Personal Health in the Fire Service

[M' Ave 1,466]

In light of a recent and tragic L.O.D. death, along with others that I'm familiar with, I'd like to know what kind of health monitoring exists in the volunteer fire service today. I know when I joined a VFD 12 years ago, I had to go through an OSHA physical and it was fairly comprehensive. However, members only had to have this physical every 5 years. Additionally, as long as one passed the pulmonary function test and could duck walk, you were okay to continue on. More than a few guys of "generous proportions" were allowed to continue to serve. I've read too many stories and known too many people who have suffered injury and very sadly death and it can be directly attributed to their physical health.

At work, we have to have an annual physical which includes pulmonary function, EKG, heart rate on a stair master, eyes, ears, typical vitals and a full blood work-up. Members who's heartrate is too high, have hypertension, extremely high cholesterol or are excessively overweight, ect, are removed from full duty status and assigned to work somewhere where they can work on these problems without risking their health.

The Job did a casual study some years ago where members would work a normal tour while wearing a heart monitor. These members, in good health, had extremely large swings in heart rate. At times, they went from a rate in the 60's to a rate close to 200 in seconds. This is what happens when you're resting and then the tones drop and the housewatchman tells you it's a phone alarm for fire and people are reported trapped.

I know we walk a fine line in the VFD of wanting to retain members without placing too much strain on their personal lives. This is a tough balancing act, however, we might be shying too far away and ignoring very real health concerns. We need to protect our members and their families.

This is highly stressful and dangerous work. We don't need to make it more-so by not protecting ourselves.

What is being done? What can be done differently?

[firefighter36 52]

From a risk management standpoint, lowering standards in the name of recruitment and retention is dangerous. The mere fact that an agency can put lives at risk for permanent disability/dismemberment/death rather than adhering to an acceptable physical and safety standard, even minimal can make for a costly operation in the long run. With watchdog groups, politicians and others crying for fiscal prudence, is that a risk that fire commissioners, councilmembers, etc. should take?

Paid or volunteer, the stakes are real and the job is dangerous. We can all agree to that. The most precious and hard to come by resource in the fire service are people. on the career end, they are the most expensive part of the budget, and in many volunteer outfits, new members are hard to come by. Making sure we have trained personnel who are in shape to handle the combat conditions of firefighting is a big deal. Christopher Brennan talks about the Metabolic Calorie Burn of Firefighting operations in his new book, and on his blog www.thefireservicewarrior.com Check it out, the facts he presents are staggering.

At the local and company level, any department/company/municipality/fire district/etc. should provide members with access to health and diet coaching, physical training, and a gym. This is a great use for that 2% insurance money. The key here is prevention. As M'Ave pointed out, the informal study done in NYC shows a big stress on cardiac health, and that stress is not temporary, but cumulative over years of service.

What can we do for line personnel? We can sell ourselves and our brothers and sisters a culture change. We can eat well in the firehouse, if we try. Drop the doughnuts and coffee (i indulge from time to time too) step back from the TV room after your downtime, and get on the treadmill or in the gym for part of your shift or standby duty. Come to work hydrated, stretched, and ready to go into combat, because that is the reality of the work, career or volunteer. None of the resources above are any good if we don't make the commitment to live healthy and keep ourselves ready for the worst at all times. A culture change can be hard to sell, but when it comes to overall health of firefighters, it should be a no brainer.

Edited May 21, 2011 by mbendel36

[grumpyff 1,159]

My volunteer department gives annual physicals. EKG, hearing, vision, urine and blood work, fit testing of mask, pulmonary function, vitals, and this year added heart rate after carrying 20 lb and 30 lb weight a short distance plus time on a tread mill. My paid law enforcement job gives me nothing.

[efd184 59]

Here is a good start LOOK IN THE MIRROR! It is up to the individual career or volunteer to make change. Depts can set guidelines and other nonsense but it up to the individual to be ready to go. If your not you put the rest of the members in jeopardy when it is time to do the job.

[INIT915 1,119]

Here is a good start LOOK IN THE MIRROR! It is up to the individual career or volunteer to make change. Depts can set guidelines and other nonsense but it up to the individual to be ready to go. If your not you put the rest of the members in jeopardy when it is time to do the job.

Agreed. What happened to a little personal responsibility?

[spin_the_wheel 460]

M Ave will agree with this I think....even though you may be able to sleep at work on some jobs, its NOT the same deep sleep you will get in your own bed in your own home. That said, I think the heart rate jump M describes is even worse with volunteer firefighters doing a home response in the middle of the night. I have been knocked out of a deep sleep with my heart pounding on routine alarms, not to mention those house fires with the key words we all love to hear "vicinity of", "next to" and so on. Talk about going from 0 to 90 in nothing flat. This alarm came in about 5am. Something to think about.

As for physicals we give an OSHA physical every year for members 40 and over. Once every 2 years for ages 30-39, and every 3 years for ages 18-29.

[M' Ave 1,466]

Here is a good start LOOK IN THE MIRROR! It is up to the individual career or volunteer to make change. Depts can set guidelines and other nonsense but it up to the individual to be ready to go. If your not you put the rest of the members in jeopardy when it is time to do the job.

True, personal responsibility should go along way. Your peers have a responsibility to look out for you too. A little tough love doesn't hurt. Hopefully, when you catch a guy trading up a pant size at the quartermaster, you make sure EVERYONE knows it.

That said, obesity is only one issue. I know guys who spend 4 solid days a week in the gym and are in great shape, yet they've had a heart attack. Solid health monitoring is a must for this line of work. There is too much that can go unseen, besides the obvious hefty member.

[50-65 205]

Our dept physicals are almost as useless as my D.O.T. physical. Blood pressure, pulse, vision and hearing test. EKG's and fit testing. But this is all done at a resting rate. My resting BP of 120/60 and pulse of 64 means nothing if a little exercise sends me through the roof.

A state fire instructor I had for a class recently, said that we are killing ourselves and each other with heart attacks. We need to be more selective in membership and have the nerve to tell some people that they CANNOT be active members. just because someone really really wants to be a firefighter does not mean they can be one. As he said, he really really wants to be a NY Ranger. Just because he can't skate does that mean they shouldn't accept him?

[ny10570 745]

There have been a bunch of studies on firefighter heart rates. One canadian study just done during live fire training showed hear rates exceeding the predicted maximum heart rates. Another in Indiana or Iowa had firefighters exceeding their predicted maximum heart rate for dozens of minutes at a clip. In one literature review a NASA physiologist's comment was something to the affect of the fittest astronauts would not be trusted by NASA to operate under that kind of physiological stress. Here we are putting middle aged men and women who's day job doesn't involve maintaining peak physical conditioning in these situations.

There have also been much more invasive studies measuring just about every physiological response from hormone release to core temperature. Firefighters consistently test in shockingly/disturbingly high values. On paper its impressive any of us survive to retire.

Edited May 21, 2011 by ny10570

[x129K 1,393]

I pick things up and put them down.