FSTAR Admin

July 15, 2020

Dangerous Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Containing Methanol

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Takes Action to Warn, Protect Consumers from Dangerous Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Containing Methanol As part of continued action to protect the American public, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers and health care professionals about hand sanitizer products containing methanol, or wood alcohol — a substance often used to create fuel and antifreeze that is not an acceptable active ingredient for hand sanitizer products and can be toxic when absorbed through the skin as well as life-threatening when ingested. The agency has seen an increase in hand sanitizer products that are labeled to contain ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol) but that have tested positive for methanol contamination. State officials have also reported recent adverse events from adults and children ingesting hand sanitizer products contaminated with methanol, including blindness, hospitalizations and death. See this webpage for a full list of hand sanitizers we urge consumers not to use: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-hand-sanitzers-methanol  
December 17, 2019

PPE CASE Notes Personal Protective Equipment Conformity Assessment Studies and Evaluation Notes: Firefighter SCBA Facepiece Sizing Issues

PPE CASE Notes Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Personal Protective Equipment Conformity Assessment Studies and Evaluations (PPE CASE) Notes are fact sheets that provide a summary of findings from our post-market personal protective equipment tests, evaluations, and investigations. These fact sheets inform respirator users about common themes or trends we found and provide best practice reminders to prevent future occurrences. PPE CASE Notes Personal Protective Equipment Conformity Assessment Studies and Evaluation Notes: Firefighter SCBA Facepiece Sizing Issues DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2020-107 Respirators used in the workplace need to be approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). When users experience issues with NIOSH-approved respirators, NIOSH initiates a Certified Product Investigation Process to identify the root cause and develop corrective actions. Below is an example of a past issue that NIOSH addressed through this process. This example focuses on self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) facepiece sizing issues within fire departments.
October 17, 2019
National Firefighter Registry Congress directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)external icon to create the National Firefighter Registry (NFR) How do I enroll? Enrollment is not yet open, but there will be an opportunity in the near future for all firefighters to enroll. NIOSH will keep this webpage updated as the enrollment period approaches. What is the NFR? The National Firefighter Registry, or NFR, will be a large database of health and occupational information on firefighters that can be used to analyze and track cancer and identify occupational risk factors for cancer to help the public safety community, researchers, scientists and medical professionals find better ways to protect those who protect our communities and environment. With voluntary participation from firefighters, the NFR will include information about firefighter characteristics, work assignments and exposure, and relevant health details to monitor, track and improve our knowledge about cancer risks for firefighters. Why was the NFR created? Studies of cancer in firefighters, including a study published by NIOSH pdf icon found that firefighters may have a greater risk of some types of cancer. But many of these earlier studies did not include volunteer firefighters, or sufficient numbers of female and minority firefighters, to adequately assess their risk. The NFR will include members of these groups, providing a more representative sample of the fire service to gain greater insights into the connection between firefighting and cancer.
June 6, 2019

Mobile Emergency Routing Services for First Responder Vehicles

DHS Science and Technology Directorate Quick-Route
May 21, 2019

IAFC Releases Guide to Address Gap in Firefighter Physicals

Doctors, researchers and fire service experts team to create tool to promote firefighter health
April 20, 2017

FSTAR Townhall On Fire Dynamics and Health and Safety July 25, 2017

The townhall is a one-day training event focused on the health and safety based of modern fire behavior, incorporating the latest tactical considerations.
October 20, 2016

FSTAR Health Shares New Guide to Improve Firefighter Physicals

The Healthcare Provider's Guide to Firefighter Physicals is coming soon to a fire department near you.
October 20, 2016

Physicals: Your Life Depends on Them!

"Thankfully, my fire department physical caught this disease early enough so it never affected my career and enabled early treatment of a potentially life-threatening problem."
September 15, 2016

8 Online UL Training Courses

Find it here: http://ulfirefightersafety.com/courses/
July 28, 2016

Online Training Courses

Focusing on fireground challenges and re-thinking tactical choices. Increased Thermal Hazards in Wind-Driven Fires Fire Dynamics Terminology Structural Firefighting Research
July 14, 2016

Share Info on Firefighters Who Inspire You

FSTAR and the IAFC will be hosting a Firefighter Memorial Wall and a Firefighter Survival Wall. The walls are a place to post a photo or a name of a firefighter who has dealt with or is currently dealing with job-related health issues.
June 15, 2016

Safety Stand Down June 19-25

FSTAR has created a list of additional related materials for training. Fire departments are encouraged to suspend all non-emergency activity during Safety Stand Down in order to focus on training and education related to this year’s theme: “The First 5 Minutes – Stretching the Initial Hose Line, Putting Water on the Fire.”
June 15, 2016

Your Experience Getting a Firefighter Physical

FSTAR Health is collecting data on firefighter physicals. Please take this 10 minute survey to answer a series of questions on your experiences in getting a firefighter physical.
June 7, 2016

Video: Applying Research to the Fireground

Two departments with different backgrounds and response needs are using fire dynamics research to answer challenges on the fireground.
June 2, 2016

FSTAR Training Course: Increased Thermal Hazards in Wind-Driven Fires

Students will learn about research-based tactics and principles including flow path, size-up, and thermal hazards associated with structure fires. Students will also learn about the effects of wind on flow path and how wind affects the development of an Incident Action Plan (IAP).
June 2, 2016

President’s Letter: Fighting Fire Through Research

"Adapting our strategies and tactics to the modern fireground is no different; we must use science and research to educate every firefighter about the risks we face."
May 26, 2016

Firefighting and Health

FSTAR, Occupational Risks, and The Need for Firefighter Physicals. It is our belief that very few firefighters undergo the necessary medical monitoring needed to prevent or catch these potentially devastating, life-altering illnesses or injuries.
May 13, 2016

How to Read Research

Using research requires reading it – an often challenging effort given the commitment of time and attention. Research is written in highly technical language, often without definitive, actionable outcomes. While it can make sure research difficult to apply, it also allows for research to continuously improve and refine our understanding of the world around us.
May 10, 2016

Read the Fact Sheet to Maximize your Training!

Stay updated with FSTAR's newest Featured Studies. We've broken down the core ideas into downloadable fact sheets so you can get the most out of cutting edge research. Visit our Featured Studies archive to learn more.
May 9, 2016

Boston Fire Department Hosting Health and Safety Symposium

The Boston Fire Department, in conjunction with the International Association of Fire Fighters and Local 718, is hosting a two-day symposium May 19-20 to address occupational health and safety issues in the fire service.
April 19, 2016

Monthly Newsletter

FSTAR’s monthly newsletter will keep you in the loop with resources, tools, upcoming events, available research, and other information to help you and your department. Read our previous newsletters. Sign up to receive FSTAR newsletters.
April 12, 2016

Fire Dynamics Webinar, April 21st

This is a success story of the Houston Fire Department using research to change culture, behaviors, and fireground operations. By better understanding fire dynamics research the department has changed the way they approach fires. This webinar will provide a before and after comparison of risk behaviors. Through training Houston has been successful in the implementation of these practices.
April 12, 2016

Attending FDIC?

Visit us! We are at booth 9151.
March 31, 2016

March Newsletter

FSTAR is one of several homes for fire service research. Another is the U.S. Fire Administration Library, located on the campus of the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) in Emmitsburg, Md. The Library has one of the most comprehensive collections of materials in the United States for both fire and emergency-management research.
March 29, 2016

FSTAR Townhall in Branford, CT on April 12th

The Branford Fire Department, in association with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI) present a Firefighter Safety Through Advanced Research (FSTAR) Townhall.
March 28, 2016

FSTAR Townhall in Brighton, MI on April 8th

The Brighton Area Fire Authority, in association with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI) present a Firefighter Safety Through Advanced Research (FSTAR) Townhall.
March 1, 2016

February Newsletter

The February newsletter contains new featured studies, website survey, FSTAR health, research agenda symposium, and upcoming events.
March 1, 2016

FSTAR Townhall in Orange County, CA on April 1st

The townhall is a free one-day training event focused on modern fire behavior research, science and the tactical considerations that can be used to reduce risk to firefighters operating on structure fires.
January 29, 2016

January Newsletter

Annual medical physicals and wellness programs continue to be a critical issue for the fire service. The growing body of research on issues such as cardiac health and exposures risks points to a need to conduct both incumbent and ongoing annual medical physicals for all firefighters.
January 15, 2016

December Newsletter

According to USFA, 59 firefighters died of heart attacks while on duty in 2014 (PDF). While research is continuing to tell us more about the effects of firefighting on the cardiovascular system, there’s a lot we know right now.
December 1, 2015

November Newsletter

This month, FSTAR took part in the National Fallen Firefighters’ Research Agenda Symposium. Since 2005, the fire service and researchers have come together to review and set priorities for research. Among the many outcomes of this meeting, the illustration of how much research has been completed is a significant takeaway for us. The Illinois Fire Service Institute’s Dr. Gavin Horn quantified what this means: 66% of fire service health research has happened in the last 10 years. It is critical to leverage this immense and growing body of knowledge into action.
November 20, 2015

Free Training at FSTAR Townhalls in Northern California

The Oakland Fire Department, San Francisco Fire Department and San Jose Fire Department are partnering with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) to present FSTAR Townhalls.
October 20, 2015

Free Training at FSTAR Townhall in Boston

The Boston Fire Department, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) are partnering to present a FSTAR Townhall.
August 20, 2015

FSTAR FRI Schedule

FSTAR is partnering with researchers and experts to answer your questions at Fire-Rescue International. Please stop by any of these events to learn more about FSTAR. If you are not attending FRI, send us your questions via Twitter @FSTAR_Research or email to fstar@iafc.org.
August 19, 2015

FSTAR is Live

Welcome to FSTAR! Our new flagship website, fstaresearch.org, includes a searchable research library and user-friendly summaries of cutting-edge research. We’ve gathered together over 200 research studies for you. Pick a keyword and start your search! Check out our new video on how to use the FSTAR website.
July 10, 2015

FSTAR needs you!

The first 50 website testers will receive an FSTAR luggage tag!

As we prepare for a full launch of the Firefighter Safety Through Advanced Research (FSTAR) project at Fire-Rescue International in August, we need your help in testing its website. We are making this process as simple and easy as possible. No previous experience or special equipment is required!
July 7, 2015

Looking forward to seeing you in Baltimore!

Visit us at Booth #1804 at Firehouse Expo to learn more about FSTAR and research that can help you! Stop by for a preview of the upcoming FSTAR website and all things you can expect from FSTAR in the next few months. We are gearing up for a full website launch at Fire-Rescue International and are attending events like Firehouse Expo to get valuable feedback from our target audience – you!
June 4, 2015

Attending the NFPA Conference?

Stop by for a preview of the upcoming FSTAR website launch and all things you can expect from FSTAR in the next few months. We are gearing up for a full website launch at Fire-Rescue International and are attending events like the NFPA conference to get valuable feedback from our target audience – you!