Where Data Meets the Realities of the Job
At the Center for Fire, Rescue, and EMS Health Research (CFREHR), our mission is straightforward: to understand what really impacts the health and well-being of first responders — and to use that knowledge to drive meaningful change.
We don’t work in labs or behind closed doors. Our research happens where you do — in stations, on calls, and across the communities you serve.
We’ve partnered with nearly 100 departments nationwide and collected data from more than 2,000 firefighters, giving us one of the most comprehensive pictures of responder health in the field. From some of the largest metropolitan departments — like FDNY, Oakland, and Los Angeles County — to small volunteer agencies in rural towns, we’re capturing the realities of this job across every corner of the fire service.
Every data point tells a story — and together, those stories fuel strategies, policies, and practices that keep firefighters healthier and safer over a career.
We are regularly called upon for our expertise on the topic of firefighter health and wellness by organizations such as:
The International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Safety, Health, and Survival Section
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
The Everyone Goes Home Life Safety Initiatives
The Firefighter Cancer Support Network
The First Responder Center for Excellence
The National Volunteer Fire Council
The US Fire Administration.
We have successfully developed a trusted relationship with the US fire service. Our Investigators serve as primary reviewers for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s research and development grants. Research conducted by CFREHR scientists has played an important role in developing existing health services and policy within the fire service and the U.S. military.
The CFREHR Board of Advisors includes fire service leaders, from both labor and management, who are nationally recognized for their expertise in health and safety:
Chief Billy Goldfeder, Health and Safety representative for IAFC Board of Directors; leading expert on firefighter safety and health issues
Dr. JoEllen Kelly, retired Maryland firefighter, in her hometown, project manager with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s Everyone Goes Home Life Safety Initiatives
Mike Dubron, Los Angeles, CA-based Firefighter/Paramedic; founder of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network
Dr. Richard Gist, Assistant to the Fire Chief in Kansas City, MO; leading expert on firefighter mental health
Chief I. David Daniels, a retired Fire Chief, public safety executive, and renowned occupational health and safety professional. He is the President and CEO of ID2 Solutions, LLC.