Richard M. Duffy
Assistant to the General President
International Association of Fire Fighters
Biography
Mr. Duffy has been involved with worker occupational health and safety issues for over 37 years, the past 32 years at the IAFF, where he is the Assistant to the General President, responsible for the IAFF’s activities addressing occupational medicine, safety and health. He has been involved in numerous committees involving fire fighters' and other workers’ safety and health, including those of the federal government, state governments, the NFPA, the ANSI and the International Standards Organization. He provides technical assistance on fire fighters health and safety issues and is internationally recognized as a fire fighters health and safety expert. He has authored numerous books, manuals and articles on worker occupational health and safety issues.
He has been actively involved in the addressing protective clothing and equipment for workers. He served as the Chairman of the NFPA Technical Correlating Committee for Fire Service Protective Clothing and Equipment and as the Secretary of the NFPA Technical Committee for Career Fire Service Deployment and Organization. He also served as a member on the NFPA Fire Service Occupational Safety and Health Committee and the NFPA Technical Committee on Hazardous Materials Response Personnel. He directed the NASA/FEMA program Project FIRES (Firefighters Integrated Response Equipment System), which under the auspices of the IAFF continues to work towards the development of state-of-the-art protective clothing and equipment, including the management of the new IAFF initiative Project HEROES (Homeland Emergency Response Operational and Equipment Systems) and the new IAFF initiative addressing light weight pressure vessels for SCBAs.
Mr. Duffy is responsible for the coordination and technical aspects of the IAFF/IAFC Joint Wellness/Fitness Initiative for Fire Fighters, including the Wellness-Fitness Program, the Candidate Physical Ability Test Program and the Peer Fitness Trainer Certification Program and has been directly responsible for IAFF efforts in addressing infectious diseases, including pandemic flu and proper PPE recommendations.
Mr. Duffy holds Bachelor of Science degrees in environmental health and in business management and a Master of Science degree in occupational and environmental health sciences.