Mandatory physical fitness program for Virginia firefighters

Physical Program for Virginia Fire Fighters

The Need for a Physical Fitness Program for Virginia Fire Departments

Fire fighters hold a special place within American society. They help keep our urban and rural landscapes safe from blazes of all kinds. Yet, even in a much more rigid bureaucratic environment, many firefighters within certain departments like here in Virginia failed to meet the physical standard that would provide the utmost level of safety. Although the physical requirements for entering the fire department are strenuous, the state of Virginia lacks a mandatory physical fitness program for its fire fighters that would ensure a continuous level of physical fitness and thus the highest level of performance in the most dangerous situations.

Significance of the Problem: Lack of Available Physical Fitness Programs

To think of an unfit fire fighter is an extremely dangerous problem. Currently, there is only an entry physical exam test (Virginia Department of Fire Programs, 2013). Once a candidate is actually brought on to the force, he or she does not have to show ongoing physical training to retain their job as a fire fighter with the state of Virginia. There is no ongoing mandatory physical fitness program that would require incumbent fire fighters to keep up with a rigorous physical training routine, despite the obvious physical demands of their job role. Unfortunately, "the lack of physical fitness problem begins in the firehouse, where firefighters may spend several sedentary hours watching television, sleeping, or even sitting around playing on the computer" (Calcagno, 2012). The issue here is that many fire fighters spent hours waiting for fire, and not physically training in order to perform their best when a fire does occur.

This does have a huge impact on the organization as a whole, but also on the community at large as well. Sedentary lifestyles can impact the health of the firefighters within the organization. According to the research, "over 59% of all on-duty firefighter fatalities in the United States in 2011 were caused by stress and/or overexertion which resulted in a heart attack" (Biddle & Bell, 2011). Physically inept fire fighters present a clear and obvious danger to society and to the firefighters themselves. The research clearly illustrates that unfit fire fighters can also cause danger to society. Thus, "If a firefighter goes down in a fire because he is not physically fit or because of pre-existing condition resulting from poor health, the rescuer is night victim, whose rescue will require important resources" (Calcagno, 2012). Unfit fire fighters cause more victims needing rescue in some of the most dangerous conditions.

It is the responsibility of the department to provide our fire fighters with the machines and programs necessary to stay physically fit in order to perform best on the job and to save lives. This means saving the lives of both civilians and of the firefighters themselves. What Virginia needs is a mandatory physical fitness program for fire fighters in order to keep them at the top of their game.

Sources Review

Strength Training

There are a number of recommendations in terms of tailoring physical fitness program for Virginia firefighters. The first to be discussed here is the notion of continuous strength training. According to the research, "strength is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to exert force to overcome the most resistance and one effort" (Calcagno, 2012). Strength training improves range of motion, physical capabilities, and also resistance to injury during those crucial moments where every second counts.

Strength training helps improve muscle and joint performance. This is absolutely key in situations where a daunting fire requires a fire fighter to go over and above the normal muscle functioning in order to save a life. As such, "although you cannot be trained for the situation specifically, maintaining your body in a state of physical readiness will help tremendously" (Calcagno, 2012). Strength training is a crucial element to any mandatory physical fitness program.

Endurance Training

Additionally, endurance is a hue part of any fire fighter's job. Here, the research explains that "endurance is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to exert force to overcome a resistance many times and is usually measured by the amount of repetitions performed" (Calcagno, 2012). Without high levels of endurance, fire fighters are not able to respond to a fire at great lengths. Yet, a fire does not wait around for the fire fighters to catch their breath. Essentially. "a firefighter have to be smart and strong to get the job done and must be able to continuously perform work at a moderate to quick pace without stopping to rest for extended periods of time" (Calcagno, 2012). On average, incumbent fire fighters who have been on the job longer have clearly less endurance ratings than new recruits (Biddle & Bell, 2009). Obviously, there needs to be some kind of consistency in regards to the level of endurance fire fighters within the department show on duty.

Cardiovascular Health

One of the biggest health risks faced by fire fighters today is actually cardiovascular problems caused by a lack of constant physical training which is augmented by the sedentary lifestyle of waiting around for fires. Thus, it is clear that "the sedentary hours fire fighters may spend in the fire station may be as hazardous for them as fighting a fire" (Sherek, 2009). In cases across the country, fire fighters and trainees show clear signs of cardio vascular issues when even doing the simplest of training drills. In fact, in Virginia in 2009, a trainee died of complications resulting from cardiac arrest after participation in an entry-level fire fighter certification class (NIOSH, 2009). The training exercise was routine for Virginia fire fighter trainees, yet it proved too much for one individual. It is difficult to imagine if such a tragedy were to take place in an actual emergency, where the lives of other fire fighters and fire victims may have also been at risk because of the physical inability of one fire fighter. According to the research, "cardiovascular exercise improves the ability of the lungs to provide oxygen and the heart and vessels to supply blood to the tissues" (Sherek, 2009). Cardio exercise is crucial to helping keep fire fighters healthy at any stage of their lives. There needs to be mandatory regiments of cardio for every member of the service.

Set Schedules and State Wide Standardization

Mandatory programs will help set a set schedule for thousands of fire fighters across the state. The research discusses how importance schedules are for increasing muscle strength and resilience training. Essentially, "for a fitness program to be effective, he must follow a schedule that should allow for periodization," where strength training and endurance are divided into distinct phases or periods, each of which has a specific outcome, which allows each specific strength to peak at the right times" (Calcagno, 2012). Regular programs of aerobic exercises show the most improvement in cardio vascular health (Sherek, 2009).

Moreover, programs across the state need to be standardized to ensure that every county is benefitting from the additional training that will increase the performance and health of fire fighters. Unfortunately, "like the written exam, the physical exam varies from department to department" (Virginia Department of Fire Programs, 2013). This leaves room for error and disarray. Developing a state standardized physical fitness program that is based on the same crucial activities of the physical entrance test would be the best route.

Conclusion

Clearly, something needs to change before anyone else gets hurt because a lack of physical fitness on our fire departments. The health of the fire fighters themselves, as well as the community at large is at stake. The state of Virginia needs to adopt a mandatory physical fitness program for incumbent fire fighters so that they stay as fit as the day they were accepted in the department.