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The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Fire Fighters and EMS Responders

Sleep deprivation can increase the risk of cancer, heart disease and injuries on the job. For firefighters who must work long hours and often 24 or 48-hour shifts, these risk factors can become a constant concern. Studies have shown that firefighting injuries are more common at the end of shifts, when firefighters are the most sleep deprived. This training video discusses the physiology of sleep, the effects of acute and chronic sleep deprivation and strategies that firefighters can use to prevent sleep deprivation.