Published 12/19/24 | Written by Bob Proehl

Cornell Master of Public Health students Taylor Rijos and Anthony Un both vividly remember when Canadian wildfire smoke rolled into New York State in 2023.

“That’s something my family had never experienced,” says Rijos. “Figuring out what to do when faced with a novel threat was eye-opening.” For Un, the smoke represented an even greater danger. “It was a stark reminder that the impacts of climate change are becoming more tangible,” he says.

Wildfire smoke can be deadly; it contains high concentrations of particulate pollutants small enough to enter the bloodstream and affect internal organs, and is estimated to account for over 16,000 deaths each year in the U.S. alone. Despite the danger, when wildfire smoke entered New York that summer, 28 of the state’s 62 counties lacked sensors to detect it.

In the wake of these wildfires, Cornell Public Health led a statewide effort to install air quality sensors across the state, linking them to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Fire and Smoke Map, to provide widespread access to real-time air quality data. “The installation of these sensors provided a wealth of new information on air quality,” recalls Rijos, “but no clear way to translate that data into action in a crisis.”

The issue was not just delivering the data to those who needed it, but presenting it in ways that cut through the informational ‘noise’ that can arise in crisis situations. “There is an overwhelming amount of information available online,” says Un, “and too much data can be just as confusing as not enough.” What was needed was an easy-to-navigate resource to help people make informed decisions about how to react to smoke events.

To address this gap, Rijos and Un were hired by Cornell Public Health to do just that; create a Wildfire Smoke Dashboard to help people make sense of the information provided by the sensors and maps. To create the dashboard, Rijos and Un synthesized up-to-date, evidence-based data from numerous sources and presented the information in formats geared to multiple audiences, including government agencies, community organizations, and individuals.

The dashboard provides information on wildfire smoke and air quality, with sections devoted to understanding health risks, interpreting data, and employing risk mitigation strategies for individuals and communities. It also provides information for key populations who might be at higher risk during an adverse air quality event. “We were really thinking about how to improve decision-making for individuals, local governments, and organizations responsible for those in their care, like schools, daycares, and employers,” says Rijos. “We also tried to find the right balance between giving enough detail that the information is useful and can be applied,” adds Un, “but not so much that it’s confusing.”

Working on the dashboard has expanded Rijos and Un’s interest in the impacts of extreme weather on health, while solidifying the need for clear risk communication in moments of crisis. “Unfortunately, extreme events are becoming more common across New York State and the Northeast in general,” says Rijos. “But working on this project allowed me to see all the components needed for successful risk communication.”

“I’ve learned a lot about outreach” reflects Un. “Rather than judging people’s health decisions, I now find myself wondering: ‘Was there good outreach targeting this group? Were data made available in a way that was comprehensible?’ That’s a framework I’m taking from this work to apply in the future.”