Work environment is the set of conditions under which individuals perform their job duties. For the fire and rescue service, this includes not only the physical environment (e.g., the station or community in which they serve), but also the social environment (e.g., the individual assigned to various job roles and the culture of the workplace); the policy environment (e.g., the SOPs and SOGs that guide the work being done); and the gear, apparatus, and PPE that individuals need to safety complete the work.

The fire service is commonly known as a hazardous industry. It has two major work activities: fire suppression and emergency medical services (EMS). The fire suppression side is known for its risks of heat, inhalation and absorption of combustion products, musculoskeletal effort, compromised and dangerous built environments, and exposure to hazardous materials. The EMS side presents infectious disease exposures, intense musculoskeletal effort, and persistent emotional demands. For both activities, short-term exposures lead to lost work and disability; longer-term effects include the inability to return to work, accumulation of mental stress, and death in the line of duty.

Injury prevention science tells us that there are many ways to prevent workplace hazards. For example, PPE developed specifically for fire suppression and EMS work, alongside training on how to wear the PPE and how to skillfully mitigate as much danger as possible, protects first responders from many of these hazards. However, PPE availability does not always lead to its use, even in dangerous work environments. Skills learned in training can diminish without consistent use - if you don't use it, you lose it. These gaps can be filled by environmental modifications, specifically to the cultural environment and the policy environment.

The FIRST Center is engaged in research, education, and practice initiatives geared toward improving the work environment for first responders in several domains:

Inclusion and healthy work environments

• FOCUS Safety Culture Survey
• Recruitment and Retention Assessment
• Language around EMS and the Fire/EMS divide 
• EMS staffing and resources

Policy interventions

• Workplace Violence for First Responders online course and Practical Strategies for Safety
• SAVER Model Policies
• Industry and occupation policy
• Workers' compensation
• Workplace violence Congressional work 
• ET3 

Leadership

• Executive coaching
• Safety Leadership Walk Around (SLWA)

Effective meetings

• Joint labor-management safety committees
• After-Action Review

Station design