Title: Framework Study (2016-2019)

Funding: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) EMW-2015-FP-00213

Principal Investigator: Jeff Burgess, MD, MS, MPH

Goal:

The goal of this study was to develop and test a framework for establishing a long-term firefighter multicenter prospective cohort study focused on carcinogenic exposures and effects

Specific Aims

1. Establish an oversight and planning board to provide study oversight, foster communication among fire organizations, and help develop a long-term funding plan;

2. Create and test a cohort study data coordinating center and harmonized survey data protocols;

3. Develop and evaluate an exposure tracking system paired with quantitative exposure data to construct a firefighter carcinogen exposure matrix; and…

4. Create a biomarker analysis center and evaluate the association between cumulative firefighter exposures and epigenetic effects.

Impact

This study developed the FFCCS framework including establishment of the fire service Oversight and Planning Board (OPB), the Data Coordinating Center (DCC), the Exposure Assessment Center (EAC) and the Biomarker Analysis Center (BAC) as well as a central Institutional Review Board with informed consent, study enrollment surveys and biospecimen collection protocols. Firefighters from five initial partner fire departments were enrolled into the FFCCS.