Firefighter instructors at greater risk of infection and illness

Firefighter instructors are more likely to suffer from chronic inflammation, leaving them at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, infection and illness, a study has found. 

Firefighter instructors, who are involved in training emergency response workers, typically face up to 10 times more live fires than regular firefighters. Some are exposed to real fires twice a day, five days a week.

A study led by the University of Roehampton, with researchers from the University of Brighton and Coventry University, looked at blood samples, blood pressure readings and psychological data from 136 UK fire and rescue service workers, including from breathing apparatus instructors (BAI), over six months. Ninety-two were firefighters and 44 were BAIs.

The researchers found that BAIs who are exposed to more than 20 fires per month showed signs of “systemic” inflammation, which occurs when the immune system is constantly defending the body. This, the researchers said, made them more susceptible to infections and illness.

The instructors, who are involved in a greater number of physically demanding tasks and extreme temperatures than regular firefighters, reported feeling fatigued, experiencing sleep disturbances, headaches, and flu-like illnesses – all signs that they had systemic inflammation.

They also exhibited biomarkers that showed they were at a higher risk of heart attacks and other cardiac problems, as well as the formation of plaques in blood vessels that can obstruct blood flow.

The researchers said exposure limits for firefighter instructors should be applied. Some fire and rescue services in the UK do have limits in place, but these can vary and some allow unlimited exposure to fire.

The research recommends that 10-15 fire exposures per month are a reasonable maximum workload.

Lead researcher Dr Emily Watkins said: “By evaluating the impacts of fire exposures across a six month period, this is the first research to identify that firefighters, particularly firefighter instructors, are reporting chronic and consistent symptoms of illness and inflammation. Based on this evidence, it’s imperative that fire services carefully evaluate and limit the number of exposures their staff face and review working practices to ensure instructor’s health is being prioritised.”

A separate study from earlier this year found that toxic contaminants in fires can be directly linked to increased rates of cancer and mental health issues among firefighters.