The New York City fire epidemic as a toxic phenomenon.

Reductions in the fire service in New York City from 1972 to 1976 appear to have caused a disproportionate increase in fire-fighter work load through several unexpected mechanisms of fire contagion. In turn, the work load increase has itself had a disproportionate physiologic impact: A classic dose-response relation has been observed between a composite measure of per capita structural fire work load and the percentage of the fire-fighting work force retiring under conditions of disability. After 1974, the increase in work load seems to have caused entry to the 'linear' portion of the dose-response curve. Implications of this synergism are explored for both New York City and other American urban areas now suffering 'fiscal crises' or planning fire service reductions.