Publications

OBJECTIVES: Emergency personnel, including firefighters, play a crucial role in providing emergency care in diverse and challenging environments. With over 1,058,700 active firefighters in the United States, occupational safety assessment is vital due to high injury rates, especially from overexertion. By analyzing muscle activity and video feedback, this study aimed to improve first responders' occupational health and safety during lifting and transferring of patients.

METHODS: This study focused on 37 first responders from the City of Fairfield Fire Department, Ohio. Participants underwent video-assisted feedback sessions aimed at improving body mechanics during sit-to-stand transfers. Surface electromyography measured erector spinae (ES) and gluteus maximus (GM) muscle activation preintervention and post-intervention.

RESULTS: Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in ES or GM muscle activation levels post-intervention. However, participants showed improved bilateral muscle activation symmetry, potentially reducing strain during lifting tasks. Video feedback emphasized neutral spine positioning, proximity to patients, and proper hand placement, aligning with ergonomic principles.

CONCLUSIONS: While statistical significance in muscle activation levels was not achieved, improved symmetry suggests potential benefits in injury prevention. Video feedback, coupled with expert guidance, enhances awareness of ergonomic techniques among first responders, promoting safer work practices.

BACKGROUND: The use of mass media is recommended to improve public awareness of first aid and enhance the motivation of laypeople to provide life-saving help. This study aimed to investigate practices of reporting incidents of foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO) in online news media, particularly in terms of whether and how information concerning first aid is presented.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study that analyzed the content of news articles published within a 2-year timeframe, which reported cases of fatal FBAO that happened in India and the United Kingdom (UK).

RESULTS: The search revealed 47 articles for India and 82 for the UK, including publications by top news brands like BBC News and India Today. The articles reported 18 and 45 unique cases of FBAO, respectively. Only 21.3 percent (n = 47) of articles for India and 1.2 percent (1) for the UK touched upon the relevance of first aid; 0.0 percent (0) and 2.4 percent (2), respectively, addressed the importance of first aid training; 19.1 percent (9) and 2.4 percent (2), respectively, contained some instructions on first aid. The instructions for the most part omitted relevant techniques of first aid, provided insufficient details on how to perform the assistance, and occasionally contained false or misleading information.

CONCLUSIONS: Inappropriate presentation of information on first aid by online news media, including top national news brands, represents a lost opportunity to massively enhance public awareness, knowledge, and perceptions concerning first aid. The development of international guidelines on reporting first aid in mass media is advisable.

In 2020, emergency operations resources in the United States began responding to the presence of coronavirus disease 2019 and its variants. Mitigation efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus by these organizations included vaccination, increased sanitation, social distancing, and physical barriers such as masks and shields. Due to the nature of the coronavirus and emergency operations requirements, these approaches have proven not be 100 percent effective in fully meeting those needs. This manuscript discusses the use of radio frequency identification technology to help protect emergency operations personnel against coronavirus transmission.

This study examined the relationship between family-work role conflict and work self-efficacy among Israeli mothers during the Swords of Iron War emergency, focusing on coping resources such as optimism and conflict management strategies. The participants included 182 working mothers of young children experiencing heightened stress due to the ongoing war. Of the three examined coping strategies, routine maintenance was most prevalent, followed by reorganization of work and family roles, and seeking help from the environment. Routine maintenance was the only strategy directly related to work self-efficacy. Optimism contributed indirectly to work self-efficacy through routine maintenance. It is concluded that maintaining a routine is crucial for coping with role conflict during community emergencies, as it enhances work self-efficacy both directly and indirectly by fostering optimism. Practical recommendations include training women in adopting routine strategies, fostering optimism, and emphasizing the importance of maintaining routine during prolonged periods of community stress.

The growing impact of climate change has highlighted the importance of effective disaster housing recovery (DHR) measures, particularly in resource-constrained places prone to flooding. As these communities confront displacement and financial instability, allocating resources for post-DHR is crucial. This study presents an innovative strategy for improving DHR planning and execution that uses genetic algorithms (GAs), with a focus on Long-Term Recovery Groups (LTRGs) and community engagement for long-term results. By utilizing adaptive capabilities of GAs, the model efficiently navigates the complexity of resource allocation, balancing several criteria, such as cost-effectiveness, housing coverage, and stakeholder needs. This study evaluates the efficacy of GAs in DHR planning by developing and evaluating hypotheses on optimization, LTRG preparedness, and community autonomy. The results show that GA-driven planning considerably improves resource allocation decisions, promoting resilience and long-term recovery. The findings highlight the ability of GAs to solve complex difficulties in DHR, providing insights for policymakers, urban planners, and disaster response teams looking to improve recovery processes and community -resilience.

Social media caused a massive shift in emergency management and communications in the early 2000s. Now, as the landscape shifts again, we must think ahead to create the most equitable, useful, and effective possible methods of digital disaster communications going forward.

INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic thrust individuals from nonhealthcare occupations, such as public transit, into the role of frontline essential workers. Unlike frontline healthcare workers, these individuals lacked the training, experience, supplies, equipment, and supervision that would typically be expected for healthcare and first response personnel during a pandemic. New York City transit workers were particularly impacted due to high rates of mortality, illness, and quarantine and isolation, yet data are sparse on their perceptions of worksite preparedness and response.

METHODS: Data from six focus groups with 25 unique participants, all in public-facing transit roles and members of the Transport Workers Union-Local 100 were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Both inductive and deductive analyses were conducted using the Constant Comparative Method.

RESULTS: Roughly 3 years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, participants continued to feel overlooked and unappreciated in their role as frontline workers. Three themes emerged from the data, including (1) lack of recognition as an essential worker, (2) lack of trust in the workplace, and (3) fear and concern regarding workplace safety and security.

CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic exacerbated longstanding workplace tensions and contributed to distrust, decreased worker satisfaction, high levels of fear regarding future pandemics, and concern regarding workplace safety. Representatives of workers, managers, and union leadership should cooperate on joint labor and management safety committees to build a climate of safety and trust. They should work closely with Metropolitan Transit Authority Safety leadership, with input from emergency managers, and infection control and industrial hygiene experts to develop a robust pandemic plan that can be rapidly implemented in the next pandemic event.