Grant: Operating Grant: Health Effects of the Alberta Wildfires - Occupational Health

In May 2016 Fort McMurray was devastated by wildfire. This study is to document the health and exposures of firefighters from throughout Alberta who were deployed to fight the fire. All firefighters, career, part-time or volunteer who fought the fire within the city, or who battled the fires in the surrounding forests will be approached to take part. They will be asked for their consent to link their health and exposure data to their administrative health records so that we can follow up their health through physician visits in the years going forward. We will contact them again on- line in 2017 and 2018 to ask if they are still working as a firefighter and whether their health is better or worse. We will carry out more detailed investigations of those whose respiratory or mental health may have been damaged by their exposures during the fire. Finally,we will assess the importance of respiratory protection and mental health support services in limiting ill-effects.