Washington, D.C. – Because firefighters are the first to respond to emergencies and disasters, the IAFF has developed guidance for IAFF affiliates and members in protecting themselves from and preparing for a potential flu pandemic.
The IAFF guidelines include standard procedures for patient care in which universal precautions are used, as well as recommendations for fire fighters and emergency medical personnel to use – at a minimum – a P-100 disposable respirator or a respirator with a higher level of respiratory protection, such as a full or half facepiece air purifying respirator (APR) or powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) with a HEPA filter/canister when treating patients suspected of infection with the avian Flu.
This recommendation to use a P-100 respirator over less protective disposable respirators as recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is based on the fact that there are no safe exposure levels for biological aerosols. The IAFF recommendation is consistent with the specifications contained in the World Health Organization’s Hospital Infection Control Guidance for SARS, as well as respiratory protection recommendations made by OSHA and NIOSH.
“We thoroughly reviewed the risks to individual IAFF members and determined that the only logical choice is to recommend the highest level of respiratory protection available to our members,” says Schaitberger.
DHHS has charged the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the国家科学院(which provides science-based advice on matters of biomedical science, medicine, and health) with making recommendations on the development of reusable respirators for use during an Influenza pandemic. The IAFF is participating in this process and will continue to push for the highest level of respiratory protection for first responders. The IOM recommendations are due in the spring.
Click hereto read the full text of the IAFF guidance on the avian flu pandemic and other related information.
