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Where Do We Want to Be?
Pages 25-36

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From page 25...
... There are a number of roles that public health officials must take on during smoke events, sometimes in collaboration with other departments or agencies, that could be improved with additional information from the health and atmospheric science communities. These roles include communicating smoke forecasts and information about how to reduce exposure, providing intervention measures, and making policy decisions (Figure 5)
From page 26...
... Increasing the number of indoor air quality sensors in large buildings and in homes could help to understand this problem better and provide actionable information and costeffective intervention options to improve indoor conditions and reduce smoke exposure. For intervention, it is critical to ensure that communities are treated equitably and that a sustainable funding source is available to provide the necessary equipment (e.g., N95 respirators or portable air cleaners)
From page 27...
... As wildfire frequency and intensity increase, exposures over the long term will be a substantial fraction of annual exposure and are not taken into account in current air quality guidelines. Smoke Mitigation and Management Needs Panelists provided insights from on-the-ground experience working to mitigate and manage wildland fire risks, coordinate activities and make decisions, and protect occupational workers exposed to smoky conditions.
From page 28...
... Now, there is a 3-year process of negotiating with the Oregon Department of Forestry, the Environmental Quality Commission, and the Oregon Health Authority, who are all involved in the regulatory structure by which the EPA air quality standards are enforced in Oregon. Exemptions are available for communities that have adequate "community smoke mitigation programs" to compensate for the potential smoke exposure resulting from prescribed burning.
From page 29...
... , explained how the state air quality agency is striving to balance the need for more prescribed fire on the landscape with public health concerns related to smoke exposure. Prescribed burning is a key tool in combating wildland fires and is increasingly being used in California.
From page 30...
... This online database allows for streamlined permitting and approval for prescribed burns for land managers and helps CARB to track progress in meeting prescribed fire goals. There is also research within the agency focused on determining whether there are a sufficient number of "ok to burn" days in a year to achieve prescribed burn goals, since unfavorable conditions and times of active wildland fires often need to be avoided.
From page 31...
... Potential exposure of wildland firefighters (Figure 7) is increasing as a result of larger wildland fires, the use of prescribed burns, and the size of the U.S.
From page 32...
... Thinning and prescribed burning will not eliminate the possibility of large fires, but strategically placed treatments should lessen the occurrence of catastrophic events and could help to protect key areas and resources like water supplies. Speakers suggested that management will need to be sustained, and in states like California, it will take decades to sufficiently reduce fuel loads.
From page 33...
... Without measures in place to better mitigate exposure, speakers noted that firefighters are at greater risk of health effects. Respiratory Viral Infections and Wildfire Smoke Sarah Henderson, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, spoke about links between the health effects of wildland fire smoke and respiratory viral infections, including COVID-19.
From page 34...
... Longer-term immunosuppression from exposure to wildland fire smoke is also a concern, Henderson noted. Currently, there is limited information about the interactions between wildfire smoke and respiratory viruses, and even less about smoke and COVID-19.
From page 35...
... • Funding and mechanisms that foster cross-disciplinary and long-term health effects studies, facilitate collection of additional emissions and chemistry data, and support communications and outreach efforts can all contribute to protecting public health.


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