Mike McEvoy’s Tuesday workshop, “Rehab and Medical Monitoring,” was inspired by the creation of National Fire Protection Association 1584, Standard on the Rehabilitation Process for Members During Emergency Operations and Training Exercises, 2008 Edition. The EMS coordinator for Saratoga County, New York, and EMS director on the Board of the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs, McEvoy helped develop the standard and subsequent training materials for the International Association of Fire Chiefs. The session offered a practical, real world perspective on implementing a rehab program in any fire department, covering obstacles such as education, manpower, wasteful medical monitoring, and proper use of food and fluids by firefighters on the fireground.
Few firefighters truly understand the benefits of rehab which include increased stamina, better performance, fewer injuries, and an ability to more effectively fight fire, McEvoy said, and the same knowledge of hydration, rest, nutrition and medical monitoring used by competitive athletes, when applied to firefighters, is a fundamental component of a properly designed and executed fire rehab program. According to McEvoy, our current practices for medical monitoring in rehab lack evidence of effectiveness or benefits for firefighters, and need to be tailored to efficient and effective use of time and EMS personnel for practical application. Rehab is something a firefighter does, not something done to him or her. Small, medium, and major metropolitan departments have redesigned their rehab programs in full compliance with NFPA 1584 to meet the needs of their firefighters, improve safety on the fireground and maximize performance.
McEvoy, a technical editor for Fire Engineering, has been presenting at the Fire Department Instructors Conference for 12 years.
