Washington, D.C. -  U.S. Rep. Timothy V. Johnson today announced the award of an $899,269 grant to the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute. The grant is aimed at finding improved means of reducing stress and heart attacks among firefighters in the line of duty.

     “The UI Fire Service Institute is doing some groundbreaking work in analyzing the causes and solutions involved in reducing the stress from heat and exertion that firefighters experience protecting us all,” said Rep. Johnson. “The institute is to be commended for its success in obtaining this grant. We are confident and hopeful of researchers’ ability to make a difference in this area.”

     Rep. Johnson assisted in advocating for the grant through the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Fire Prevention and Safety program.

     The grant will help fund a multi-pronged effort involving medical evaluations, individual predictive measures and better gear to reduce the incidence of stress and heart attacks.

     During a fire, the human body is stressed by a combination of factors: strenuous muscular work, intense radiant heat and heavy, restrictive personal protective equipment. The combination of those factors leads to heat stress, physiological disruptions and biomechanical changes that contribute to heart attacks and injuries.

     Institute researchers propose a coordinated examination of all factors involved, from the physical and cardiovascular to novel ways of improving protective equipment that will reduce weight and improve mobility, according to a letter Rep. Johnson wrote the granting body.

     In related news, the Sullivan Fire Protection District also received a $7,634 grant under the Fire Prevention and Safety program. Only 13 agencies nationwide received the grants, and two of them – Sullivan and the UI Fire Service Institute – are in Rep. Johnson’s district.
 

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