In this issue:

• Immune Function
• Field Studies
• Operational Strategies
• Maintaining Immune Function
• Energy Supplement Guidelines

Background

This report, the eighth in a series, reviews activities related to the Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) project on wildland firefighter health and safety. The project focuses on three main areas:

Work, Rest, and Fatigue
Determination of work/rest guidelines, recommended assignment lengths, and fatigue countermeasures for crews and overhead personnel.

Energy and Nutrition
Improvement of the energy intake, nutrition, immune function, and health of wildland firefighters.

Fitness and Work Capacity
Use of work capacity and medical standards to ensure the health, safety, and productivity of wildland firefighters.

Immune Function

The Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety project was outlined during a national conference summarized in the report, Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety: Recommendations of the April 1999 Conference (9951–2841–MTDC). One of the scientific presentations at the conference was on “Wildland Firefighting and the Immune Response.” The featured topic in this issue of the Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Report outlines current efforts to maintain immune function in wildland firefighters, including the use of immune function as an objective measure for determining shift length and the length of an assignment. The section on research provides summaries of recent field studies related to immune function. The risk management section outlines proven strategies for maintaining immune function during wildland fire suppression activities. The field notes section presents guidelines for selecting liquid and solid energy supplements to maintain immune function in wildland firefighters.

A firefighter collects an immune function
sample (salivary immunoglobulin).