House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology Hearing
Chairwoman Comstock, Ranking Member Lipinski, and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to participate in this important discussion today.
My name is
I was invited to participate today to discuss the following three topics:
1. Priority needs for the fire safety of the nation
2. Effectiveness of the FIRE and SAFER grant programs in addressing the needs of the fire community
3. Recommended improvements to the grant programs or the
In this testimony, I will focus my comments on the American research enterprise that is supporting the fire safety of the nation through the FIRE grant program and in particular the Fire Prevention & Safety (FP&S) grants. Specifically, I will provide a perspective regarding setting research agendas and identifying research priorities broadly covering fire protection and fire safety for fire departments, communities and the safety of the nation. Although several research agenda have been developed to support domestic emergency response, I've been asked to touch on current research priorities that focus on fire service response related to the FIRE grants. My remarks will focus on progress that has been made on these research agenda items as it relates to the FIRE grants program - particularly the Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) Fire Prevention & Safety (FP&S) activity. While a relatively small component of the overall AFG program, the FP&S activities are unique in that they support national programs as opposed to direct funding of local capabilities. Indeed, they are the only national funding program specifically devoted to enhancing the health, safety and effectiveness of the responders who protect our communities.
Background
The
There have been many important improvements in fire service practice and in the health and safety efforts in the fire service. However, much more needs to be done to protect firefighters as evidenced by the fatality and injury statistics that are reported each year. Practices and innovations within the
Largely due to recent, AFG-supported research projects, significant advances have been made in in recent years that have a direct and profound impact of FF health, safety and operational effectiveness.
1) Our understanding of the hazards associated with structural firefighting have increased dramatically. Research has provided a greater understanding of the development, propagation and dangers of modern residential fires - and often this research based understanding is in opposition to what had been historically "understood" by firefighters to be how fire behaved. The lack of understanding of the fundamentals of fire behavior puts every firefighter at grave risk. Research into fire behavior and the hazards it produces remains a fundamental need of the fire service.
2) Our understanding of the protection needed from PPE and the physiological burden imposed by the gear has led to newly designed protective gear, and important tactical guidance that increases firefighter effectiveness while decreasing risk. New materials and a better understanding of the physiological risks of firefighting make this a fruitful area of research to continue to explore.
3) Our understanding of the cardiovascular risks associated with firefighting have increased dramatically. We know that sudden cardiac events are the leading cause of duty-related deaths among firefighters and they are far more likely to occur after fire suppression activity than station duties. Substantial evidence shows convincingly that firefighting leads to high levels of cardiovascular strain. Ongoing research is exploring the causes of cardiovascular events - such as plaque rupture and arrhythmias- to better inform medical screening procedures. Research efforts to better describe the physiological demands of firefighting and how to support peak physical performance of individuals doing arduous work are critical in the fire service - just as they are in the military.
4) Our understanding of the chemical/toxic exposures that firefighters face is just coming into focus along with studies documenting that firefighters have an increased risk for several types of cancer. Fires produce hundreds of toxic compounds, and some are carcinogenic like benzene and certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Research is needed to identify exposure routes and to develop effective mitigation strategies to decrease exposure risk.
5) Our understanding of the post-traumatic stress impact is just now developing. Our awareness of firefighters risk for substance abuse and taking of their own lives is causing great alarm within the fire service and is an area that requires additional research.
Many risks are known, and significant progress has been made, yet risks continue to change, and the fire service needs to be able to respond. Our response theatre grows increasingly diverse and increasingly complex as building construction techniques continue to change, often driven by affordable housing and energy efficiency concerns. The fuels in our structures continue to change, driven by comfort, consumerism, economics and marketing. The
1.
A variety of organizations and stakeholders have developed a series of needs analyses and research agendas to support the advancement of capabilities, health and safety of the fire service in the face of this changing risk profile. While this process has a long history - dating back to America Burning and beyond - I will limit this review to work that has been conducted in the past 10-15 years. What follows is not a complete treatment of all analyses that exist, but covers those that I believe to be most applicable to the FP&S grant program of interest today.
1.1. Technology centric needs analyses - Emergency Responders:
* Project Responder series - Project Responder 3: Toward the First Responder of the Future n2 and Project Responder 4: 2014 National Technology Plan for Emergency Response to Catastrophic Incident n3 - Building off the original 'Project Responder' report in 2004, and prepared by the Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute for the Department of
* The Interagency Board R&D Priority List n4 - The mission of the
* Consistent among these series of analyses is the high (often top) prioritization given to the need to locate responders in real time during an incident. This remains a priority that has received significant investment, including through FP&S R&D grants, but where much work is still needed.
1.2. Building centric needs analyses - Fire and Fire Protection:
*
* Changing Severity of Home Fires n8 - In 2012, the
*
* Expanding focus to include developing strategies to reduce residential fire losses
* Developing fire safety strategies for changing social demographics
* Developing fire safety strategies for sustainable, resilient communities
* Developing guidance for fire fighter tactics to adapt to emerging technologies and strategies
* Facilitating research, development and use of cyber physical systems and integrated technology/systems for fire safety
* Exploring strategies to integrate fire safety into emerging health and safety cultures
* Assessing the factors that impact the effectiveness of fire protection systems
1.3. Firefighter centric needs analyses:
* The National Fire Service Research Agenda n10- Led by the
* NIST Research Roadmap for Smart Fire Fighting n11 - This roadmap was constructed to identify and address high-priority measurement science research challenges, technical barriers, and related research and development gaps that hinder widespread application of Smart Fire Fighting technologies and systems to enhance building and community fire protection, making fire fighters more effective and efficient, positively influencing their safety and health, and generally supporting progress in resolving the overall fire problem. Each chapter was developed by subject matter experts from the scientific domain and fire service domain. This document provides planning for how the firefighter, local area sensor and building located sensors can work together in order to increase effectiveness and reduce risk across the spectrum of fire department functions (from inspection to response to post-fire investigation)
* NFPA United States Fire Service Needs Assessment. The NFPA United States Fire Service Needs Assessment n12 helps to identify where investment is needed in supporting local jurisdictions - particularly those in smaller communities - to attain basic levels of capabilities. In 2015, it was found that a large percentage of departments still cannot outfit each of their firefighters with self-contained breathing apparatus, radios and modern personal protective clothing. This same assessment found that, in addition to basic response capabilities, the overwhelming majority of the departments do not have wellness programs such as behavioral health and/or firefighter fitness and health.
While these assessments and agenda provide an important framework for the development of a research program to support fire and firefighter safety, there are some important limitations of each. In most cases, these documents are the output of a large gathering of individuals with broad expertise, but they are often limited to the scope of knowledge of those who are invited to the table as well as the instrument that is being utilized to collect this information. Thus, the guidance that they provide should not restrict the pathway forward in research. For example, the terms 'Cancer' and 'Behavioral Health' did not appear on the 2005 NFFF National Fire Service Research Agenda. In 2011, as the awareness in the fire service began to evolve, these phrases began to appear in a few recommendations. Both appear in multiple recommendations in the 2015 NFFF Research Agenda document and are leading topics of conversation in today's fire service. In the NFPA Needs Assessment, questions specifically regarding these concerns were added in the 2015 assessment (Behavioral Health Program; Exposure control/PPE decontamination; Monitoring air quality on fireground). However, it is important to note that the FP&S funded work from UL on fireground smoke exposure in FY2007 and behavioral health awareness study at Texas A&M in FY2010. These initial studies have laid the groundwork for the significant research that the FP&S is currently funding in both areas, reinforcing the notion that fire service researchers are in a unique position to recognize risk and design studies to clarify the magnitude of the risk and interventions to address it effectively.
2. Effectiveness of the FIRE grant program in addressing the Research needs of the fire community
Stated bluntly, the FIRE grant program is absolutely vital for a broad based, action oriented federal research program that is focused on the needs of firefighter community. The relatively small slice of the AFG grant programs that is allotted to the Fire Prevention & Safety (FP&S) grants provides an incredibly high impact on fire departments across the country - increasing their effectiveness and helping them operate more safely. While other aspects of the AFG focus largely on supporting local equipment, training and staffing needs - which are all critical elements of a comprehensive local response capability - the FP&S program provides an opportunity to focus on prevention programs that can build resiliency in our communities, through local effort as well as supporting national level programs that feed to the local communities. Between FY2011 and FY2015 (last set of complete data available), a little over
The FP&S R&D activity is a small but focused program in that "The goal of this Research and Development Grants Program activity is to reduce firefighter fatal and nonfatal injuries and improve firefighter safety, health, and wellness." n13 These grants are tied directly to the voice of the fire service, as part of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) directs the applicant to the NFFF Research Agenda. A unique aspect of these grants is that they are reviewed not only by academic subject matter experts to ensure scientific rigor, but also by a
Importantly, the type of occupationally focused, applied level research that has led to so much success in the AFG program is not as easily funded by other Federal agencies such as
2.1 Examples of FP&S supported research
There are multiple examples of successful research projects funded by FP&S R&D activity. Here, I highlight a few specific examples to describe relative impact on the fire service and the larger AFG and SAFER grant programs.
* Cardiovascular - As highlighted by the yearly NFPA reports, the leading cause of on-duty firefighter fatalities is sudden cardiovascular events. This fact has remained constant for the last several decades. In the first NFFF Research Agenda, the importance of understanding the cardiovascular implication of firefighting and developing protective interventions was broadly highlighted. Even in early technology needs assessments, physiological status monitoring (PSM) was highlighted as a critical avenue for further research. As such, funding from FP&S R&D grants has supported significant and enduring research in this area, where studies have focused on o Characterizing cardiac strain of firefighting including the impact of different configurations of PPE and different types of activities
o Protective value of fitness and nutrition interventions
o Efficacy of pharmacological interventions (aspirin, statins, Vitamin C)
o Appropriate medical screening to detect structural heart disease that increases likelihood of sudden incapacitation and death
Over the past 10 years, this work has been advanced by researchers at Harvard,
* Firefighter location and PSM technologies - The first NFFF research agenda and needs analyses from Project Responder and IAB each consistently highlighted the importance of tracking and locating responders in an emergency incident and monitoring their status. This too was an area of early R&D investment by the FP&S grants, where different approaches were proposed and funded. At least one technology has successfully transitioned to a commercialized product and other projects have helped to initiate standardizable evaluation methods for location technologies. Current AFG funding is supporting a project to advance targeted technological solutions for improved firefighter safety (ECG monitoring, improved heat stress algorithms, particulate monitoring). While this topic still remains one of the highest priorities in the fire service and an important technological question, the FP&S program provided some of the earliest funding to address this concern and begin to develop a solution.
* Firefighting tactics - Through a series of studies led by Underwriter's Laboratories as well as projects from
* Fireground staffing - As early as 2008, a series of studies led by CFAI-Risk on fire fighter safety and deployment of resources was designed to enable fire departments and authorities having jurisdiction to make informed decisions regarding resource allocation and service using scientifically-based community risk assessment. As today's fireground and fire equipment continues to evolve, so does research to understand the strenuous nature of firefighting on the safety and health of personnel on the fireground, in particular the risk for repeated exposures and working through multiple SCBA bottles during firefighting activities (as opposed to relieving crews after 1-2 bouts of firefighting work). This knowledge helps local jurisdictions determine the relative risk of different staffing levels that can be used to support SAFER grant proposals and/or staffing strategies.
* Musculoskeletal injuries - Addressing some of the leading injury concerns in the
* Cancer - The need to more fully understand the cancer concerns in the fire service initially appeared on the 2011
Broad multidisciplinary problems require broad multidisciplinary teams. One of the most encouraging trends in the FP&S R&D programs is the high degree of collaboration among researchers investigating health and safety concerns among firefighters. The challenges that firefighters face are often complex and overlapping, and researchers have begun to leverage modest resources to provide high impact data through large-scale, comprehensive studies. For example, a single study combining researchers in fire dynamics and tactics (UL), occupational chemical exposure (NIOSH) and cardiovascular stress (IFSI) is uncovering new information on fireground risks in a manner that would not be possible without the entire team's expertise n14.
2.2 Impact of FP&S supported research
There are a multitude of different metrics that can be utilized to characterize the impact of a program and here I will share just a few. The FP&S and specifically funding for R&D programming has a) driven an increase in academic research focused on the firefighter, b) changed the way academic research interacts with its stakeholders to improve research to practice, c) directly influenced a wide range of policies (SOGS and SOPs) across the country from fireground tactics to support policies to purchasing decisions, and d) had broader impacts well beyond the
Influx of
Engagement between firefighters and researchers. Along with the impressive record of increasing peer review publications, innovations in the way in which the FP&S program reviews and prioritizes research has improved the delivery of findings from scientists to the fire service stakeholders. For example, recent studies at the
Research to practice. The FP&S research has directly and thoughtfully impacted practice in fire departments across the country. Previous research has found its way to practice in a multitude of ways. The dedicated and thorough tactics research conducted by UL has led to significant rewrites of standard operating procedures across the country, maybe nowhere more visible than in the largest fire department in the country -
Broader impacts. Importantly, the benefits of the research supported AFG FP&S R&D grants often extend beyond the fire service organization that are the original target. For example:
* Cardiovascular research is of interest to the large CV community as the body's response to the intense strain imposed by firefighting is not easily replicated in lab or other settings. Exercise physiologist and cardiologists are keenly interested in these results as they extend the understanding of human cardiovascular physiology - and means to prevent cardiac mortality and morbidity - continues to develop (
* Heat stress research with the fire service has led to collaborations with the military to improved predictions of core temperature during various activities of interest to both populations (Ergonomics)
* Detailed study of fireground chemical exposures has allowed improved understanding of pathway that volatile organic compounds such as benzene (which may be encountered in other occupations) can enter the body and be metabolized (
* Public service messages focused on the value of closed doors as part of a comprehensive home fire safety program were developed from a study of firefighter tactics. While focusing on fireground operations, researchers at UL found significantly increased survivability in rooms with closed interior doors, a finding that has been shared broadly through the internet and social media(Fire Technology) n15
* Studies to improve firefighting tactical decisions with regards to water application have recently resulted in new measurement techniques for high temperature moisture and products of combustion (HCN) that have broader application in combustion diagnostics as well as ex vivo porcine model that is providing new insights into skin burn risk for general population.
3. Recommended improvements to the Research grant programs
While the FP&S program has been incredibly successful in supporting the evolving concerns and needs of the fire service, there are some challenges that, if addressed, could lead to even greater reach of the program.
* As with many programs, challenges with resourcing to an appropriate level exist. Considering the high benefit to cost ratio, it would be appropriate to restore funding and award rates (at a minimum) to the levels in FY06-FY10. This modest increase in funding and subsequent increase in proposals funded would restore the broad, multidisciplinary scope to the research organizations that participate. When the FP&S program began, many of the projects were from a single organization. After years of cross pollination at mid-year meetings, these individuals have developed into multidisciplinary and trans-disciplinary teams that continue to work together even outside of the FP&S. As individual researchers and institutions have invested themselves in a research focus to support the fire service, we need to have adequate levels of funding to fund well-designed studies that support the mission of the AFG program.
* Allow longer duration funding mechanisms for longitudinal projects, similar to an R01 mechanism that provides funding for 5 years, perhaps with opportunity for 5 more, allows research to use the strongest research designs (longitidual studies) to address pressing health concerns (cancer, behavioral health, vascular changes, progression of structural heart disease, etc). Such an extension of funding would allow even greater scientific rigor and would further increase the credibility of the program and the impact it has on firefighter health and safety.
* Funding and visibility for dedicated exploratory projects can be increased to support promising work from outside of the existing fire service research enterprise that may have future impacts. Much as initial smoke exposure and behavioral health projects were funded by DHS FP&S prior to their appearance on "needs assessments" and the broad awareness that currently exist within the fire service, money should be dedicated to initiating studies that do not necessarily impact the current research agenda or needs analysis if the science and logic supports its study. This is potentially a high impact area as it leverages the knowledge of the research community in serving the fire service.
* Funding for Centers of Excellence through the FP&S program to create a flexible, trans-disciplinary group of researchers who are dedicated to working with the
* While there are certainly other factors to be considered when releasing the NOFO and accepting application, a repeatable and consistent timeline would greatly benefit the applicants and support system for this program. This is particularly important for academic applicants who may need to recruit students to work on these relatively short term activities.
In summary, the Fire Prevention & Safety program (and particularly the R&D activity) is a relatively small component of the larger FIRE grant program, yet provides wide-ranging and important impact. that improves the effectiveness of the fire service and enhances the health and safety of the firefighters. Of the total grant program, the FP&S has the broadest national level impact, informing the national conversation through major national organizations (IAFF, IAFC, NVFC,
n2 http://www.nisconsortium.org/portal/resources/bin/Project_Responder_3:_1423591018.pdf
n3 https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Project%20Responder%204_1.pdf
n4 https://www.interagencyboard.org/publications/priority-lists
n5 Strategic Roadmap for Fire Risk Reduction in Buildings and Communities. http://ws680.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=909653
n6 Workshop to Define Information Needed by Emergency Responders During
n7 Delivering Building Intelligence to First Responders. http://ws680.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=903815
n8 http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/severity_home_fires_workshop.pdf
n10 http://www.everyonegoeshome.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/02/2015-Rearch-Agenda-Symposium-Report.pdf; http://www.everyonegoeshome.com/symposium/report2.pdf
n11 http://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.1191.pdf
n13 https://www.fema.gov/fire-prevention-safety-grants-research-development
n14 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZO3GO1Nd-E
n15 https://closeyourdoor.org/
Read this original document at: https://science.house.gov/sites/republicans.science.house.gov/files/documents/HHRG-115-SY15-WState-GHorn-20170712.pdf
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