Science to the Station

We’re focusing where the majority of our NERDS flock to. Find us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads & Bluesky: @science2station

Safety Stand Down 2026 is coming to a close: Firefighter FITNESS. So I lived the whole acronym this week. F-oundations. I-ntentional. T-echnique. N-utrition. E-valuation. S-leep. S-trategies for Success. Normal week for a bird. Fit to Serve. Fit for Life.

Day 7 of the Safety Stand Down. A structured fitness program for new recruits cut injuries nearly in half and saved $33K in workers' comp costs, paying for itself in year one. Download at: science2station.org/scholars 
#SafetyStandDown #ScienceCAN

Day 6 of the 2026 Firefighter Safety Stand Down: Sleep. 37.2% of firefighters have a sleep disorder. 80%+ don't know it. Sleep disorders = 2x crash risk, 2.4x cardiovascular disease, 3.8x anxiety odds. Full SCAN: science2station.org/scholars

Day 5 of the 2026 Firefighter Safety Stand Down. Passing a fitness test ≠ fit for the job. What predicted performance: VO2max, body fat, upper AND lower body power: together. One test alone doesn't cut it. Full SCAN: science2station.org/scholars

Up to 33% of on-duty firefighter injuries happen in the gym. The #1 cause? Poor lifting technique: driving 44% of identified injury mechanisms. Shoulder & back. Every time. Immobility sets the stage. Better technique is the fix. Day 3 SCAN: science2station.org/scholars

Low aerobic fitness = 2.2x higher on-duty injury risk. Every 3.5 mL/kg/min gain in VO2max cuts that risk by 14%. Firefighters under 30 in the least fit tier were 3.4x more likely to get hurt. Day 2 is live: science2station.org/scholars More on Stand Down: safetystanddown.org

Safety Stand Down week! Heart disease = 45% of on-duty firefighter deaths. Fire suppression is 1-5% of your time. Risk during suppression: up to 136x higher than non-emergency duties. Day 1 is live: science2station.org/scholars Learn more: safetystanddown.org

NERDS... It's Friday! You know what that means. 🐦🤓 This week Nerd E. Bird: 🏋️ Hit the gym with a serious fitness agenda 📞 Crashed the Safety Stand Down planning call 🎓 Cheered on Kirsten Andrews defending her thesis on stress and mental health outcomes in women firefighters

Science doesn't change the fire service from a journal shelf... it changes it on the apparatus floor, in the rehab area, in the chief's office where the next big decision gets made. That's the bridge we exist to build. Grab a copy from @CrackylM: 🔗 crackyl.com/fire-science-t…

The National Firefighter Registry for Cancer just hit 50,000 registered firefighters and that's HUGE! Every data point is a step toward protecting lives. Not registered yet? It takes about 30 minutes: NFR.cdc.gov #NationalFirefighterRegistry

TOMORROW. June 2, 2pm ET. The NVFC is hosting a Roundtable Talk on Safety Stand Down 2026: Fit to Serve, Fit for Life. Are you fit for the fight? Safety Stand Down week is June 14-20. Register: nvfc.org/online-trainin… Stand Down resources: safetystanddown.org

Introducing: The Exotic Life of Nerd E. Bird 🐦🤓 Every Friday we're documenting what it actually looks like when firefighter health science hits the road — planes, conferences, data collection, and the occasional glass of white wine. (Field research is nuanced.)

NERDS — early bird registration for #S2S2026 is LIVE and Sara is not taking questions about her excitement level! 🔬🐦 Kansas City | Nov 3-5, 2026 Early bird: $550 through July 3 Hotel open NOW — this is your sign! Registration + hotel → science2station.org/conference

Breaking Science: NFPA's four-point PPC sizing standard uses 4 measurements out of 200+ relevant ones. Ill-fitting protective clothing = falls, trips, reduced mobility, & + on-duty injury risk. New research: it's time for a data-driven fix. More + study: science2station.org/breaking

The CAVE: Chiefs Against Virtually Everything. @FireRescue1 's Chief Brian Schaeffer breaks down the research-backed reasons fire service leaders default to resistance over change and what disciplined courage actually looks like. Worth the read 👇 science2station.info/cave

Early bird registration is OPEN for #S2S2026 — Viva La Science! 🎉 📅 November 3–5 | 📍 Kansas City Lock in your rate before it's gone 👇 science2station.org/s2sconference #FirefighterHealth #ScienceToTheStation

Sneezing through shift? Your immune system isn't broken, it's just a little too enthusiastic right now. New Doc Talk covers allergy season basics, what to actually do about it, and why Benadryl deserves a second thought before your next shift. 🔗 : science2station.info/DocTalk

May the 4th seemed to be a trend for everyone. Revenge of the 5th? If you know, you know... and if you're part of the Science to the Station community, there's a good chance you definitely know!!! Happy Revenge of the 5th from the nerdiest corner of the fire & emergency galaxy!

NERDS: you've got mail. 📬 If you're an S2S member or past attendee, your exclusive early access registration link landed in your inbox yesterday, and it's live NOW. Early Nerdbirdgistration: $550. Didn't get the email? → info@science-alliance.org Kansas City | Nov 3–5, 2026