I am writing this letter in response to “Cold Towels Valuable Rehab Tools” by Guy W. Bull (Fire Engineering, April 2008), as I feel that some of the information was not based on adequate science and that it contained several points of information that were the author’s opinions with little to back them up.
I am the chief safety officer of a large metropolitan fire department and a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program, committee. I also served on the NFPA 1584, Standard on the Rehabilitation Process for Members During Emergency Operations and Training Exercises, Task Group.
I applaud the author’s focus on core temperature increases and the possible link to heat stress-related line-of-duty deaths. Both the British Navy and Defence Research and Development Canada have demonstrated how active cooling can lower core body temperature in the field.
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