Joint Statement from Leading Nursing Organizations Regarding California Wildfires
Nurses across the country are devastated by the losses and damage caused by the wildfires in Los Angeles. The evacuation and ultimate displacement of families and communities is heartbreaking.
As the most trusted profession, nurses are sources of reliable health information and are often the first responders during crises. With over 5 million nurses in the U.S., we are on the frontlines and are led by our professional obligations which make addressing health, environment, and safety a core professional focus.
Nurses are extremely concerned about the ongoing climate crises and the health impacts of wildfires. We must continue our efforts to combat climate change by advocating for sustainable policies and practices. The undersigned nursing organizations, who represent nurses and advanced practice nurses serving patients and communities across the nation, are united in supporting strong health protective policies at the federal, state and local levels that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote renewable energy, and build resilience and increased ability for communities to respond to climate threats. Our organizations jointly call for:
- Increased support to conduct research on the health impacts of wildfire smoke and explore effective mitigation strategies.
- Increased funding for climate-related emergency preparedness and public health infrastructure in order to promote resilience.
- Advocacy by elected officials for and help set up clean air shelters or safe zones equipped with air purifiers and HVAC systems that filter out smoke particles.
- Local officials to provide emergency response workers and clean up crew with adequate respiratory protection and other personal protective equipment in accordance with the Cal/OSHA standard/or with half-mask respirators.
- Ensuring the availability of PPE, such as N95 masks, for both healthcare workers and the general public during wildfire events.
- Education about the intended use of N95 masks including what they can actually filter out such as bioaerosols and dust and what they do not protect against such as lead, dioxins, and asbestos.
- Providing guidance for patients and communities directly affected by the fire regarding safe clean-up practices such as not sifting through the ashes
- Hospitals and other healthcare settings to maintain their HVAC systems to protect patients and staff with clean filtered air.
- Elected officials and our state and federal agencies continuing to address the root causes of climate change and strengthen measures to reduce factors that can contribute to disasters like the wildfires in Los Angeles.
- Plans for disaster preparedness should include an anticipatory response which incorporates the needs of vulnerable community members.
There are numerous health risks associated with wildfires including direct trauma from burns, injuries, motor vehicle accidents, and death. Wildfire smoke, in particular, is especially dangerous for vulnerable groups like the elderly, children, pregnant people, and individuals with pre-existing health conditions. Wildfire smoke differs from other sources of ambient air pollution, such as those from traffic and industry. Wildfire smoke emissions are complex both physically and chemically and due to source materials being burned, numerous co-pollutants are present in wildfire smoke. While we know that there is very clear evidence that short-term exposure to wildfire smoke has immediate effects on respiratory health, there is emerging evidence of the impacts of wildfire smoke on already existing health issues such as diabetic control, kidney disease, and cognition. Wildfires have short-term and long-term psychological effects on affected people, first responders, and the public. Research has shown that resiliency, the capacity to handle adverse experiences, diminishes after wildfire exposure.
Climate change is leading to larger and more severe wildfires in the western United States, bringing acute and chronic impacts both near and far from the flames. Three of the five deadliest fires on record in California have occurred since 2017, costing 122 lives. These wildfires have significant public health, socioeconomic, and ecological implications for the Nation.
In addition, climate change directly affects valuable resources, such as human health and ecosystems, which can be difficult to measure but represent a substantial fraction of the economic burden of climate change on those in our nation. Rising temperatures, extreme weather, wildfires, vector-borne diseases, food insecurity, and knowledge of the threat of climate change itself have all been linked to declines in Americans’ physical and mental health.,,,,
Nurses are at the forefront of disseminating health information and resources and can share educational information and opportunities for how healthcare providers can help their communities and support those impacted.
During these times of environmental devastation, it is critical for nurses to lead. Long after the fires are put out and the storms pass, communities continue to experience health impacts. Following Hurricane Helene, and similar devastating climate events, communities experience long-term impacts after the immediate disasters.
The undersigned nursing organizations remain committed to collaborating with federal, state, and local agencies to further support funding and resources and achieve global climate goals as outlined under the Paris Agreement. As nursing has its own valued expertise and holds public trust, we are uniquely positioned to engage with the American public through community education and support for communities acutely impacted by the climate crisis.
Signatories:
AFT: Education, Healthcare, Public Services
Alabama State Nurses Association
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American Public Health Association-Public Health Nursing Section
ANA-Idaho
ANA-Illinois
ANA\California
Association of Community Health Nursing Educators
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses
Association of Public Health Nurses
Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations
Delaware Nurses Association
DNPs of Color
Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA)
Hawai’i – American Nurses Association
Idaho Center for Nursing
Minnesota Organization of Registered Nurses (MNORN)
National Association of School Nurses
National Association of Hispanic Nurses
National Association of Neonatal Nurses
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Black Nurses Association, Inc
National League for Nursing
National Student Nurses’ Association
New Jersey State Nurses Association
Nurse Leaders of Idaho (NLI)
Philippine Nurses Association of America, Inc.
RI STATE NURSES ASSOCIATION.
Rural Nurse Organization
The National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH)
