The job of a firefighter is what the fitness world would call an occupational athlete. The job requires a high level of on the job stress as well as chaotic and unpredictable conditions that they work in. The firefighter works under conditions that require them to wear heavy gear called personal protective equipment that weighs 22kg that does not breathe and adds heat stress to the work they are performing. The physical performance requirements of the jobs include high level of aerobic fitness, high levels of anaerobic power, and muscular strength and endurance. The fitness level of a firefighter should be one of the highest of all occupational athletes but due to society as a whole becoming less fit the pool of fit firefighters is shrinking.
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The risk for injury for firefighters will not decrease so the need to decrease the increasing rate of obesity in firefighters to help minimize the cost of injury and the risk for injury. Obese individuals may be a greater risk for occupational injury due to a number of factors including impaired mobility, fitness and apnea-related fatigue (2). That being said when a firefighter is obese and subjected to the chaotic environment along with the heavy PPE adds cardiovascular strain along with thermal strain, which can limit work time and decrease the decrease the time to fatigue. Just using one aspect of firefighting shows the need to focus on finding and keeping workers fit rather then letting them become obese which not only limits performance but adds more cost in insurance and injury risk. The physiological strain that is required of firefighters that are affected by their body type, environment and anthropometrics as stated in Figure 2 are unique Job Stressors (5). The physiological strain of near max heart rates while on the job for a firefighter that remains elevated for extended periods of time, which leads to resting high blood pressure. Firefighting is associated with profuse sweating and hence a decrease in plasma volume. A 15% reduction in plasma volume has been reported after 18 min of strenuous fire fighting drills (5). The strain given by lack of plasma volume also makes dehydration a factor that influences job performance to the point that can cause serious harm or injury to the
The risk for injury for firefighters will not decrease so the need to decrease the increasing rate of obesity in firefighters to help minimize the cost of injury and the risk for injury. Obese individuals may be a greater risk for occupational injury due to a number of factors including impaired mobility, fitness and apnea-related fatigue (2). That being said when a firefighter is obese and subjected to the chaotic environment along with the heavy PPE adds cardiovascular strain along with thermal strain, which can limit work time and decrease the decrease the time to fatigue. Just using one aspect of firefighting shows the need to focus on finding and keeping workers fit rather then letting them become obese which not only limits performance but adds more cost in insurance and injury risk. The physiological strain that is required of firefighters that are affected by their body type, environment and anthropometrics as stated in Figure 2 are unique Job Stressors (5). The physiological strain of near max heart rates while on the job for a firefighter that remains elevated for extended periods of time, which leads to resting high blood pressure. Firefighting is associated with profuse sweating and hence a decrease in plasma volume. A 15% reduction in plasma volume has been reported after 18 min of strenuous fire fighting drills (5). The strain given by lack of plasma volume also makes dehydration a factor that influences job performance to the point that can cause serious harm or injury to the