How Technology & Data Can Help Prevent Injuries in First Responders

In the U.S., more than 1 million firefighters who work tirelessly keeping our communities safe. Firefighting is one of the most physically demanding occupations in our country, requiring these professionals to maintain a high level of fitness for more than 20 years before being eligible for retirement. To illustrate this point, 44 percent of all firefighters suffer sprains or strains while on duty (Paete et al J Occ Med Tox 2007). Firefighters have the highest injury rates of all U.S. occupations with 8.5 injuries per 100 full-time-equivalent (FTE) workers (Reichard et al Am J Ind Med 2010).

The movement patterns that put physically active personnel at risk for preventable MSK injuries can be assessed in baseline physicals (Nessler et al Cur Rev Musculoskelet Med 2017) to enable institutions to develop better programming based on those individual variances. During this presentation, Dr. Nessler will present the latest research on musculoskeletal injuries in firefighters and how, by leveraging technology and mass data, we can develop much more comprehensive programs to truly impact musculoskeletal injuries.