2016 Fire Service Technology Summit [2016/10 final report]

Details

• Personal Author:
  Horn G ; Kelly J
• Description:
  The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) hosted the 2016 Fire Service Technology Summit July 24-26, 2016 in Oakland, California. The objectives of this meeting were to discuss the present and near-term use of technology in the fire service, and to suggest a path forward to improve firefighter health and safety. Members of the fire service and support agencies attended the meeting including firefighters, fire officers, researchers, scientists, and representatives of commercial interests ranging from start-up companies to large, industry-leading fire service technology manufacturers. Subject matter experts opened the summit with presentations on the current state of the science regarding technology use in the fire service. To provide context, several speakers described the route we have collectively traveled to reach our current position, and hypothesized about the path forward. These experts then worked collaboratively with fire service attendees in a consensus-building framework to identify recommendations for technological needs and identify ways to transition new health and safety related technology to the fire service. Attendees of the 2016 Fire Service Technology Summit were divided into five breakout groups, centered on the following topics: command and control; emergency operations; health, wellness, and occupational diseases; tools and equipment; and training. The first task for each group was to identify specific technological advancements that are viable in the next five years. This resulted in a list that complements the technology-related recommendations within the 2015 National Fire Service Research Agenda and other existing responder needs assessments, with an additional focus specifically on cancer-related concerns and the growth of the Smart Building sector. Critical technologies identified in most groups included physiological monitoring, accountability systems, command situational awareness, communications, personal protective equipment, and assistive devices, including unmanned aerial vehicles, robotics, and apparatus technology. Additional discussion addressed better collaboration between the fire service and research communities to help bring these and other technologies to the marketplace. Specific goals for transferring research to practice - from idea conception to product development to fire service training, along with fire service/technology collaboration and potential funding opportunities - were also identified. Several key themes emerged in this meeting. First, fire service members recognized the need for stakeholders to be actively engaged throughout each step of the process. This could potentially include focused collaboration via existing mechanisms with federal partners, as well as resurrecting programs that have perhaps gone by the wayside. Also evident was the need to engage start-ups, academic research institutions, and early adopters of evolving technology. Suggestions for advancement include creating a known location where the technology industry can find information on the fire service, understand the applicable standards, interact with fire service experts who have a national perspective, and perhaps receive support, potentially in the forms of financial resources and/or honorary recognition. This report presents an overview of the speaker's presentations and the specific recommendations identified within the work groups. The common reinforcing themes that evolved from the breakout sessions are gathered and summarized in detail in the pages that follow. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Emergency Responders Firefighters Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Emergency Responders Emerging Technology Fire Fighters Information Dissemination Occupational Safety And Health Partnership
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  Illinois ; Maryland ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-35
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20055673
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2019-100847
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, R13-OH-011135, 2017 Oct; :1-35
• Email:
  ghorn@illinois.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Performing Organization:
  National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Emmitsburg, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20160801
• End Date:
  20170731
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:bf0284dceb4a74564bb9082f4d5dccfc8e4a65400aeba68cbd8d86260bdf2bae81347e4b84432b0278d42eda5cdaa2101dd9877268a745524ec9cb99af220667
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/218861/cdc_218861_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.12 MB ]