Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Fire Fighters and EMS ... - NAEMT

<strong>Effects</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Sleep</strong> <strong>Deprivation</strong> on Fire Fighters and EMS Responders
Since the late 1990s, all fire fighter fatalities have been investigated, compiled and analyzed in the
Firefighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/). This
has provided an important source <strong>of</strong> information concerning health hazards (Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2006). While reporting <strong>of</strong> on duty deaths is complete, the system does not
capture nonfatal events. Importantly there is no data on crashes that occur during the commute
home following a shift, which may be a vulnerable time for fatigued employees.
4.6 Work Hours and Wildland Fire Fighters
Wildland fire fighters generally are employed by the Forest
Service and the Department <strong>of</strong> the Interior to control, extinguish,
manage and prevent wildland fires. Most wildland fire fighters
work on a seasonal basis. They stay at a base camp during <strong>of</strong>fduty
hours and work at the fire sites for shifts that extend beyond
the typical eight hours and involve physical demands well
above those <strong>of</strong> even the most vigorous <strong>of</strong> other occupations.
Because different organizations employ wildland fire fighters,
the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) (2004)
helps coordinate programs and provide more effective execution
<strong>of</strong> each agency’s fire management program.
http://www.nwcg.gov/
The NWCG recommends 14 day duty assignments, excluding travel, and during those times, a
work to rest ratio <strong>of</strong> 2:1, (that is, for every 2 hours <strong>of</strong> work or travel, provide 1 hour <strong>of</strong> sleep and/or
rest). Generally, crews are deployed as two shifts, working 10 to 12 hours per shift. Work shifts that
exceed 16 hours and/or consecutive days that do not meet the 2:1 work/rest ratio should be the
exception, and no work shift should exceed 24 hours. After completion <strong>of</strong> a 14 day assignment
and return to the home unit, two mandatory days <strong>of</strong>f should be provided. In additions, no driver
may drive more than 10 hours during any duty day.
Crew leaders must allow appropriate rest for their crew and monitor members for signs <strong>of</strong> fatigue.
The crew leaders especially must get enough rest, as long shifts and lack <strong>of</strong> sleep impair cognitive
function more quickly than physical abilities, and they are responsible for organizing the work to
minimize crew member fatigue, such as changing assignments to help maintain interest.
Wildland fire fighting is extremely physically demanding. Studies <strong>of</strong> energy expenditure during
this arduous work indicate that daily energy expenditure approximates that <strong>of</strong> running a marathon
and is more than twice that <strong>of</strong> recreationally active college students (Heil, 2002; Ruby et al., 2003).
Because <strong>of</strong> that physical drain, along with long hours and lack <strong>of</strong> sleep, researchers have looked
for physiological manifestations <strong>of</strong> work stress, such as depressed immune function. For example,
investigators studied wildfire crews by obtaining saliva samples just prior to and immediately
after shifts <strong>of</strong> different lengths, and they found that after working 12 hours, there was a fall in
immunoglobulins (disease fighting antibody levels). When fire fighters worked longer than 12
hours, the immune response did not recover by the following day and remained depressed for
five additional work days. Based on their findings, the researchers noted the importance <strong>of</strong>
being well rested prior to deployment, obtaining seven to eight hours <strong>of</strong> sleep each night and
using short (less than 20 minutes) or long (more than 90 minute) naps when possible (Childress,
2004).
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