Air Quality Impact on Firefighter Interventions: Factors Analysis

This research initiates articles exploring various variables and their impact on firefighters. Prompted by the recognition that pollution, while a health concern, is not an immediate priority for firefighting, the study delves into how it may affect firefighters summoned for urgent situations. Our research assesses the impact of air quality on firefighting interventions, emphasizing intervention frequency. The study is crucial due to the significant health impacts of air pollution, estimating 40,000 annual deaths from PM \(_{2.5}\) and 7,000 from NO \(_2\) according to the Ministry of Ecology. Notably, during the initial lockdown, pollution reduction measures led to a noticeable decrease in related deaths. Over eight years (2015–2023), our methodology, including data preparation, in-depth analysis, and the application of the robust XGBoost model, selects features enhancing RMSE scores, emphasizing the critical role of pollutant-related variables, particularly over extended timeframes. The key finding is that air quality variables gradually impact interventions, indicating enhanced relevance in predicting outcomes over extended periods. This precision in understanding pollutant patterns offers a practical approach to anticipate resource management, improve firefighters’ response times, and address intervention failures in major incidents. The study initiates a comprehensive exploration of variable families to understand factors influencing firefighting activities.