Hearing Conservation for First Responders

Course overview

Research has found that about 40% of firefighters experience some level of hearing loss due to exposure on the field and in the firehouse. When we think about hearing loss, we assume it is only caused by long durations or loud noises, which is incorrect. Further research has been done on the subject and found that it is not only noise exposure but also exposure to certain harmful chemicals that we are exposed to in the field. While most forego the use of hearing protective equipment to avoid not hearing communications of sounds of the scene, they are doing more harm than good because the more exposure they subject themselves to in those instances, the worse off their hearing will be in the near future.