SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report

Sections

Basic Information
Additional Info

Status: Approved

Basic Information

Project No. and Title: W3192 : Improving Safety and Health of Wildland Firefighters Through Personal Protective Clothing (formerly WDC39)
Period Covered: 01/01/2023 to 04/30/2024
Date of Report: 06/07/2024
Annual Meeting Dates: 05/16/2024 to 05/17/2024

Participants

Elizabeth Easter, University of Kentucky Siming Guo, Washington State University Xingqiu Lou, Kent State University Meredith McQuerry, Florida State University Sibei Xia, Louisiana State University

Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Project Review:

During the LSU in-person meetings, Dr. Easter, Xingqiu, and Meredith presented their research accomplishments made to objectives 1 (needs, products, and market assessment) and 2 (education). During the Zoom meeting, Meredith provided an overview of the project’s timeline and led the discussion on the extension of the project.

Project Extension:

The project’s current timeline is through September 2024. The present members discussed and decided not to extend it.

Progress Updates/State Reports:

Sibei arranged the in-person meeting at LSU, which was scheduled for May 16^th through May 17^th. Dr. Easter, Xiangqiu, and Josephine Bolaji (in representation of Meredith) presented the event in person. The two-day event included group presentations, an invited talk from Louisiana State Forester Mr. Wade Duea, an online annual meeting, and interviews with Louisiana wildland firefighters. The collected interviews will be further studied, fulfilling objectives 1, 2, and 5.

Plans for the Upcoming Year:

The group will wrap up. The group discussed, and Meredith summarized letting everyone work on their research direction and come back to reform a team if there is a need in the future.

Accomplishments

Published the first study on wildland firefighting personal protective clothing (PPC) cleaning practices in the United States (FL and KY).
Conducted focus groups and interviews to collect data pertaining to wildland firefighting PPC design, comfort, fit, and other performance issues (FL, WA, ID, LA).

Impacts

The multi-state research project provided critical input on cleaning practices for the revised NFPA 1877 Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Wildland Firefighting Protective Clothing and Equipment.
Better fitting wildland gear for women in the fire service was created with improved fire line garment functionality.
Members presented the improved standards to the State of California OSHA board, influencing policy decisions.

Publications

McQuerry, M., Kwon, C., & Poley-Bogan, M.* (2023). Female firefighters’ increased risk of occupational exposure due to ill-fitting personal protective clothing. Frontiers in Materials Polymeric and Composite Materials; Special Issue: Challenges and Emerging Issues on Firefighter’s Toxic Chemical Exposure: Smoke Chemicals, Contaminated PPE, and Off-gassing. 10, 1-10, DOI: 10.3389/fmats.2023.1175559 (Impact: 3.985)

(Invited) McQuerry, M. & Kwon, C. (2023). Personal protective clothing inequities for female structural and wildland firefighters. Fire Engineering PPE Supplement. 16-17.

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