Dr Emily Watkins is a Lecturer and Researcher in Environmental and Exercise Physiology at the University of Roehampton. She gained her PhD from the University of Brighton in 2018, having studied the physiological and immunological consequences of Fire Service Instructors’ working practices. Over the last few years Emily has been working on studies focusing on the health and well-being of Firefighters, with particular emphasis on thermoregulation and inflammation. Emily was also an invited advisor to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer review of the association between firefighting and cancer. Her talk will discuss the findings and recommendations from her latest research on chronic inflammation and contaminants following a 6 month study of firefighters and instructors.
Ben Brook is the Chief Fire Officer in Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service. Ben has been a leader within the sector for over 22 years and is passionate about the future of the sector. The past is unlikely to always be a predictor of the future and with temperatures reaching 40 degrees last summer, it has been demonstrated that the world can change quickly, and that climate change is being felt in the UK. Ben is keen to develop a space for thinking about how best the Fire and Rescue sector can continue to reduce risk and support vulnerable communities into the future.
Brian Hesler QFSM is a Specialist Advisor Fire & Rescue for Draeger Safety. He has 33 years’ experience working across the UK Fire Service primarily in Operational and Training roles. Brian worked through the ranks from Firefighter, ultimately serving in Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service as Chief Fire Officer and Director of Community Safety for seven years. He achieved an MSc in Fire Command and Management and was awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal in 2008. Brian will provide a brief overview of why there is a real need to provide real-time monitoring of the core body temperatures of firefighters.
Martyn Matthews is Physiological Monitoring Group Lead and Senior Lecturer at the University of Salford. He has 35 years’ experience providing applied physiological and conditioning support to professional athletes and teams, national teams, extreme adventurers, military personnel, and the emergency services, as well as the evaluation of training and environmental products. Martyn will provide a brief overview of the challenges of monitoring core body temperature in real-time in firefighters and the suitability of different solutions.