The purpose of this research was to perform a post-use evaluation of retired firefighter turnout gear. Garments were categorized as 10-12 years old, 13-17 years old and 18-21 years old. Inspection and test procedures required by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1851 and NFPA 1971 were followed to determine if the current recommended 10 year wear life (retirement age) is appropriate. Testing included a visual inspection (closure system functionality, light evaluation, leakage evaluation and flashlight test) and performance properties (Thermal Protective Performance (TPP), flammability, breaking strength, tear strength, seam strength and water penetration) completed on 108 garments. Ten-year retirement, care, and use were criteria evaluated. The results confirm the flashlight test allows the firefighter to effectively evaluate trim reflectance on their turnout gear according to NFPA 1851. The leakage tests were not replicated by the water penetration tests. Based on the results of this study, the advanced visual inspection and light evaluation confirm the recommended retirement age of a garment that was at least ten years from manufacture date.

Previous research on the mental health of firefighters has shown that they are at a greater risk than the majority of the population to develop various mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse, suicidal ideation, and post-traumatic stress disorder. However, very little research has been done on the repetitive cumulative exposure to trauma that is associated with their career, which may lead to elevated levels of mental disorders that may not be detected in one testing. In this study, a series of assessments will be given to a sample of urban firefighters every year for the entirety of their career. The data collected in this study will be analyzed at each testing date using simple regressions, and then the data will be analyzed using time series analysis. The results of this study predict that as a career in the fire service progresses, as age increases, as the average hours of sleep decrease, as their rank within the department rises, as the number or critical incidents attended, and as the number of critical incident stress debriefings attended increase, all of the mental disorders measures will increase. Not only do the simple regressions show evidence of an increased aptitude for mental illness, but also the time series analysis will show that the mental illnesses continue to amplify throughout a career in the fire service. The results of this study could have massive implications for the fire service’s treatment of mental health stigmatization.

This report is a Bachelor thesis executed at Jönköping University during the spring of 2017 by Jenny Larsson and Molly Sandbacka. The thesis was conducted as a final part of the education program for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, specialisation Product Design and Development. The most dangerous and physically demanding work assignment allowed in Sweden is to work as a firefighter. The firefighters carries oxygen cylinders on their backs and from there the oxygen is transported to a breathing mask and to a pressure gauge. The pressure gauge indicates how much oxygen is left and gives the firefighters an idea over ​​how long they can work. More features could be applied on the device if it were to be digitalised. A digitalisation laid the foundation of the Bachelor thesis performed on behalf of the technical consulting company Combitech in Jönköping. The aim with this project was, from problem to prototype, to construct a component within a pressure gauge. The component shall distribute the oxygen from the cylinders to partly an analogue gauge and partly a digital pressure sensor. Another section of the project was to choose material and suggest how the device should remain tight. Based on theories of the product development process different methods has been used to deliver two concept proposals with different advantages regarding function, manufacturing and cost. One concept has a freely rotating system that promotes the function, while the other concept is easier to manufacture and thus a cheaper alternative. The project has also resulted in three recommended metals: low alloy steel, medium carbon steel and brass quality already used on one of the components of the pressure gauge. The concepts and materials are presented and analysed by simulations, prototypes, risk analysis and value analysis. The results of the Bachelor thesis have contributed with a component so the equipment of the firefighter can be modernised through a lighter, more flexible and digitalised pressure gauge. Furthermore, the other components of the pressure gauge and the full device need to be tested to check that the specifications are met. / Denna rapport behandlar det examensarbete som utförts vid Jönköping University under vårterminen 2017 av Jenny Larsson och Molly Sandbacka. Examensarbetet genomfördes som en avslutande del av utbildningen till högskoleingenjör och teknologie kandidat inom Maskinteknik produktutveckling och design. Att arbeta som rökdykare är en av de allra farligaste och fysiskt mest krävande arbetsuppgifter som tillåts i Sverige. På ryggen bär rökdykare en eller två syrgastuber och därifrån transporteras syret till en andningsmask och till en tryckmätare. Denna mätare indikerar hur mycket syrgas som finns kvar och ger då rökdykaren en uppfattning över hur länge rökdykaren kan arbeta. Digitalisering av denna mätare skulle medföra att fler funktioner skulle kunna appliceras. Detta lade grunden för examensarbetet som genomfördes på uppdrag av teknikkonstultbolaget Combitech i Jönköping. Syftet var att konstruera, från problem till prototyp, en komponent som ska förgrena syrgas till dels en analog manometer, dels en digital trycksensor inuti en tryckmätare. Examensarbetet skulle även innefatta materialval och förslag kring hur mätaren ska förbli tät. Genom metoder utifrån teorier om produktutvecklingsprocessen har arbetet resulterat i två konceptförslag med olika fördelar gällande funktion, tillverkning och kostnad. Det ena konceptet har en inbyggd svivelfunktion vilken främjar funktionen, medan det andra konceptet är enklare att tillverka och därmed ett billigare alternativ. Arbetet har även resulterat i tre på lufttrycksförgreningen applicerbara metaller: låglegerat stål, medium kolstål och en mässingskvalité som redan används på en av delkomponenterna i tryckmätaren. De båda koncepten samt materialen presenteras och analyseras genom simuleringar, prototyper, riskanalys och värdeanalys. Examensarbetets resultat har bidragit med en komponent så att rökdykarens utrustning kan moderniseras genom en smidigare, lättare och digitaliserad tryckmätare. Vidare behöver tryckmätarens övriga komponenter och den fulla enheten testas för att kontrollera så att kravspecifikationen uppfylls.

The aim of the thesis is to point out the stress factors present in the profession of a firefighter, define the concept of stress and suggest the options of coping with stressful and challenging situations. The thesis consists of theoretical and empirical part. The theoretical part is focused on clarifying the definition of the concept of stress, its types, manifestations and potential stressors. In addition, conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, burnout, coping with stressful situations and Eysenck personality typology factors are explained. The empirical part is focused on the analysis of coping strategies, used by firefighters on the selected workplace and their connection to temperament, age and years of service. Based on the analysis, recommendations for management in HaZZ Nitra are suggested.

This diploma thesis describes term volunteering work in czech legal framework and also characterizes motivation for this volunteer work. Widespread organization in Czech Republic is association of volunteer firefighter departments. This thesis describes irreablaceable leading role of these departments in local culture and their benefit for society. Predefined theoretical findings are shown on a case of female members of voluntary firefighter deparments involved in civic association called Podlipanská liga.

No description available.

Firefighter Emergency Medical Service (EMS) responder personnel are at a high risk for occupational exposures to bloodborne and airborne infectious pathogens due to their unpredictable work duties in the pre-hospital environment. Not much is known about the compliance with Universal Precautions (UP) among firefighter EMS responders' personnel with regards to occupational exposures to infectious diseases. The purpose of this cross-sectional research study was to determine the relationship between compliance with UP, knowledge of UP, attitudes towards UP, occupational practices, and occupational exposures to bloodborne and airborne pathogens to prevent transmission of infectious disease among firefighter EMS responder personnel in the pre-hospital environment. A convenience sample (n = 246, 99% response) was gathered from the 6 career fire service departments in Miami-Dade County Florida. The participants completed a 40-question, self-administered survey questionnaire. Research questions and related hypotheses were evaluated with Pearson's product moment correlation, t test, analysis of variance, and linear regression models. In this study, the correlation between knowledge and compliance with UP was statistically significant (p = 0.005). This suggest that the compliance with UP among firefighter EMS responder participants increased with increase in knowledge. However, firefighter EMS personnel are not consistently complying with UP to prevent exposures to infectious diseases in the pre-hospital work environment. This research contributed to positive social change by increasing innovative knowledge that will allow the firefighter EMS responders to improve occupational practices and compliance with universal precautions.

The current study used a randomized control design to determine if an implementation intention intervention based on the Health Action Process Approach would increase exercise behavior in volunteer firefighters. One hundred forty-seven male and female volunteer firefighters from nine fire departments participated. The treatment group received a survey that prompted them to create exercise implementation intentions by describing "where," "when," and "how" they will exercise, while the control group survey included a general exercise message. We hypothesized that the implementation intervention would increase exercise behavior while the general exercise message would have no effects on exercise, that earlier stage-of-change exercisers would show greater increases in exercise than late-stage exercisers and that there would be an interaction between the intervention and stage membership such that the intervention would be more effective among firefighters in earlier-stage exercisers. We also hypothesized that the intervention would indirectly decrease sedentary behavior. Negative binomial regression showed that the intervention (p = .03) was a statistically significant predictor of exercise minutes, supporting the first hypothesis. However, using exercise sessions and leisure time as dependent variables, no significant effects were found for the intervention. Thus, hypothesis one was only partially supported by the results. A stronger group-administered implementation intention formation intervention may be more effective in increasing exercise behavior in volunteer firefighters. Participants who self-identified as early-stage exercisers were more likely to increase exercise behavior; however, the effects of stage on behavior change were not significant in any of the analyses, leading to the conclusion that hypothesis two had to be rejected. Further, there was no significant stage-by-intervention interaction in any of the analyses, lending no support to hypothesis three. However, a tendency in the expected direction was detected, suggesting that a low-intensity implementation formation intervention may increase exercise time in early-exercise stage volunteer firefighters more than among late-stage members. In conclusion, this research suggests implementation intention formation influences increased exercise behavior in volunteer firefighters who do not exercise or are not regular exercisers. Future research with a stronger intervention is warranted.

No description available.

No description available.