Tainan Firefighters Undergo New Pre-Duty Health Screenings to Mitigate Risks

Tainan City Fire Bureau has launched a new health initiative to protect its frontline firefighters. Starting immediately, all external firefighters will undergo mandatory pre-duty health screenings. This "Pre-Duty Health Measurement Implementation Plan" aims to create a health early warning system.

Before each shift, firefighters will have their blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen, and body temperature measured. They must also complete a health management record online. A risk assessment system will then evaluate these metrics and assign a color-coded risk level.

Supervisors will use these results to manage personnel. If a firefighter's readings are abnormal, they may be instructed to rest, have their duties adjusted, or undergo further monitoring. In critical cases, immediate medical attention will be sought, and a notification mechanism will be activated. This ensures that firefighters with high-risk physiological conditions do not enter intense rescue environments, safeguarding both the individual and the team.

The bureau is also collaborating with occupational medicine specialists from Chang Jung Christian University. These experts will assist in evaluating and providing health guidance for high-risk firefighters. Through open communication, work patterns and duty content can be adjusted to balance operational readiness with the well-being of the firefighters.

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The implementation covers all personnel in external units of the Fire Bureau. Before daily duty handover, firefighters must complete physiological data measurements such as blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen, and body temperature, and fill out the health management record form in the online system, which will then conduct risk assessment and color-coded management.