Research has shown that exposure to “thermal stressors” can affect cognitive functioning (i.e., thinking, concentrating, memory, decision-making). Firefighters often have to work in temperatures that exceed 100°C and their ability to make decisions, focus, and adapt to dynamic and demanding situations is essential. If heat has an impact on their ability to think, this could have consequences for the firefighters themselves, and the businesses and communities they are trying to protect.
Whilst there is evidence for the effects of heat on cognition (see reviews by Hancock and Vasmatzidis (2009) and Taylor et al. (2016)), most of this work does not measure the impact of extreme temperatures, and the studies that do often involve relatively unrealistic scenarios, such as firefighters walking on a treadmill in a heated chamber. This makes the findings difficult to apply to the real-world situations that firefighters would face.
This research project, funded by the Fire Service Research and Training Trust (FSRTT), aims to investigate the effects of short-term exposure to temperatures exceeding 100°C on different cognitive processes. Critically, the work will explore this in real live-fire training situations, replicating both the heat stress, and other sources of stress, that firefighters must deal with on a regular basis.
Our project will consist of two studies, one will measure the effects of heat on a range of “basic” cognitive functions. In this first study we will assess any impairment in cognition due to heat, but also measure the time required for cognition to recover following exposure to the heat. In the second study we will measure the effects of heat on decision-making. In addition, we aim to compare decision-making of firefighters under different conditions (at rest, after physical activity, and after physical activity in extreme heat). The work will show whether heat can affect firefighter cognition and may also help to inform practices relating to cooling and re-entry decisions.
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