The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) proposes to continue its worker health and safety training program to train workers, across multiple disciplines, within a 150-mile radius of DOE weapons complex facilities in order to prevent work-related harm and improve worker-related health and safety. In alignment with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Worker Training Program's (WTP) strategic plan, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) seeks to conduct worker-based training to prevent and reduce exposure of emergency first responders and other workers who are at risk of exposure to Coronavirus through their work duties. This proposal includes a series of instructional train-the-trainer (TtT) modules to foster awareness of changes in the use of personal protective equipment for fire fighters, EMTs and paramedics, to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic and to protect the health of those front-line providers while serving the public. The modules will support the 32-hour course designed and integrated in online webinars, virtual classrooms and formal classroom use and follow the standard process in collaboration with NIEHS. Through this continued cooperative agreement, the IAFF will: 1. Ensure our Nation's first responders and other workers who are at risk of exposure to Coronavirus through their work duties are protected and available to respond to emergencies. 2. Using an evidence-based Train-the-Trainer curriculum that addresses the science of Coronavirus (clinical symptoms, mode of transmission, persistence in the environment, and treatment); infection control and worker protection (isolation/quarantine and PPE); working in the contaminated environment (sampling and decontamination); and behavioral health resiliency, exposures to COVID-19 will be reduced, first responders and other at risk workers will be able to be better prepared.
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has been a partner with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Worker Training Program (WTP) since 1995, delivering training to workers on or around the DOE nuclear weapons complex to prevent work related harm and improve worker health and safety. Under this proposal, the IAFF will support the NIEHS WTP Coronavirus Bio-Safety Training initiative through Train-the-Trainer (TtT) methods for workers supporting the national Coronavirus response ? specifically emergency first responders with a responsibility to respond to or around a 150-mile radius of predetermined DOE sites. The IAFF's targeted training audience includes emergency first responders, specifically fire department's Infectious Disease Officers, Safety Officers, EMS Officers and others in leadership responsible for infectious disease training in their respective departments across the U.S. These students will go on to train state and regional essential workers who are on the job and facing potential exposure. These emergency first responders and other workers are at high risk of accepting or potentially being closely exposed to Coronavirus-exposed patients and waste and bodily fluid through air transport, medical treatment, environmental services, waste handling, and cleanup.
