NIOSH Firefighter Safety Program in the US may be revived amid federal changes
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The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) team that investigates firefighter line-of-duty deaths may be reinstated after being disbanded under President Donald Trump’s administration, according to Firehouse.com.
Since 1998, NIOSH has conducted detailed investigations of firefighter fatalities, issuing reports with safety recommendations. The agency also oversees the National Firefighter Cancer Registry, which was shut down in February after staff layoffs.
On Sunday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. emphasized on X firefighters' bravery and reaffirmed the importance of health and safety programs. In late December, President Joe Biden reauthorized NIOSH’s firefighter safety program and increased its funding. However, the long-term future of the initiative remains uncertain.
Federal Health Team Helping Iowa Firefighters Disbanded Amid Concerns Over Diesel Exhaust
However, a recent article on Politico paints a slightly different picture, and in the article, Kenny Schroeder, a firefighter hired by the CDC to help recruit participants for the cancer database, said the cuts are “really a gut punch.”
A team of federal health workers assisting Iowa firefighters in limiting exposure to diesel fumes was abruptly disbanded this month, leaving only one member in place. The Cincinnati-based team had been working since last August after three fire stations requested their expertise in addressing air quality concerns.
Accrding to the article, polls showed firefighters and other first responders overwhelmingly supported Trump’s reelection, and the president has often praised firefighters for their work.
"The US Department of Health Human Services and did not respond to a request for comment about the cuts. After publication, Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the agency, said, “health and safety programs remain a top priority for HHS. As the agency continues to streamline its operations, critical initiatives - like the NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation program and the [World Trade Center Health Program] - will remain intact.”
