FUMS project

Session: Fire response

Presenters: Marta Aldea (Servei de Medicina Preventiva I Epidemiologia - Hospital Clínic de Barcelona).

Vicenç Ferrés-Padró, Joan Herrera (Direcció General Prevenció Extinció Incendis i Salvaments - Catalan Fire Service).

Contact email: maldea@clinic.cat

We are collaborating with the GRAF (Group for Support to Forest Activities) in a research project to determine the health effects (long-term and short-term) of the exposure to fire smoke in firefighters that perform prescribed burns.

Link: https://www.hospitalclinic.org/

ABSTRACT: There are studies that describe the composition of wildland fire smoke that includes toxic and irritating gases, which are potentially hazardous to health. Most studies have been focused on short-term physiological responses, without establishing their clinical significance. A few they reviewed the long-term effects of exposure to forest fire.
In Catalonia, more than 10,000 people are engaged in the extinction of forest fires, including all voluntary regime or a salary paid personnel linked to the competent administrations.
The firefighter specialist team are the "Grup d'Actuacions Forestals" (GRAF) belonging to Catalonian Fire and Rescue Service.
Our main goal are to study the effect of forest smoke exposure on long-term health of firefighters. Evaluate levels of acute exposure to smoke gases in open spaces. Describe signs, symptoms and physiological response during exposure. Evaluate and compare biological parameters, presence of signs and symptoms in firefighters who perform controlled burning and forest fires according to type of activity performed, and to study the relationship of these parameters to exposure to the main components of forest smoke.
We propose a prospective health cohort study will include an observational and prospective previous study: before-during-after interventions in forest fire smoke to members of the GRAF Unit.