Mapping the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Challenges of Firefighting to Wearable Devices

Abstract

Firefighting remains a dangerous job and those employed face many challenges to health, safety and wellbeing. The risks faced range from immediate threat to life and limb to long term, repeated exposure to hazardous environments and arduous working conditions. Many of these hazards can be mitigated by recording exposure to risks, processing risk data, improving information flow and increasing situational awareness. Cyber-physical systems and interactive smart wearables offer a smart and seamless suite of tools that can help achieve these goals and allow emergency responders to work more efficiently and safely. Here we examine how data from wearable devices can be used to improve health, safety and wellbeing of the firefighter.

Indexing dynamic collective constructs using computer-aided text analysis: Construct validity evidence and illustrations featuring team processes.

“…There can certainly be different perspectives on these practices. For instance, being able to monitor the physical condition, oxygen intake rate, communications, and surrounding physical conditions of firefighters in burning structures enable incident commanders to optimally deploy, position, and withdraw team members to enhance their safety and effectiveness (Devine et al, 2018). Combining real-time aircraft status and position data with analyses of cockpit – air traffic control communications, particularly under emergency circumstances, may be beneficial to all involved (Rusko & Finke, 2016).…”