Official websites use .gov

A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A **lock** () or **https://** means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Skip to main content

Visit the U.S. Fire Administration homepage

HotelsLibraryPublicationsBlogImage GalleryPodcastsAboutContact

            - Fire Academy - Courses
- Programs
- Admissions
- On-Campus Students
- About
- 
- Fire Academy Home

            - NFIRS - eNFIRS Applications
- Documentation
- Training
- Coding Help
- Reporting Guidelines
- Vendor Information
- Data Quality
- Access Data
- About NFIRS
- NERIS
- 
- NFIRS Home

            - Prevention - Home Fires
- Arson & Youth Firesetting
- Hotels & Vacation Rentals
- Outdoor Fires/Wildfires
- Vehicle Fires
- Workplace Fires
- Life Safety Hazards
- Fire Is Everyone’s Fight®
- Fire Prevention Officials
- 
- Fire Prevention Home

            - Statistics - Reports
- Death & Injury Risk
- Residential Fires
- Nonresidential Fires
- Outside & Vehicle Fires
- Firefighter Fatalities
- Fire Department Registry
- State Statistics
- Data Sets
- 
- Statistics Home

            - EMS
            - Wildfire - Training
- Cohesive Strategy
- Fire-Adapted Communities
- Outreach Materials
- Healthy Landscapes
- Data
- Research & Technology
- Wildfire & WUI Blog
- 
- Wildfire Home

            - A-Z Index
            - 

- Fire Academy... - Overview
- Courses
- Programs
- Admissions
- Campus Life
- About

- NFIRS... - Overview
- eNFIRS Applications
- Documentation
- Training
- Coding Help
- Reporting Guidelines
- Vendor Information
- Data Quality
- Access Data
- About NFIRS
- NERIS

- Fire Prevention... - Overview
- Home Fires
- Arson & Youth Firesetting
- Hotels & Vacation Rentals
- Outdoor Fires/Wildfires
- Vehicle Fires
- Workplace Fires
- Life Safety Hazards
- Fire Is Everyone’s Fight®
- Fire Prevention Officials

- Statistics... - Overview
- Reports
- Death & Injury Risk
- Residential Fires
- Nonresidential Fires
- Outside & Vehicle Fires
- Firefighter Fatalities
- Fire Department List
- State Statistics
- Data Sets

- EMS
- Wildfire... - Overview
- Training
- Cohesive Strategy
- Fire-Adapted Communities
- Outreach Materials
- Data
- Research & Technology
- Wildfire & WUI Blog

- A-Z Index

            - Hotels
            - Library
            - Publications
            - Blog
            - Image Gallery
            - Podcasts
            - About
            - Contact

- Home
- A-Z Index
- Emergency Responder Health, Safety & Wellness

# Emergency Responder Health, Safety and Wellness

      - Share on:
      - 
      - 
      - 

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) is committed to reducing firefighter fatalities and injuries by helping to create a safer operational environment for emergency responders. The resources below contain best practices and recommendations for improved technologies, operations and behaviors that will better prepare the fire service to respond to all incidents and mitigate the consequences of fire.

Infogram
NEW

### Procedural guidelines for special pathogens

Learn about the EMS Model Procedural Guidelines for Special Pathogens just released by the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center. Guidelines provide step-by-step instructions for EMS to incorporate in your policies and procedures.
Read the article

EMS, Hazmat, Health and safety, Training

Infogram
NEW

### Improving emergency vehicle lighting and visibility at roadway incidents

Learn about actionable research findings on emergency vehicle lighting and visibility at roadway incidents on a new Federal Highway Administration National Operations Center of Excellence webinar.
Read the article

Health and safety

Infogram

### NHTSA updates the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria

The updated edition includes recommendations for linkages to existing data elements from other national data standards, is aligned with NEMSIS and incorporates NEMSIS' Universally Unique Identifiers that can serve as linkages between crash and injury surveillance data systems.
Read the article

Codes and standards, Data, Health and safety

Infogram

### Preliminary After-Action Report: 2023 Maui Wildfire

Maui PD's preliminary after-action report makes 32 recommendations to improve Maui's police response to future natural disaster response efforts.
Read the article

Health and safety, Leadership, Planning, Wildfire and WUI

## National Fire Academy training

Our Responder Health and Safety courses will help you to develop risk management strategies that reduce firefighter and EMS casualties. Current health and safety issues are explored, with an emphasis on the safety role of the first-line supervisor.

Courses are available on- and off-campus, and online.
Browse courses in this curriculum

## EMS Safety Practices

Learn how to develop a safety program that covers all aspects of emergency medical services (EMS) operations.
            - PDF
            - EPUB

## Health, safety and wellness manuals

See also:USFA reports on firefighter fatalities and injuries

### Emergency Services Ergonomics and Wellness

Provides corrective measures that will help to increase the safety of emergency responders, reduce the costs of worker's compensation claims, maximize the longevity of emergency service careers, and assist with sending personnel into healthy retirements.

Includes posters for your fire department that encourage injury prevention by working smarter.
Get the handbook

### Emerging Health and Safety Issues Among Women in the Fire Service

This guide serves as a status check on long-term and emerging issues of health and safety for women in the fire service.

Includes resources that address top issues and makes recommendations for improving the fire service for women and for all.
PDF

### Safety and Health Considerations for the Design of Fire and EMS Stations

If you are a fire department leader, architect or local government official, this guide will assist you in your efforts to design a safe, healthy and functional facility.

Recommendations are specifically directed toward those injury, health and accident concerns associated with activities that occur at fire and emergency services stations.
PDF

### Risk Management Practices in the Fire Service

Recommended approaches to help your department manage organizational, operational and community risk.

Addresses specific challenges involved in incorporating a “risk management approach” into the delivery of fire department services.
PDF

### Mitigation of Occupational Violence to Firefighters and EMS Responders

Documents the causes of violence to firefighters and EMS responders, explains the risk factors, and presents opportunities to reduce or prevent violence.

Focus areas include characteristics of patient/perpetrator violence, estimates of violence, psychosocial impact and more.
PDF

### Critical Health and Safety Issues in the Volunteer Fire Service

Identifies resources, provides references, suggests tools, illustrates best practices and establishes goals and objectives for each issue to help departments improve firefighter safety, well-being and survival.

As a nation, we rely on the volunteer fire service every day to save lives and protect property in times of danger and disaster. In order to do so, volunteers must first be healthy, safe and able to respond.
PDFEPUB

### Voice Radio Communications Guide for the Fire Service

Provides a basic understanding of radio communications technology, including hardware, policies and procedures, and human resource issues.

Focus areas include digital and analog radio, system design, portable radio selection and use, interoperability, and more.
PDF

### National Safety Culture Change Initiative

Highlights fire and emergency service cultural aspects that contribute to occupational illnesses, injuries and fatalities.

Focus areas include environmental factors, health and wellness, individual responsibility, seat belt usage, and more.
PDFEPUB

### Emergency Incident Rehabilitation

Learn more about the important topics related to emergency incident rehabilitation, including human physiology, operational issues, protective clothing, technology, tactical procedures and weather issues.

Emergency incident rehabilitation can prevent serious and life-threatening conditions — such as heat stroke and heart attacks — from occurring.
PDF

### More content on the web

#### Health and safety

              - American Wood Council . Information for the fire service on traditional and modern wood products used in construction, including visual guides to roof, floor and wall assemblies, and educational materials on fire testing and performance.
              - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health . Resources for the fire service on line-of-duty deaths, cancer and other illnesses, personal protective equipment and job hazards.
              - National Institute of Standards and Technology . Research reports on safety equipment, firefighting tactics, structural collapse and more.

#### Wellness and fitness

              - Fire Service Joint Labor Management Wellness-Fitness Task Force . Dedicated to developing a holistic, positive rehabilitating and educational approach to wellness and fitness programs in the fire service.
              - Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance . Provides behavioral health workshops to fire departments, focusing on behavioral health and resource awareness, and suicide prevention.
              - International Association of Fire Chiefs: Sleep deprivation . A report and educational program with information on the health and performance effects of sleep deprivation, countermeasures for sleep deprivation, and mitigating strategies.
              - National Firefighter Registry . The registry is the largest effort ever undertaken to understand and reduce risk of cancer among U.S. firefighters. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is recruiting firefighters to join the registry so that it can better understand the link between firefighting and cancer.

Page last reviewed: Oct. 30, 2023

Be prepared.Be informed.Be safe.

            - 
            - 
            - 
            - 
            - 

Contact USFA

Information for
                - College/university educators
                - On-campus students
                - Off-campus students
                - Online students
                - NFA instructors
                - Public information officers

                - Public fire educators
                - Researchers
                - State training officials
                - Volunteer fire service
                - Wildland firefighters

About USFA
            - Leadership
            - Events
            - Position statements
            - Strategic plan
            - Job announcements
            - Send us your photos
            - Doing business with us
            - Subscribe to email lists

----

16825 S. Seton Ave.Emmitsburg, MD21727USA

800-238-3358

 Fire Is Everyone’s Fight®

USFA.FEMA.govAn official website of the Federal Emergency Management Agency

          - Accessibility
          - Accountability
          - Careers
          - Civil Rights
          - Contact FEMA

          - FOIA
          - Glossary
          - No FEAR Act
          - Plug-Ins
          - Privacy

          - Report Disaster Fraud
          - Website Information
          - DHS.gov
          - USA.gov
          - Inspector General

Current Advisories