Respiratory Protection for Wildland/WUI Firefighters

Project Title: Implementation of NFPA 1984: Overcoming Barriers to the Adoption and Implementation of Respiratory Protection for Wildland/WUI Firefighters

Since it was originally issued, no respiratory devices have been submitted for certification under the NFPA 1984 Standard on Respirators for Wildland Fire-Fighting and Wildland Urban Interface Operations. While agencies agreed that the performance standards were appropriate for wildland exposures, the main reason manufacturers had not submitted a product for certification was that there was no perceived market. The newly released 2022 standard provides greater clarity on the goals and criteria, with an increased recognition of risk in the WUI, however many of the same barriers to adoption continue. The purpose of this project is to help wildland/WUI firefighting agencies understand, assess, adopt, and implement devices that meet/exceed NFPA 1984 and to help bridge the gaps between the end-users, adopting agencies, and manufacturers.

• Grant: DHS FEMA – The Wildfire Conservancy (Jan. 2023 – Sept. 2024)
• Grant Award Amount: $275,000