BY SHAWN PERRY
Deise was a high-profile exception to a mountain of statistics that still depict the lives of firefighters as eventful but brief. Whether you belong to a big city or a rural department or are a career or a volunteer firefighter, you have bought into a lifestyle package that says, “It’s a great career, but chances are you won’t have much time left when it’s over.”
As the passionate debate continues on how to balance safety and effectiveness on the fireground, some sobering statistics abound regarding the probable fate of firefighters.
THE FIREFIGHTER CULTURE
The dark side to our chosen occupation involves a fate of which we have nearly total control. The fate to which I am referring is our “buy in” to the firefighter culture. Beyond the rules and regulations, the tactics and strategies, and the badges and impressive trucks and engines lies a silent stalker that seems to take hold of most of us from the time we enter the fire academy.
The fact is, we are different. We work a strange schedule (complete with 911-involved insomnia). We move toward danger instead of away from it. We become members of a second family, complete with family-type stresses. We talk about things at the dinner table that would ruin the appetites of most people. The peculiarities are many, and they seem to culminate into a life that is exciting and that ends prematurely. Which factors are responsible for this? Is it our continued exposure to fire’s hazardous conditions? Is it our poor sleeping patterns over 25 to 30 years? Is it the cumulative psychological (and, therefore, physiological) stress we endure every time the bell rings?
These factors, and many more, could contribute to our premature demise, but there are also other issues that many of us may not factor into our long-term plans.
SOME FACTORS WE CAN CONTROL
What did you eat today? How much did you put on your plate? What did you eat during your last shift at the fire station? Are you following a regular, sensible exercise program that includes some form of cardiovascular conditioning and resistance training? For those of you who are health- and fitness-conscious, these questions are probably music to your ears. For those of you who have detached yourselves from your physical being, you may be disappointed, frustrated, or even angry at the direction of this article. I’m hopeful that you will read the rest of it and become inspired by the time the conclusion rolls around.
The statistics for firefighters have not changed much over the years. Approximately 50 percent of on-line firefighter deaths result from a major cardiac incident. In addition, if we make it through to retirement, we typically perish within five to seven years of our last day on duty.
That’s probably not new information to most of you, but have you really looked at how you are going to fit into this classic scenario? Many of us accept this potential fate as a simple consequence of being a firefighter. Many of us ignore the data and live in a state of denial. Some of us just plain don’t care. However, there is a growing core of firefighters (not just the new folks) who have concluded that longevity and good health are personal, as well as professional, decisions. It is true that you could be hit by a car tomorrow, burn up, or develop an incurable disease. It is also true that some genetic predisposition may influence the length and quality of your life. However, if you rely on these factors as your ticket to the land of apathy, then I challenge you to answer the following questions:
- Do my coworkers depend on me?
- Am I fit enough to handle the tasks on the fireground or other physically demanding emergencies?
- Am I still an asset to my crew, or have I become a liability?
- Am I satisfied with how I represent myself to the public?
The point here is to help you with a wake-up call to the fact that you may unknowingly be headed toward your own personal 911. Consequently, your lifestyle choices may have a life-and-death impact on someone else, let alone yourself.
A couple of years ago, the International Association of Fire Fighters along with 10 fire departments and their local unions came together and developed the “Wellness Initiative” for the fire service. The Wellness Initiative is a comprehensive model designed to assist fire departments in developing a health and fitness program.
Unfortunately, few fire departments have adopted this model. In fact, only a very small percentage of fire departments nationwide have a formalized health and fitness program. Without getting into local politics, department philosophies, or fiscal impact studies, it becomes crystal clear that, for the most part, you are the only person who is going to do something for your well-being.
Fortunately, here in Sacramento we have had the benefit of enlightened leadership, of having a qualified professional dedicated to our well-being. Our fitness director, Al Baeta, is a qualified healthcare professional and two-time Olympic team staff member. Does that mean that all of our members are models of health and fitness? Absolutely not! We do well on an average basis, but we still have many individuals who mortgage their health to poor lifestyle choices. It still boils down to a personal decision.
MAKING POSITIVE LIFESTYLE CHANGES
Expert guidance is available everywhere; however, it is difficult to sort out quality information and resources from commercialization and hype. If you have reached a point in your career and life where you are motivated to make positive lifestyle changes, let me recommend the following steps.
- Get a complete medical exam from your doctor. Include a comprehensive blood test profiling blood lipid (fat) levels including cholesterol, HDLs, and LDLs. Incidentally, physicians for the most part are not exercise or nutrition experts. In fact, many physicians and healthcare professionals practice poor health habits.
- Seek out a bona fide fitness expert. How do you define an expert? Look for a person with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in exercise physiology or a closely related subject such as kinesiology or physical education. There are also many good personal trainers with various certifications. Let them explain their backgrounds to help you determine if you feel confident with their qualifications.
After interviewing a few qualified individuals, choose a person who matches well with your personality, shows genuine concern for improving your physical well-being, and has a sound nutrition background (if not, search for a bona fide nutritionist). Once you have found this person, don’t jump ship every time someone else tries to give you advice. The individual chosen should have a current knowledge base. New information and misinformation become available every day. Achieving optimal fitness should not dominate your day or week; if it does, you probably won’t stick with it very long. A qualified professional can design a program to fit your schedule.
- Develop a plan of action. This is that old time management issue where you break down all components that make up your day and week and try to cram in something else. The core of successful planning and time management is reestablishing your priorities. For many of us, health and fitness aren’t even on the list!
- Chart your progress, and measure the results. Start with a baseline of information. It could be as simple as looking in the mirror or stepping on the scale, but I would suggest including many or all of the following components:
- blood pressure readings,
- a.m. heart rate (before you get out of bed),
- blood lipid levels,
- body composition (body fat vs. lean tissue),
- max VO2 (treadmill or other cardio mechanism to measure predicted maximal oxygen consumption),
- flexibility, and
- muscular strength and endurance.
Develop a baseline consisting of these components, implement your plan, and chart your progress. If this seems overwhelming and too burdensome, try to keep in mind that you’re planning to possibly save your life. However, if you have an aversion to quantifying your results, simply look in the mirror, see how your clothing fits (if you’re overweight), and ask yourself, How do I feel? How do I feel about myself? Finding a partner may be a help or a hindrance; you’ll have to figure that out for yourself.
The basics of achieving or maintaining an adequate fitness level for your professional life and beyond boil down to two basic components. First, address your cardiovascular system needs three to five days per week, 20 to 45 minutes per session. If you are starting from scratch, find a low-impact exercise (fast walking, biking, or swimming, for example), and begin with 20-minute sessions. Listen to your body, and progress to higher levels when you feel ready. Second, get in the weight room. Even if you have spent time there in the past, find an expert who can help you design an effective program. Based on 25 years of experience, I would suggest to you that the science of resistance training continues to evolve into a more efficient and effective component of comprehensive fitness. Creating a program tailored to your individual needs is beyond the scope of this article.
Firefighters are bound to the same physical laws of nature as the general population; however, the demands of our profession take an excessive toll. It is also true that the health habits many of us practice in the fire station are self-destructive. The challenge we face is summoning the courage and motivation to break old patterns.
Tom Deise was an amazing exception to the rule of longevity for firefighters. However, you do have a great amount of influence on the quantity and quality of your life. Focus on this area for a while, and make your changes permanent. Good luck, and best of health to you all.
SHAWN PERRY is a captain and the assistant fitness director for the Sacramento City (CA) Fire Department, where he has served for eight years. His physical fitness background includes having obtained a B.S. in exercise physiology from the San Jose State University, California, and an M.S. from the University of Illinois at Champaign.
