News in Brief

USFA: 87 firefighter LODDs in 2017

In its report on firefighter line-of-duty deaths for 2017, the U.S. Fire Administration noted that 87 firefighters—48 volunteer, 33 career, and six wildland—died on duty or from causes related to duty. The following reported causes or conditions were cited for the deaths: heart attack (50), at emergency incidents (40), activities at the fire scene (17), during training (12), nonfire emergency duties (12), and while responding to or returning from emergency incidents (11). The full report is at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/ff_fat17.pdf/.

NVFC to launch member forum 

In October, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) launched “Volunteer Voices,” an online member community that enables NVFC members to participate in discussions, share resources and best practices, and engage with their peers nationwide. Members were notified by e-mail how to access the forum.

Nerve agent information available for EMS

“Nerve Agent Information for Emergency Medical Services and Hospitals,” a refresher on standard protocols for recognizing, treating, and protecting yourself from nerve agent exposures, is available at https://bit.ly/2IbC0G1. The document also compares and contrasts the clinical effects of nerve agents and opioids as an aid in distinguishing nerve agent exposures from the prevalent opioid overdose cases. The document was prepared by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of Emergency Medical Services; Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office; and National Security Council.

Resilience training shown to reduce “mental distress”

Resilience interventions deliver a 30-percent reduction in symptoms associated with mental distress, according to “The Global Resilience Report 2018” by the Resilience Institute (https://resiliencei.com/resilience-research/).

The Resilience Institute defines resilience as “a learned ability to recognize risk, bounce [back] skillfully and secure robust, physical, emotional and mental well-being.” The key, the Institute explains, “is understanding that mental distress often has roots in ancillary areas such as emotional and physical issues like fatigue, lack of sleep, fear, and frustration.”

Those in the study who had undergone the interventions showed a 26-percent increase in optimism, a 21-percent increase in focus, and a 22-percent boost in feelings of fulfilment, according to the study.

Dr. Sven Hansen, founder of the Resilience Institute, notes: “Resilience training has 13 times the effect of medication such as anti-depressants. By developing skills across a range of disciplines, employees can construct personal blueprints for safety, well-being, and success. This integral approach creates a powerful web of competencies that protects an organization and its people from distress. The result is high, sustainable, successful organizations that are grounded in resilient, productive, mentally healthy people.”

Additional information is at https://resiliencei.com/.

Dietary supplements containing higenamine can harm heart

A new peer-reviewed study of weight-loss and sports/energy supplements containing higenamine has found that the products contain “unpredictable and inaccurately labeled dosages of the potentially harmful cardiovascular stimulant.”

The World Anti-Doping Agency added higenamine to its list of substances prohibited in sports about two years ago. John Travis, senior research scientist at NSF International and a co-author of the study, explains that some of the products tested contained extremely high doses of the stimulant, which has unknown safety and potential cardiovascular risks. The amounts were not noted on the product labels so consumers could not know how much higenamine they were taking.

The independent study was conducted by researchers at NSF International, Harvard Medical School, and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands. Dr. Pieter Cohen, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, internist at Cambridge Health Alliance, and a co-author of the study, adds that a series of preliminary studies suggested that higenamine “might have profound effects on the heart and other organs.”

Questions can be referred to the NSF International consumer hotline at (800) 673-8010 or by e-mail at  info@nsf.org.

Pieter A. Cohen, John C. Travis, Peter H. J. Keizers, Frederick E. Boyer, Bastiaan J. Venhuis. The stimulant higenamine in weight loss and sports supplements. Clinical Toxicology, 2018; DOI: 10.1080/15563650.2018.1497171>. NSF International. “Public health researchers warn of dietary supplements containing higenamine.” ScienceDaily, 6 September 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180906151949.htm>.