Research Symposium

BIO

Emily Rodriguez is a freshman majoring in Emergency Management at Florida State University, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree - projected to graduate in the Spring of 2027. Since the August of 2025, she has conducted research under the mentorship of Dr. Meredith McQuerry and has gained experience working in the ThermaNOLE Comfort Lab®, Textile Testing Laboratory, and Body Scanning Lab. Her research focuses on firefighter personal protective clothing performance and fit analysis. She is currently assisting with an ergonomic assessment comparing male- and female-cut firefighter personal protective clothing to evaluate differences in fit and function while contributing to protocol validation.

Ergonomic Assessment of Male versus Female Firefighter Protective Clothing for Fit/Function Analysis Protocol Validation

Abstract

As the fire service remains male dominated, personal protective equipment (PPE) is still being designed around male anthropometrics, yet assumed to function equally as well for women. Prior research suggests that this assumption may compromise gear fit and mobility for female firefighters.
An ergonomic assessment comparing female- and male-cut structural PPE was conducted among five female firefighters. The results indicated that there was no significant difference.
This study highlights the value of improving fit accuracy to determine the extent to which ill-fitting PPE is a problem present for female firefighters and to what extent it is causing setbacks. Future research will examine relationships among suit fit, air gaps, carcinogen exposure, and long-term health outcomes.

Keywords: Firefighting, Clothing, Firefighter, McQuerry