NFA Takes Healthy Look at Fitness
The National Fire Academy is responding to concern about the physical fitness of fire fighters.
Working in conjunction with the Institute of Human Performance in Fairfax, Va., the academy is developing an extensive course directly concerned with the fire fighter’s physical well-being. IHP’s work will be directed by Dr. Paul O. Davis, president of the institute, who has an extensive background in physiological research. Working with Dr. Davis will be Major Howell Wright, who helped develop the United States Marine Corps fitness program.
Every fire fighter, however, has the opportunity to reduce the odds of injury or fatality on the fireground by maintaining a high degree of physical fitness. Cardiovascular conditioning is one of the most significant ways of reducing the chances of heart attack and related forms of vascular disease. Although hard conditioning requires perseverance and determination, the rewards are tremendous. Proper conditioning can literally mean the difference between life and death for a fire fighter. If improved physical conditioning can lessen the death and injury rate by even 2 or 3 percent, then a victory will have been won for all fire fighters.
Some fire departments have made significant gains in approaching the problem. The departments of Los Angeles, Calif., and Alexandria, Va., have both instituted successful and effective fit ness programs. As this type of effort continues, the chances are constantly improved of having fire fighters alive and healthy when the fire is finally knocked down.
If all that was necessary to maintain a proper fitness program was in terest, there would be a much higher percentage of fit fire fighters in this country. Unfortunately, the question of physical fitness programs for the fire service is now answered simply by establishing a program. For a program to have a positive impact on any department, it must be self-sustaining and functional. The success of any fitness program lies directly in its management. Proper planning for administrative duties covering daily procedures is essential. From the chief to the line officer, there are responsibilities to be managed which may insure an effective program.
Plan the program
The foundation of a fitness program largely determines its chances of success or failure. The persons directly involved in mapping out a program have a very important function. They are responsible for establishing the program’s operational framework. Who will participate in policy formulation? Should this process be restricted to department officers or should the input of local government officials be welcomed? Is labor to be represented? How critical is participation and support from local and/or city government and the community at large? These issues should be addressed at the onset of the academy program.
The foremost consideration in any fire administrator’s mind is the question of money. How much will it cost to start a fitness plan? Is special equipment needed and if so, how much will it cost? Prior to starting the program, how much money should be committed for medical screening of all personnel—stress testing, blood workup, percent body fat measurements, etc.? Obviously, financial concerns are legitimate issues. The academy program deals with objectives that best determine methods of financing it on a priority basis to evaluate which expenses are most critical, and to define which can be postponed until more funding is available. Various financing options will be provided to reflect differing administrative and financial conditions prevalent in fire departments today.
Keep records
Record keeping is a vital component in the program plan and particularly, the type of data to collect. For example, do the records reflect a detailed account of the fire fighter’s physiological makeup at the onset of the program and then at a later date to measure program effectiveness? Does the data recorded compare fire fighter injury and sick leave statistics prior to program start with amount of leave taken six months or a year later? Are there any extraneous variables that could possibly alter interpretation of the data (for instance, injuries incurred through team sports activities and not from fitness training)? Properly kept data will show whether or not fire fighters are spending more time on the job and less time on sick leave. If this proves to be the case, the records will provide an excellent demonstration to local, county or city government of cost effectiveness. Local government officials would welcome more efficient use of fire fighting personnel through improved physical fitness and job performance. A fire department could then find it has an increasing budgetary allowance for its fitness program.
photos by the author.
Rewards for achievement
Motivation of personnel is a concern in any fitness program. True, one can spend much time emphasizing the hazards of the job and how being physically fit can possibly minimize those hazards, but is this the only approach? Are there other ways of sparking a genuine desire to stay physically fit? What methods of positive incentive are there that can convince a fire fighter to want to stay in shape? Some departments give one day off a month for high physical fitness achievement. This is a positive motivational tool that the fire fighter can see as a tangible reward. Recognition that would encourage a positive mental attitude about the program is an important factor to consider in program design.
Volunteer fire fighter fitness
Any academy program on fitness which fails to consider the volunteer would be unreal. The volunteer still faces the risks of fire fighting, regard less of the fact that he does not get paid a fee for his time. He needs to be in as sound physical condition as the career” fire fighter. Yet, a new set of problems arise when the issues of physical conditioning are considered for the volunteer service. The majority of the volunteer’s stationhouse time is spent in responding to emergency calls and in training. This has to be sandwiched in between hours spent at a regular job. Can he find available time for fitness activity? Since a volunteer gives of his time with no monetary reward, is it reasonable to expect him to participate in a mandatory fitness program?
There are a number of issues to be considered by an all-volunteer department that realizes the importance of physical fitness in fire fighting and wants to get involved. The academy course will provide guidance to assist this department, or the individual volunteer in the part-paid department. An individual volunteer who wants to stay physically fit may be able to participate in a program already incorporated for the career personnel. Such options are important considerations if the volunteer fire fighter is to be encouraged to achieve a higher level of physical capability.
Insurance and liability
Liability is a real issue in any physical fitness program. The equipment used, where this training will take place, and the safe or unsafe features of that location must be contemplated in the planning stages of the program. Is the fire chief fully aware of any risks he may be liable for in his program? Has any thought been given to consulting a safety specialist or attorney in the organizational stages of the program? Does the insurance coverage for all fire fighting personnel cover any conceivable accidents that could occur outside of combat duty and fire suppression training? Managing a fitness program involves planning for events that will probably never occur, but must be anticipated. Making certain that these concerns are addressed initially reflects positively on the chief and the rest of his organizing committee.
Nothing would please a chief more than administering a problem-free program. Unfortunately, every program will have its problems. They will have to be handled with careful attention to actions taken and subsequent consequences. For example, there may be department members who are considerably overweight. Requiring that these men get involved immediately in physical fitness might do more harm than good. They should be placed in a closely supervised weight reduction program, under the direction of a licensed physician. Does the process end here? Not entirely. The individual fire fighter should be slowly eased into the fitness program until he is able to perform at higher conditioning levels.
There could be many kinds of special cases. What happens to the fire fighter who is returning from medical leave? Does returning to combat duty mean that he should also return to fitness activity? Should he recommence at the same conditioning level? Who should determine where the man starts again—a physician or a fitness officer? These situations can, and inevitably will, arise. An alert fitness program operations manager must anticipate them.
Summing up
Program development is intrinsic to a solid program framework. It depends on such elements as: (1) determining objectives, that is, both general program goals as well as specific performancebased standards: (2) conducting a task analysis, if it is necessary and within the ability of the department; (3) deciding which methods of instruction may be used to introduce the new program to all fire fighting personnel; and (4) designing criteria for the benefit of personnel in understanding how their progress compares against standards established in program guidelines.
These certainly are not all the management topics that are important, but just a few of the highlights of the major areas in a fitness program that concerns a fire administrator.
