EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF FIRE STAFFING COMMAND SEPTEMBER 22, 1999

RESEARCH PAPER:

PHYSICAL FITNESS IN THE FIRE SERVICE

PRESENTED BY:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

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HEART FAILURE

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REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS

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PHYSICAL AND MENTAL EFFECTS

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CONCLUSION

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REFERENCES

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INTRODUCTION
Without a doubt, fire fighting is one of the most physically intense professions, which can be selected as a career. The amount of physical energy exerted during a routine fire is equivalent to a full three-hour aerobic workout. The fire fighters heart rate goes from a normal rate of 65 beats per minutes to over 120 beats per minutes and is sustained at over 100 beats until the fire fighter returns to the station. Not only does the body endure a vigorous workout from lifting, pulling and climbing which is a tremendous strain on all muscles, but the body also suffers the shock of temperature extremes. Anytime the fire fighter can go from a normal 70 degree temperature and within five minutes can be thrust into a room thats over 800 degrees.

Over the past ten years, the fire service has acknowledged the need to maintain excellent physical conditioning in order to successfully perform the duties required in a safe manner. Many fire departments have implemented fitness training programs into their daily work schedule. Other departments involve the employees into a health fitness program though some type of health carrier. To date there are standards and regulations put into effect by governing bodies to insure the safety and well being of the fire fighter.

In 1997 the Muskegon Heights Fire Department lost one of its team members to a heart attack. At this point, it is still undetermined if this is a line of duty death; however we can associate the death of the fire fighter to his physical condition, which contributed to the heart attack. We at the Muskegon Heights Fire Department will miss our friend greatly, but because of this wake up call, we have started looking at our personal health differently.

It is my intention through this paper to show the need for good physical conditioning in the fire service. Case studies on job related injuries along with statistics related to health problems would be used.

HEART FAILURE
In 1994 heart attacks accounted for 36% of on duty fire deaths according to the Fire Engineering Magazine. NFPA data indicated that heart attacks accounted for 50.6% of all on duty fire fighters death. Of the 34 fire ground deaths in 1993, 52.9% were due to heart attacks. In 1990 all heart attack deaths of on duty fire fighters were do to stress or overexertion. 95% in 1993, fire fighters death from heart attack were due to stress or overexertion according to the NFPA report. (Fire Engineering, Nov. 1994)

Heart attack is the leading cause of death in the fire service. Heart strain can be linked directly to the working conditions involved in this profession. The unusual work schedule in itself is a strain on the mind and body of the fire fighter. Most career fire fighters work some sort of 24-hour schedule. (i,e., 24hrs on 24 hrs off; 24 hrs on, 48 hrs off; etc.) Because of the 24-hour schedule, the working day is extended an extra 16 hours of a normal persons workday.

In this profession the fire fighter heart rate is up and down as many times as the alarm rings. The normal heart rate is 60-75 beats per minutes. At the moment the alarm rings the heart rate doubles in beats per minutes as well as the natural adrenaline flow through the body. This becomes a standard occurrence for the fire fighter throughout his/her career. Even though the heart is the strongest, continuous working muscle, it can only take so much before the strain of up and down activity start to take its toll.

The third condition that puts strain on the heart is adverse conditions, weather playing the biggest part. As the weather and temperature changes, the heart has to compensate by pumping more or less blood through the body to either warm or cool the body. All three conditions play a vital role in the heart strain that leads to heart attack, which leads to the death of fire fighters.

What causes heart attack? A heart attack is caused when the blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked due to a clot. What is clear is that the heart muscle is severely compromised by a reduction in blood flow. The actual death of heart muscle takes place if the vessel is occluded and the location of the blockage can have a significant impact on survival and recovery. Diet and lack of exercise is a leading contributor to heart failure. Cholesterol is an essential form of fat, which when accompanied by protein, can cause problem if consumed in large amounts. Cholesterol is the fat that clogs the hearts arteries.

To prevent heart attack you are recommended to do two simple things: (1) eat healthy, solid meals, (2) exercise on regular bases.

REGULATIONS AND STARNDARDS

Federal Regulations Federal regulations also require employers to ensure a firefighter's fitness for duty. OSHA regulations, in part, require a certain level of physical fitness in order to wear a respirator.

"Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA 1910.156.b.2) requires the employer to assure that employees who perform interior structural firefighting are physically capable of performing those duties". OSHA requires that fire departments maintain documentation of every firefighter who performs fire suppression tasks has been determined to be fit to perform fire suppression duties. A physician who is familiar with fire suppression tasks and the working environment performs this evaluation. Having a physical examination is only one way to determine if a firefighter meets the physical capability requirement. Other ways of making the determination are by having the firefighter successfully complete all required training and a job-related physical performance test.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI -1984) describes guidelines for physical qualifications for respirator users and recommends an electrocardiogram and some pulmonary function tests. The Code of Federal Regulations (29 CFR 1910.120) requires baseline and annual physical exams for fire department employees who respond to hazardous materials incidents.

National Standa rds Several current National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards address medical and physical standards. At this time there is no current NFPA standard or recommended practice on physical fitness, physical performance, or physical assessment. "In the 1980s, concern over the occupation safety and health of incumbent firefighters led to the establishment of NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety & Health Program". The 1992 edition of NFPA 1500 contains an entire chapter on medical and physical issues and requires that all fire suppression personnel be medically evaluated periodically as specified by NFPA 1582, Standard for Medical Requirements for Fire Fighters (1992). NFPA 1500 requires that fire departments " develop physical performance requirements for candidates and members who engage in emergency operations." Additionally, NFPA 1500 requires that incumbents " be annually evaluated and certified by the fire department as meeting the physical performance requirements specified" (NFPA-1500, 1992).

The 1992 Edition of NFPA 1582 covers medical requirements for persons who performs fire fighting tasks that were previously contained in Section 2-2, (1992) of NFPA 1001, Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications, which applied only to the entry level. On the assumption that a linkage exists between entry level requirements and incumbent job performance, and in an effort to resolve an inter-committee jurisdictional dispute between 1001 and 1500, a joint subcommittee was established to

coordinate efforts to draft and revise firefighter medical and physical abilities standards at the entry and incumbent levels. (Internet, www.nfpa.gov.)

However, physical performance standards were eliminated from the 1982 edition of NFPA 1582, and recent efforts to adopt them as part of a separate standard (NFPA 1583) have failed. The only physical fitness standard currently promulgated by NFPA is found in the current NFPA1001 (1992) which states: "Physical fitness requirements for entry level shall be developed" (NFPA 1582, 1992,)

Therefore, NFPA 1582 is " intended to apply to candidates as well as current fire fighters" (NFPA 1582, 1992,). NFPA 1582 (1992) also states that when the standard is adopted, the jurisdiction " shall be permitted to establish a phase- in schedule for compliance with specific requirements of this standard in order to minimize personal and departmental disruption." Appendix C of NFPA 1582 (1992) describes in detail the essential. Fire fighting functions upon which the medical requirements of the standard are based and are shown to be job-related. NFPA 1583, Recommended Practices for Fire Fighters' Physical Performance and Conditioning Program, was proposed to establish guidelines for physical fitness and performance assessments. The major thrust of the document is directed to the programmatic aspects of fitness, versus the punitive consequences of failure.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL EFFECTS

The physical effects of exercises are far reaching and, hopefully by now, well known. A Well-conditioned individual has lower resting heart rates and blood pressures. Under stressful conditions the efficiency and capacity of the heart is significantly increased. This means that the heart rates do not show any immediate, rapid or exaggerated increase whenever severe physical demands occur. Heart rates return to normal much more rapidly when such challenges are removed. Individuals who engage in

regular exercise increase the power of their respiratory muscles. The individual who is in poor physical shape compensates by increasing the rate of respiration.

It is fact that regular physical exercise and good conditioning produces significant psychological benefits and effects. Regular exercise produces increased feelings of psychological and mental well being. Self-esteem is improved in individuals who are well conditioned, and it appears that exercise has an important influence on this improvement in positive self- feeling. Stress is now a well-recognized component of firefighters and emergency responders. Research shows that regular exercise can lessen tension, reduce depression and positively influence anxiety. Regular exercise seems to be able to affect mild to moderate depression and plays a role in alleviating it.

Exercise can produce psychological effects that are directly related to improved performance. Regular conditioning is associated with increased vigor and clearmindedness. While actual research on the psychological benefits of physical condition for firefighters is rare, research with other emergency responders such as police offers shows that psychological benefits do occur. During a fire, firefighters are under stress. This physical and emotional stress of fire fighting makes us vulnerable to the hazard of falls. Stress causes tunnel vision, which causes us to concentrate on the flames or the location, which we must quickly get extinguish in order to complete our assignment.

The more physically fit you are, the greater your physical work capacity; the greater yo ur cardiovascular reserve. Imagine you have two officers performing the same task at the same rate of work. The fit individual is working at a lower percentage of his of her maximum work capacity and, therefore, will be less fatigued at the end of the work.

CONCLUSION
It is my personal belief that the fire service has a definite need for a physical fitness program. Should it be mandatory or voluntary? This too is a million-dollar discussion that is discussed in detail by management and union personnel. We dedicate our lives to the needs of our community without thinking of ourselves. We leave our family at home while we go tend to the needs of others. We never think about our own condition until something tragic happens to one of us. We never think about the consequences of doing our job, the stress and strain we put on ourselves. We know that this is a strenuous profession both physically as well as mentally, and we will not do the things we need to keep fit.

Outside governing bodies have endorsed phys ical fitness in the fire service. The International Association Of Fire Chief (IAFC) is on record as promoting physical fitness program, but will not promote mandatory programs. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is on record for promoting the need for physical fitness programs, but wants to keep it from being a condition of employment. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has set standards to provide a base (or guidelines) for departments to follow for the health and well being of fire fighters.

This paper illustrates the catastrophic results of what happens when we neglect ourselves. Because of the type of job we do, we put our health in jeopardy more than any other profession. Statistics show that we work our hearts above and beyond what is expected. We put ourselves in dangerous situations, which demand our bodies respond to various stimuli. We breathe hazardous fumes that our body can not fight off, if we are not in good physical condition. The injury rate from slips, falls, and bumps accelerates as we get older. If the body is not in good shape, we tend not to mend as quickly.

REFERENCES:
Fire Chief Magazine, 30-31. Davis, Paul O. Ph.D.. (1997, November). Cholesterol corollary may mean coronary Fire House Magazine, 113-114. Asken, Michael Ph.D. (May 1994), The Psychological Strength Through Physical Conditioning. Fire House Magazine, 20-21. Dunn, Vincent. (June 1994), Falls, Slips and missed jumps. National Fire Protection Association. (1992). NFPA 1500: Standard on fire department occupational safety & health programs (1992 ed.). Quincy, MA: Author. NFPA standards council upholds complaints against NFPA 1583. (1996, February 1). IAFC On Scene, 10, 1-4. Internet Research: www.fema.gov/nfa/

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