This is a 24-month research project funded by the Fire Service Research and Training Trust that began in May 2025. The work aims to investigate the short-term effects of exposure to extreme temperatures on the cognitive functioning of firefighters.
Our previous work has shown that exposure to high environmental temperatures (and the associated increase in core body temperature) can impair sustained attention and cognitive flexibility in firefighters. The current project will investigate these effects in more depth to determine how and when thermal stress can affect thinking and decision-making.
To do this, we will start by identifying the cognitive functions critical to live-fire search and rescue incidents. A tablet-based test will then be developed that can assess these functions in the field, and the test will be used to measure the impact of heat stress on firefighter cognition. We will also be investigating factors that may put firefighters at risk (e.g., experience), or protect firefighters (e.g., cognitive resilience).
The work will show how heat stress affects firefighter cognition, in conjunction with other stressors. It will inform firefighter health and safety, and outline the potential for training to increase resilience. The test of cognitive readiness may also help to improve re-entry decisions.
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Dr Catherine Thompson
Principle Investigator
Liverpool Hope University
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Catherine is a cognitive psychologist and her research focuses on the impact of different environmental settings on cognitive functioning. Catherine has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Lincoln, and a MSc in Psychological Research Methods and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Nottingham. She is currently working as a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at Liverpool Hope University. From 2022 to 2023, Catherine led our previous research project that investigated the effects of extreme heat exposure on firefighter cognition. More information about that project can be found here.
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Martyn Mathews
Co-Investigator
University of Salford
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Martyn is a Senior Lecturer in Rehabilitation in the School of Health and Society at the University of Salford. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a BSc in Sports Science and completed a MSc in Nutrition and Physical Activity at St. Bartholemew’s and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Martyn has over 35-years of experience in providing health and wellbeing support to elite athletes, military units, and the emergency services. He has worked with the UK Fire and Rescue Services for a number of years and is also a member of the FireFit Steering Group.
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Dr Dan Clark
Co-Investigator
Liverpool Hope University
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Dan completed a BSc Psychology degree at Nottingham Trent University before gaining an MRes in Psychology at the University of York. He then returned to Nottingham Trent University to complete his PhD. Dan currently works at Liverpool Hope University as a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology |
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Dr Steve Pearson
Co-Investigator
University of Salford
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Steve is a Senior Lecturer in Human and Applied Physiology at the University of Salford. He has a BSc in Sports Science from Sunderland University and a PhD in Human Physiology from University College London. Steve is interested in human performance and environmental physiology and he has many years of experience in measurement and design of human physiological monitoring and evaluation.
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- Thompson, C., Ferrie, L., Pearson, S. J., Highlands, B., & Matthews, M. J. (2024a). In the heat of the moment: The effects of extreme temperatures on the cognitive functioning of firefighters. Ergonomics, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2024.2326584
- Thompson, C., Ferrie, L., Pearson, S. J., Highlands, B., & Matthews, M. J. (2024b). Do extreme temperatures affect cognition? A short review of the impact of acute heat stress on cognitive performance of firefighters. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1270898. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1270898
