Firefighters are continuously exposed to particulates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that may heighten the likelihood of cancer. This is why they wear a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) during fire suppression and overhaul—to protect the respiratory tract, which is vulnerable to toxic combustion products that are commonly found in smoke and soot.

Many would miss this on a trivia quiz, but the skin is the human body's largest organ. And the importance for firefighters to protect their skin also goes largely unrecognized.

With a huge surface area and critical biological functions, the skin is key to providing a barrier to toxins and regulating temperature.

For the latter, the skin changes dramatically to provide thermoregulation and ensure proper cooling. It needs to function correctly for you to know when the heat is too much.

NASA recently introduced AUDREY, an artificial intelligence system that could revolutionize how firefighters safely battle fires.

AUDREY, the Assistant for Understanding Data through Reasoning, Extraction and sYnthesis, is part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Next Generation First Responder program, an initiative meant to develop new ways to keep first responders safe through enhanced situational awareness and communication through data.