Effects of Sleep Deprivation

Firefighters and EMS responders are at increased risk for on-the-job injuries, and firefighters have the highest on the job heart attack rate of any occupation. It may not be a coincidence that these same medical problems also are associ-ated with chronic sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep can cause mental fatigue and reduce work performance; it can also lead to an increase in cardiovascular disease and fatigue-related accidents and injuries. How much of these health risks are due to the chaotic sleep patterns associated with firefighting and EMS work? Over the past year, the IAFC and USFA, with help from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), have been working on a project to answer that question and to develop a training module designed to assist firefighters and EMS re-sponders in combating unpredictable sleeping patterns and the effects of sleep deprivation. As a nation, we are sleeping less and working longer hours than any other country. Firefighters and EMS responders are no exception, and their shift schedules may present unique challenges. Firefighting is one of the few professions with 24-hour workdays, and within that general structure more than 20 different three- or four-platoon schedules exist, reflecting local preferences, needs and tradition. Superimpose variability in call number and workload among fire stations and EMS units, and it becomes difficult to generalize conclusions about the impact of different sched-ules and chronic sleep deprivation. However, a few facts are clear. Most people need an average of six to eight hours of sleep a night. Insufficient sleep reduces job performance and over time impairs mental and physical health. Studies demonstrate that fighter pilots, physicians, ship captains, rocket scientists, firefighters and EMS respond-ers are all adversely affected by chronic sleep deprivation. Catastrophic events, such as the Exxon Valdez and Challenger disasters, as well as more than 100,000 traffic crashes each year, are related to sleep deprivation. In fact