Firefighter health

The government has announced plans to introduce a new agreement aimed at improving the long-term health and wellbeing of firefighters, alongside fresh investment in research to better understand the risks associated with the role.

More than a quarter of firefighters who were exposed to toxic smoke as they battled the Grenfell Tower fire are now suffering from long-term health disorders, new research has found.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is rolling out new protective kit for use by its firefighters in a £3.2m investment intended to reduce the risk from fire contaminants.

John Lord and Robbie Burns spoke at The Emergency Services Show about the SNOMED system, a means for GPs to consider whether firefighters concerned about their health may be showing early signs of cancer. They discuss how a firefighter can register with the SNOMED CT system and have that attached to their GP record, adding that other first responders should consider this too as they may have repeated exposure to contaminants over time.