust emission
control system that captures the
exhaust by the tailpipe and vents it outside the station. The
cost of these systems is a fraction of that of a new fire station,
yet 56 percent of our fire stations still do not have this technology,
and this number hasn't changed since 2015.
One area where progress has been made is equipping fire
stations with emergency backup power. In 2005, more than half
of US fire stations did not have backup power; the figure is now
at 31 percent. But that means almost a third of our fire stations
are still without backup power, which is much too high considering
the increase in significant weather events where loss of
power is widespread. How can emergency responders support
a community in need if they're out of power themselves?
While NFPA standards have addressed many of these firehouse
issues for years, responders can still lack the updated
infrastructure and equipment to keep them safe. The time has
come for us to ensure that their needs are met so that they can
continue providing their critical support in this ever-changing
world. We can and should do more.
Birgitte Messerschmidt is director of the Applied Research Group at NFPA.
MICHAEL HOEWELER
NFPA Journal - Winter 2021

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