Wildland Firefighter Safety

Project Title: Enhancing Wildland Firefighter Protection from Respiratory and Dermal Particulate Hazards

Wildland/WUI firefighters are exposed to many harmful toxicants in the field. Despite the risks from smoke inhalation, many wear no respiratory protection or just a bandana over their nose and mouth. The purpose of this study is to assess the protection and comfort of currently available and emerging technologies in an effort to better understand and align with user needs. These commercially available respiratory devices will be evaluated through a multi-phased approach that includes laboratory assessments of breathability, fit, and function against particulates and vapors, field assessments during actual smoke exposures, and physiological wear trials that give firefighter’s the opportunity to provide feedback while quantifying the physiological burden in the field.

• Grant: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection – The Wildfire Conservancy (Jan. 2023 – Jun. 2025)
• Grant Award Amount: $500,000