Heart to Heart: Strategizing an evidence-based approach to reduce cardiac disease and death in the fire service

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Emmitsburg MD

Investigators

Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): PAR-14-246 Organization: National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) Principal Investigator: Denise Smith, PhD Project title: Heart to Heart: Strategizing an evidence-based approach to decrease cardiac disease and deaths in the fire service The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) seeks to sponsor a 2-day conference involving approximately 50 representatives of major fire service constituency organizations, researchers, and occupational medicine experts to develop a strategic plan to address issues of cardiac disease and death among fire and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel. The NFFF has supported research investigating firefighter cardiac health for five years-directly through financial support, and the dissemination of heart care advice through our training delivery programs. We have worked with leading academic research institutions, including Johns Hopkins University, to investigate the nexus of heart disease and firefighting. We are confident that we are at a point where it is time to inform the fire service o what we absolutely know about firefighting and heart disease in order to decrease the devastating problem of duty-related cardiac events. This conference will present evidenced-based research regarding the development of cardiovascular disease and medical and life-style strategies to reduce disease progression. It will also present the opportunity to open a discussion of what the roles for national fire service organizations, fire departments, individual firefighters, health and safety officers, and health care providers (including occupational medicine and primary care physicians) can and should be in supporting changes that will lead to decreased disease burden and allow for longer and healthier firefighter careers. This conference, modeled after the consensus process proven successful in earlier occupational health projects, seeks to identify points where intervention may prove productive and design specific projects to bring evidence-informed resources to bear in effective, efficacious, and cost-efficient fashions specifically suited to fire and EMS populations and settings. Proposed for December 2015 in the Baltimore Maryland area, this conference will feature one day of structured presentations covering new research findings and state of the art knowledge, and a second day devoted to the generation of a broad consensus approach to the areas of medical evaluation, physical fitness, and behavioral health related to cardiovascular disease. The ideas/approaches developed on Day 2 will build on the scientific evidence, consensus on best evidence, and best practices presented on Day 1, and will be developed based on a recognized need to establish approaches reflecting the best fit for these with respect to fire service programs and practices.