Update from the WUI/Wildfire Technical Advisory Committee

Update from the WUI/Wildfire Technical Advisory Committee

August 30 and Sept 12 Operational Field Assessments (OFA) in LA County and Redding

• On Sept 12, Cal/FIRE hosted an Operational Field Assessment (OFA) of five prototype wildland respirators in Redding. This assessment followed a similar exercise on August 30 hosted by LA County Fire. US Forest Service participated in both events, along with observers from Cal/OSHA, NIOSH, CPF, IAFF, Cal/Chiefs, Wildfire Conservancy, UCLA, UC Davis, CDPH, Santa Rosa Fire and LA City Fire.
• In each OFA, about 20 firefighter-evaluators performed simulated wildland and WUI exercises to test the effectiveness of three powered (PAPR) and two non-powered (APR) respirators. After each exercise, the firefighters answered a series of questions in an online survey regarding their experience. We will circulate the results of the survey once we have compiled them.
• The OFAs have been in development since mid-2022 by the WUI/Wildland Respiratory Protection Workgroup, co-chaired by chief Yanagisawa of LA County Fire and Mike Wilson of Cal/OSHA, which has been meeting every two weeks. 
• The OFAs support Cal/OSHA’s WUI/wildland respiratory protection rulemaking and will help ensure that respiratory protection for these kinds of incidents is: (1) practical to use in the field, (2) effective against products of combustion, (3) adaptable depending on conditions, (4) sufficiently durable, and (5) an enhancement to job performance.
• Last week, individuals representing the following departments joined the Workgroup: Orange County Fire Authority, San Diego Fire/Rescue, Oakland Fire Dept, and San Francisco Fire Dept.

If you are not already attending the Workgroup and would like to join, please contact Michael Wilson, PhD, Senior Industrial Hygienist at MWilson@dir.ca.gov.

Once we have evaluated the results of the OFAs, we will convene a formal meeting of the Cal/OSHA Wildland/WUI Technical Advisory Committee, where we will hear updates from (1) the Workgroup leadership (LA County Fire, Cal/FIRE, USFS and Cal/OSHA), (2) principal investigators of grants awarded to UCLA and UC Davis pertaining to wildland/WUI firefighting safety, (3) next steps in the evaluation and rulemaking process, and (4) individual committee members.

Attached is a Sept 15 article in the Cal/OSHA Reporter regarding the LA County OFA. Please note: this publication is Cal/OSHA-centric but is independent of Cal/OSHA.

CORVol50No34 – Castaic Respirator Assessment