Fire Fighter Fatigue Management Program: Operation Healthy Sleep

Fire Fighter Fatigue Management Program: Operation Healthy Sleep

Firefighters work some of the most demanding schedules known under highly stressful and demanding conditions. The need to work frequent extended shifts and long work weeks leads to acute and chronic partial sleep deprivation as well as misalignment of circadian phase. Sleep disorders are common, costly, and treatable, but often remain undiagnosed and untreated and it is likely that a significant proportion of firefighters suffer from undiagnosed sleep disorders which will further impair their sleep and exacerbate fatigue.In the current proposal, we aim to address the health, performance and safety issues related to fatigue in firefighters and test the effectiveness of a Comprehensive Firefighter Fatigue Management Program (CFFMP) that we have termed 'Operation Healthy Sleep.'

We propose to use a station-level, randomized experimental design to test the hypotheses that implementation of a Comprehensive Firefighter Fatigue Management Program will:

1. improve the mean total sleep, alertness and cognitive performance of firefighters;

2. improve firefighter safety, as determined by:

   1. decreased rates of motor vehicle crashes;
   2. decreased on-the-job injuries;

3. improve firefighter performance, as determined by decreased response time;

4. improve firefighters' health, as determined by:

   1. diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders
   2. improved general health indices
   3. decreased number of 'sick' days

5. improve firefighters' and families' job satisfaction and ability to cope with extended work hours.

Inclusion Criteria:

• This proposal includes research involving human subjects (fire department employees).
• Active firefighters working in the study fire department will be eligible to participate in the study.
• All applicants will be considered without bias, regardless of race, ethnicity, or national origin.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Non fire department employees