NFPA Journal - July/August 2018 - 54

Research by Casey Grant

THE FIRE
PROTECTION
RESEARCH
FOUNDATION

Taking Stock
A DEATH, A RETIREMENT, AND THE LONG ARC OF PUBLIC SAFETY RESEARCH:
IMPROVING FIREFIGHTER HEALTH AND SAFETY, STEP BY STEP

s public safety researchers

this line of work. That reality is also true
we don't often acknowlfor every researcher working today.
edge the impact of our
An ongoing example has been our
individual efforts, in part
work to reduce the high incidence of firebecause our work spans
fighter cancer. NFPA initiated efforts in
many years and the measures of success
this area with a study on respiratory expocan be elusive. But I think it's important
sure, which the Fire Protection Research
to take time to recognize our gains, espeFoundation published in 2007. This small
cially when they aren't always apparent.
study asked a novel question at the time:
I was reminded of this lesson recently
When it is safe for a firefighter to stop
following the death of an NFPA friend
using his or her SCBA on the fireground?
and colleague and the retirement of
Today, in the face of cancer and other
another. The first, Bruce Teele, passed
long-term health concerns, contamination
away earlier this year. Bruce worked
control and minimizing respiratory expoAlthough it's often a
at NFPA as a technical committee staff
sure is in vogue, but not so much in 2007.
challenge to see the
liaison from 1969 to 2010, and made
Since then, the study has served
positive impact of our
significant contributions to firefighter
as
a foundational stepping stone to
research efforts, we
safety through his work coordinating
promote and stimulate further research
know we are making
the volunteer committees responsible
into firefighter cancer and on-the-job
a difference, and we
for fire service standards. When Bruce
exposures. Two examples are the soonknow our efforts are
began his career, the use of inadequate
to-be-completed project, "PPE Cleaning
saving lives.
and questionable firefighter personal
Validation"-known colloquially as "How
protective equipment (PPE) was wideClean is Clean?"-that will provide a
spread-at the time, NFPA did not have
scientific basis for the cleaning of gear,
a single standard addressing the issue.
and the "Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort
Today, through the direct efforts of Bruce
Study," a 30-year research project to
and many others, there are 25 specific PPE standards, each definitively clarify the impact of firefighter cancer.
providing important levels of protection for today's firefightThe work that continues today is an essential building block
ers. How many firefighters are alive today because of the work for supporting the long-term health of firefighters. The results
Bruce and countless others did behind the scenes?
will support improved standards, essential policy activity
The same could be said for Paul LeBlanc, who retired earlier (such as expected legislation designed to limit the incidence
this year after 40 years at NFPA. Paul worked here part-time of cancer), training, and education. Nobody knows if today's
from 1978 to 2018 processing NFPA fire data during days off researchers will be around to see the time when cancer in the
from his full-time job as a lieutenant with the Boston Fire fire service is eliminated, but I'm glad we had the chance to
Department. Over that time, the number of annual firefighter advance the effort.
line-of-duty-deaths (LODD) dropped from 174 in 1978 to 60 in
Although it's often a challenge to see the positive impact of
2017 by comparable measures. Although Paul's work may not our research efforts, we know we are making a difference, and
have directly resulted in this drop, his work collecting vital LODD we know our efforts are fruitful and saving lives. We can salute
statistics allowed the fire service and researchers to learn more the legacies of colleagues like Bruce and Paul by continuing
about how responders were dying and take action to reduce it. these efforts and striving to do good work.
These positive changes took many years and were hardly a
simple one-and-done exercise for Paul, Bruce, or any others in Casey Grant is executive director of the Fire Protection Research Foundation.

54 | NFPA JOURNAL * J U L Y /A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

MICHAEL HOEWELER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - July/August 2018