Many would assume that the No. 1 cause of death for firefighters would be smoke inhalation or burns. However, it is actually anxiety and exertion, which is responsible for taking the lives of around 50 firefighters every year across the globe, Sean Campbell, the chief of the Arcata Fire District Battalion in California, told scientists at Humboldt State University.
Do first responders need stricter fitness standards?
According to a study conducted by researchers at Humboldt State University, many first responders are not in the proper physical shape because their departments do not require them to follow strict physical standards. Mental health is also a major factor for those with high-stress jobs, like firefighters and policemen, and must be looked after as well.
To assist these servicemembers in maintaining the emotional and physical demands of their work, Young Sub Kwon, head researcher and director of Humboldt State's Human Performance Lab, started a program in which first responders can volunteer to participate.
New fitness program set to get servicemembers in shape
In the Human Performance Lab, the team set up innovative exercise equipment that is able to track people's flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. Once Kwon gets a detailed understanding of each participant's physical health from initial testing, he creates an individualized fitness program for them.
"Many firefighters and police officers are not healthy because their jobs put them under stress," said Kwon. "For example, police officers are often driving. If they need to pursue a suspect on foot, there's no warming up. They have to run as fast as they can. Through a fitness program, I can help improve their capacity to run without warming up."
As Kwon starts to understand what each servicemember can handle, he provides training, including exercises like treadmill runs and bench presses, that gets increasingly harder over the course of a month. Volunteers partaking in the program have already begun to notice results.