About-FSTAR

The Firefighter Safety Through Advanced Research (FSTAR) program is dedicated to advancing firefighter safety. We began in 2013 with the idea that research could improve all aspects of the fire service, including operations, health and wellness, and fire prevention.

What We Do

We believe that research has the power to positively impact firefighter safety, health and wellness, fire prevention efforts, training, and community safety efforts.

We develop tools to help fire departments execute based on scientific research. We provide a single point of access to fire service research through a searchable database. We translate research into short, concise, readily applicable Featured Studies, Fact Sheets, Infographics and other tools.

FSTAR is funded by a Fire Prevention and Safety grant award from FEMA’S Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program and is managed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC).

How to Read Research

Why research is so important to the fire service.

About the IAFC

Learn more about how the IAFC works to improve the fire service.

History of FSTAR

Learn about how FSTAR has grown to meet the needs of the fire service.

Partners of FSTAR

See the partners of FSTAR’s mission.


Sign up for the Newsletter

Sign up to receive our monthly newsletter, focusing on the latest in fire service research.

Contact Us

For questions or to request more information about FSTAR, please contact us at fstar@iafc.org or 703-273-0911 (9am-5:00pm Eastern Time).


FSTAR Stakeholders

FSTAR and the IAFC would like to thank our stakeholders for their dedication and support of this effort:

Fire Chief William Boyes, Ph.D.
City of Barrie Fire and Emergency Services (Ontario, Canada)

Mr. Brian Brauer
University of Illinois/Illinois Fire Service Institute (Ill.)

Chief William Guindon, Jr.

Fire Chief Thomas Jenkins
Rogers Fire Department (Ark.)

Captain Jeffery King
City of Houston Fire Department (Texas)

Fire Chief Daniel Kistner
McKinney Fire Department (Texas)

Mr. Matt Marietta, Ph.D.
City of Milton (Ga.)

Ms. Candice McDonald
Winona Fire Department (Ohio)

Captain Demond Simmons, Ph.D.
Oakland Fire Department (Calif.)

Fire Chief William Sturgeon
City of St. Cloud (Fla.)

Battalion Chief Amy Valdez
Virginia Beach Fire Department (Va.)

Chief Jose Velo
San Francisco Fire Department (Calif.)

Dr. Gavin Horn, Ph.D.
University of Illinois/Illinois Fire Service Institute (Ill.)

Dr. Sara Jahnke, Ph.D.
National Development and Research Institutes, Inc.

Mr. Daniel Madrzykowski, PE
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Mr. Adam St. John, PE
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms