The International Association of Fire Chiefs has issued the findings of an expert panel convened by the organization through the IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section. The panel found a recently released report challenging cancer presumption laws for firefighters used flawed research methodology that produce predetermined outcomes.
The National League of Cities' report under review, Assessing State Firefighter Cancer Presumption Laws and Current Firefighter Cancer Research, was a study of 17 previous studies and offered no new independent research data.
The IAFC's panel of medical research experts questioned the NLC report's "subjective and highly questionable methodology," citing the lack of quantitative review, inconsistencies in published criteria for which studies were selected for inclusion and the inability of NLC investigators to reliably classify the studies included.
Those reviewing the NLC report likened the organization's conclusions — "a lack of substantial evidence" for presumption and a call to halt new presumption laws until further, high-level research can be done — to the tactics used by the tobacco industry.
Subscribe
Subscribe
Subscribe
Subscribe
Subscribe
Subscribe
