Health, Wellness, and Firefighter Rehabilitation
Domain 9 covers health, wellness, and firefighter rehabilitation. The exam tests whether the ISO treats rehab and exposure control as operational safety, not as a rest area afterthought.
Core rules
- NFPA 1584 provides the rehabilitation framework. Rehab includes rest, hydration, food, medical monitoring, temperature management, and cleanliness. Trigger it by policy benchmarks such as work time, air consumption, vital signs, and symptoms, not only by incident length.
- Monitor blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, hydration, and symptoms; provide EMS evaluation when indicated. Do not allow firefighters to return until they meet rehab criteria.
- Cancer and contaminant exposure are health hazards: gross decontamination, PPE doffing, bagging contaminated gear, and clean cab/transport practices reduce exposure.
- Address fitness, behavioral health, fatigue, and heat/cold stress. The ISO coordinates with rehab, medical, and command.
Worked example
After two SCBA cylinders, a firefighter reports dizziness and nausea. Rehab checks vital signs and temperature, provides fluids and rest, and refers the firefighter to EMS. The ISO documents the removal and ensures the crew is not returned to work that operational period without medical clearance.
Traps
Treating coffee and cigarettes as rehab; skipping vital signs; letting personnel return early; ignoring contaminated PPE; no rehab plan for short but intense incidents.