Firefighter Occupational Health and Safety Data Privacy: An Analysis of Statutory, Regulatory, and Contractual Governance Mechanisms.

This article analyzes the policies governing occupational health and safety data privacy for career firefighters, focusing on federal laws and regulations as well as those in Maryland and Virginia, including relevant union contracts. It identifies a fragmented legal landscape addressing data collection, use, storage, and sharing, with few policies specifically oriented toward data privacy and only limited fire service–specific legislation. Federal laws primarily mandate injury and fatality reporting and prohibit discriminatory use of medical or genetic information, while state laws and union contracts vary in scope and protections, with some authorizing electronic monitoring without clear privacy safeguards. The study highlights gaps in existing protections and underscores the need for enhanced policymaking to safeguard firefighter data privacy amid evolving data collection technologies and surveillance practices.