{"id":1708,"date":"2026-06-24T15:42:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:42:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=1708"},"modified":"2026-06-24T15:42:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:42:59","slug":"federal-firefighters-will-be-encouraged-to-wear-n95-respirators-in-major-policy-reversal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=1708","title":{"rendered":"Federal firefighters will be encouraged to wear N95 respirators in major policy reversal"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For the first time, federal firefighters will be encouraged to wear respirators to protect them against smoke-related hazards as they work to put out wildland blazes. <\/p>\n

Read more TV host apologizes for slamming soccer star who left World Cup for baby\u2019s birth<\/a><\/p>\n

The U.S. Forest Service announced Wednesday that firefighters were authorized to use N95 respirators on the fire line, a major policy reversal as the agency for decades did not allow such protections, even as studies demonstrated the health harms of wildfire smoke. <\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s long, long overdue,\u201d said George Broyles, a longtime USFS firefighter who has researched wildfire exposure risks. \u201cThere\u2019s no doubt that our men and women out there are at higher risk of cancer and heart disease.\u201d <\/p>\n

To Broyles, the policy change represents a long-awaited acknowledgement from the Forest Service that wildfire smoke is toxic and that the agency ought to find ways to reduce its workers\u2019 risks. <\/p>\n

The Forest Service has been slow to address the health effects of wildfire smoke and to enact worker protections in the difficult-to-control environment of a wildfire. <\/p>\n

When wildfire smoke is inhaled, volatile gases and tiny particles can pass through the lining of the lungs and enter the bloodstream. In the broader U.S. population, exposure to this smoke is associated with asthma, lung cancer and other chronic lung problems, as well as preterm birth and pregnancy loss. Wildland firefighters have a higher risk of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease, studies suggest. <\/p>\n

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The Forest Service also announced that it is initiating a decontamination program designed to reduce firefighters\u2019 skin exposure to the toxins in soot and ash. Workers will be paid for the time they spend washing clothes, cleaning their vehicles and showering after working on a fire.<\/p>\n

The agency described the new policies as an interim step as it pursues a more robust protection program that complies with the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs we work toward a full respiratory protection program, we\u2019re not going to wait any longer. We think N95s can be used in a practical way that can provide some level of protection and if people are getting overheated, they can take it off,\u201d said Evan Burks, a U.S. Forest Service spokesperson. \u201cThis is not a requirement, but we are allowing it and basically encouraging it.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Forest Service said in its announcement that it will require fire managers and firefighters who want to use respirators to participate in a training program.<\/p>\n

As wildfires grow in size and intensity, researchers have been racing to understand the harms of smoke. Wildland firefighters are among the most at risk for chronic smoke-related conditions. <\/p>\n

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A 2019 study, which Broyles co-authored, estimated that career wildland firefighters were 8% to 43% more likely to die of lung cancer and 16% to 30% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease, depending on the length of their career and the number of days of exposure. Another study showed wildland firefighters were far more likely to be diagnosed with hypertension and irregular heartbeats. <\/p>\n

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\u201cAccess to N95s, decontamination protocols, and training can help reduce exposure to harmful smoke and contaminants,\u201d said Steve Gutierrez, a union representative with the National Federation of Federal Employees. \u201cNow we need to continue building on this progress with long-term respiratory protection, cancer screening, medical monitoring to catch illnesses and disease early, as well as facility improvements like washing machines to decontaminate clothing before they bring carcinogens back to their families.\u201d<\/p>\n

N95 respirators are not a perfect solution. They can be hot and uncomfortable and can also increase the effort required to breathe during demanding physical activity. Plus, although they are designed to prevent tiny particles from entering the body, they do not protect against carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and other toxic gases that can come from fires. <\/p>\n

The respirators are not meant to be worn in particularly steep terrain, in fast-changing fire conditions or when a firefighter might make direct contact with flames, according to a Forest Service fact sheet. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere is nothing that exists right now that fits the job,\u201d said Riva Duncan, president of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, a non-profit advocacy group of current and former federal wildland firefighters. She described N95s as \u201canother bandaid.\u201d <\/p>\n

Still, a more comprehensive respirator system compliant with OSHA regulations could be \u201cyears and years\u201d away from success, Broyles said.<\/p>\n

He and Gutierrez both said that many firefighters might choose not to wear the N95 respirators.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI think it will be a culture-changing process,\u201d Gutierrez said. <\/p>\n

This summer could be especially difficult for wildland firefighters. According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), more than 34,000 wildfires have already burned at least 2.7 million acres this year; both figures are above the 10-year-average. <\/p>\n

Many western states, including Utah and Colorado, experienced all-time low snowpacks this spring and are deep in drought, which raises fire risk. Meanwhile, a strong El Ni\u00f1o pattern is in effect, which can be expected to raise average global temperatures.<\/p>\n

NIFC forecast maps for wildfires through September. No areas are shown with \u201cbelow-normal\u201d potential. <\/p>\n

Read more Ships start sailing through Hormuz under U.N. evacuation scheme, agency says<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For the first time, federal firefighters will be encouraged to wear respirators to protect against smoke-related hazards as they put out wildfires, the U.S. Forest Service announced.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-news"],"yoast_head":"\nFederal firefighters will be encouraged to wear N95 respirators in major policy reversal - Trusted Moving Group<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=1708\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Federal firefighters will be encouraged to wear N95 respirators in major policy reversal - 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