InToxFIRE's Second Workshop Announcement
Following the strong international engagement with the first online workshop, the InToxFIRE team are pleased to announce their second workshop, “The Journey of Contaminants: Connecting Fireground Exposures, PPE and Health Impacts”, to be held on 30 April 2026 at the Carlton Hotel Dublin Airport.
This workshop is to be delivered as a part of the ongoing InToxFIRE research project, funded by UL Research Institutes (ULRI). It aims to focus on advanced understanding of contaminant exposures encountered during fireground operations and their implications for firefighter health, personal protective equipment (PPE), and contamination control strategies.
The programme includes invited brilliant speakers from UK, USA, and Ireland alongwith InToxFIRE team, providing scientific, operational, and regulatory perspectives altogether.
The workshop is CPD-accredited and is organised by InToxFIRE project team (FireSERT, Ulster University), with the support of UL Research Institutes (ULRI) and IFE Ireland. It is FREE and its associated costs are covered by ULRI and Ulster University. More information about the CPD hours will be announced later.
Workshop Provisional Programme
The workshops provisional programme is as follows:
| 08:00 – 09:20 | Registration | |
| 09:20 – 09:30 |
Welcome & Opening Remarks Svetlana Tretsiakova-McNally, Ulster University, UK |
|
| Panel 1 - Chair: Jianping Zhang, Ulster University, UK | ||
| 09:30 – 09:55 |
Hierarchy of Contamination Controls in the Fire Service Gavin Horn, Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), USA |
|
| 09:55 – 10:20 |
The Under Examined Dimensions of Female Firefighter Health and Wellbeing Emily Watkins, University of Roehampton, UK |
|
| 10:20 – 10:50 | Comfort break, coffee, tea & refreshments | |
| 10:50 – 11:15 |
An Employer’s Perspective on Protecting Firefighters from Products of Combustion Sheila Broderick, Meath County Fire and Rescue Service, Ireland |
|
| 11:15 – 11:40 |
The Invisible Risk: So Far and What’s Next? John Lord, SimTrainer UK Ltd, UK |
|
| 11:40 – 12:05 |
Standards Development with a Focus on Care and Maintenance Richard Ballheimer, MSA Bristol, UK |
|
| 12:05 – 12:30 | Panel 1 Q&A | |
| 12:30 – 14:00 | Lunch break | |
| Panel 2 - Chair: Prof Ali Nadjai, Ulster University, UK | ||
| 14:00 – 14:25 |
From the Lab to the Fireground: Leveraging Innovations in Personal Protective Equipment to Combat Carcinogen Exposure and Enhance Firefighter Safety Bryan Ormond, North Carolina State University, USA |
|
| 14:25 – 14:50 |
Assessing the Movement of Fire Generated Toxic Chemicals through Firefighters’ Gears Hamed Rasouli Sadabad, Ulster University, UK |
|
| 14:50 – 15:05 |
Supporting Fire Safety Engineering and Science: The IFE Perspective Sean McEleney, IFE Ireland Branch President & IGA Representative |
|
| 15:05 – 15:30 | Panel 2 Q&A | |
| 15:30 – 15:50 | Comfort break, coffee, tea & refreshments | |
| 15:50 – 16:40 |
Discussion Session Speakers and participants in the room and on-line |
|
| 16:40 – 16:55 |
InToxFIRE Project: Achievements and Goals Svetlana Tretsiakova-McNally, Ulster University, UK |
|
| 16:55 – 17:00 |
Closing Remarks Svetlana Tretsiakova-McNally, Ulster University, UK |
|
Registration
In order to register the workshop, please fill in the form on the link. Please ensure that you have responded to all mandatory parts. Within 48 hours after filling out the form, you will receive an email from InToxFIRE team in Ulster University, confirming your place in the workshop.
As mentioned above, it is free of charge.
Please note that the places are limited and early registrations is highly recommended.
More about the Workshop
For those unable to attend in person, an online participation option is under planning. Details of the online format and access links will be shared at a later date.
Stay tuned for more updates on the InToxFIRE project and future developments in fire protection research.
