 Researchers at the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health have been instrumental in improving occupational health, particularly in high-risk jobs such as firefighting. The results of several studies conducted by faculty and students led to new policies that protect firefighters as they work.
“Firefighters would wear their protective breathing equipment while fighting a structural fire, but take it off to walk around and make sure the fire wouldn’t start up again in a process called fire overhaul,” explains Jeff Burgess, MD, MPH, director of the Community, Environment and Policy division at the College. Research showed that firefighters were exposed to elevated levels of harmful chemicals which caused injury to their lungs even after the smoke appeared to be gone. These research findings received national attention, leading to policy changes for many firefighting departments across the United States and abroad in which firefighters are now required to keep protective breathing equipment on during fire overhauls.
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