WF Feature Template - International Association of Fire Chiefs

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By Bequ
“Fitness is not something that belongs to the
young — it’s everybody’s right, no matter what
the age.”
—Author unknown
H
ealth and fitness have never played as
important a role in wildland firefighting as they do today. With fire numbers and intensity growing each fire season, so
do the physical and psychological demands
on firefighters.
The recently published report “Contributing
Factors to Firefighter Line-Of-Duty Death in
the United States” notes that the health, fitness and wellness of firefighters contributed
to nearly 54 percent of fatalities. The report
was based on a study using data compiled
over six years (2000–2005) of verified firefighter LODDs from four sources: the National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH), the U.S. Fire Administration
(USFA) and the International Association of
Fire Fighters (IAFF).
Similarly, recent trends have shown that a
large number of injuries within the wildland
fire community are directly related to the
health and fitness of our firefighters.
Statistics show that several of these injuries
occurred as a direct result of physical training (PT) programs implemented by fire
crews during pre-season preparedness training. Why? Many of these programs are inconsistent, imbalanced or even unsafe. Firefighter
health and fitness contribute to these injuries
as well. Although most injuries and health
issues are minimal, requiring limited treatment
on
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and time off, some injuries do result in lost
work time.
Until recently, no standard guidelines
have been established for wildland fire personnel fitness programs, other than the fitness
programs implemented within the smokejumping community. In addition, Dr. Brian
Sharkey’s publication “Fitness and Work
Capacity” (2nd edition) does address fitness
and health in preparation for the Work
Capacity Test, as well as the physical demands
of the fireline.
Fortunately, the need for a standardized fitness program has been recognized at a national
level. The Federal Fire and Aviation Safety
Team (FFAST) at the National Interagency
Fire Center (NIFC) recently sponsored a group
of experts and wildland fire professionals to
Reprinted with the permission of Elsevier Public Safety © 2007.
?
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I
F
A large number of injuries within the
wildland fire community are directly
related to the health and fitness of our
firefighters. As such, we must ensure
our firefighters are adequately prepare for strenuous fireline activities.
PHOTOS KARI GREER
create a fitness program called FireFit (www.
nifc.gov/FireFit/index.htm)—a comprehensive
fitness program that aims to improve firefighter safety and health and reduce injuries
within the interagency wildland community.
FireFit 411
FireFit proposes five components for a balanced fitness program: cardiovascular fitness,
muscular strength, muscular endurance,
flexibility and rest. Each component is
important in maintaining a healthy body and
minimizing injuries while ensuring that the
body gets the adequate rest and recuperation
that’s essential to wildland firefighting.
Equally important factors, such as opposing
muscle strength and balance, core stability
and mental fitness, are often left out of fitness
regimens; however, FireFit incorporates
these aspects into the program. Additionally,
FireFit seeks to answer commonly asked fitness questions, including: Why is it important that firefighters warm up properly
before starting a PT program? How does
stretching play such an integral role in injury
reduction and fitness improvement? Why is
it important that for every set of abdominal
crunches performed, some type of lower
back strengthening is performed as well?
A balanced fitness program must be a
year-round commitment, a point made by
Sharkey: “Field work and firefighting are
inherently dangerous. We must do all that we
can to prevent illness and injuries, to treat
them properly, and to ensure the workers’
successful return to work. Prevention begins
long before the field season, with preparation, training, and attention to daily habits.”
With this in mind, FireFit provides wildland firefighters pre-season, fire-season and
post-season fitness modules that they can
use to develop their own fitness regimens.
Let’s use the 8-week pre-season module as an
example: FireFit encourages firefighters to
use their off season as time for recovery and
maintenance, as the body needs time to recuperate from fatigue and injury and start fresh.
The pre-season is the time to take it slow and
build up strength, preparing the body for the
demands of wildland firefighting come fire
season. As such, FireFit encourages firefighters
to spend the first six weeks of the pre-season
building muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness and flexibility, therefore allowing for
Reprinted with the permission of Elsevier Public Safety © 2007.
PHOTO KARI GREER
ARE YOU FIRE FIT?
Because wildland firefighters often spend hours hiking to remote fire locations, it is important to perform exercises that
build muscle endurance.
adequate rest and recovery. They should spend
the next two weeks building muscle endurance
with increased cardiovascular fitness and flexibility. Following is a breakdown of how the
essential fitness components apply to a preseason fitness routine.
Cardiovascular (Aerobic & Anaerobic):
Entire Pre-Season
• Start with 3–4 days of activity per
week, and build up to 4–6 days by
the end of pre-season.
• Start at 30 minutes and progress
to no more than 60 minutes at
70–85 percent of your maximum
heart rate.
• Diversify your cardiovascular
workouts with cross-training.
• Allow 1–2 days of rest per week.
Muscle Strength: Weeks 1–6
• Perform exercises 2–3 days per
week with a minimum of 24
hours between workouts to allow
for muscle recovery.
• When using weights, perform
8–12 reps for 1–3 sets, using
70–90 percent of the maximum
weight.
• Allow 1–2 days of rest per week.
Muscle Endurance: Weeks 7–8
• Perform exercises 3–4 days per
week with 24 hours between
workouts.
• When using weights, perform
12–20 reps for 1–3 sets using
50–70 percent of the max weight.
• Allow 1–2 days of rest per week.
Flexibility: Entire Pre-Season
• Perform light, limbering stretches
prior to activity as part of warm up.
• Include progressive stretches
after activity and cool down.
• Stretch muscles that have been
used during activity.
• Hold stretch slightly for 20–30
seconds.
• Breathe gently through each
stretch.
• Do not “bounce” during stretches.
For more fitness tips and training information, see the sidebar FireFit Fitness Tips,
p. 35. Additionally, check out “FireFit
Footnotes,” a new fitness-related section in
Staging Area, p. 16.4
Reprinted with the permission of Elsevier Public Safety © 2007.
ARE YOU FIRE FIT?
PHOTO KARI GREER
Sample Exercises
Perform light, limbering stretches prior to
activity as part of warm-up and progressive
stretches after activity and cool-down.
FireFit also provides workout templates that
firefighters can use to develop a sound fitness
program; these templates can be augmented to
fit individual needs. For a sample fire-season
fitness routine, see the sidebar FireFit FireSeason Workouts, p. 33.
Whether you’re looking to build muscle
strength or muscle endurance, it really doesn’t
matter what exercises you perform, as long as
you’re performing the appropriate number of
repetitions with the appropriate amount of
weight to reach your desired goal.
For example, here are two quick and
simple exercises firefighters can perform to
build muscle strength or endurance, depending on the number of repetitions performed.
These exercises use little space and no equipment but provide great benefits:
Wall Sits: Wall sits are a great exercise for
the lower body. Find a firm wall, and stand
with your back against it. Slowly bend your
knees, lowering your body so you are essentially sitting in an imaginary chair against the
wall. Keep your back straight, shoulders
back and abdominals and buttocks firm and
tight. Feet should be flat on the floor, with
toes pointed forward and hip-distance apart.
Reprinted with the permission of Elsevier Public Safety © 2007.
FireFit Fire-Season Workouts: workout template (24 weeks)
FITNESS
COMPONENT
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
DAY 5
DAY 6
DAY 7
Cross-training
activity lasting
45–60 minutes
Rest
Optional rest
Rest
Optional
team-building
exercises
MUSCLE
ENDURANCE
2–3 sets of
2–3 sets of
Incorporate
Incorporate
Incorporate
12–16 reps with
12–16 reps with
calisthenics
calisthenics
calisthenics
light–
light–
(abs, low back,
(abs, low back,
(abs, low back,
moderate
moderate
tricep dips)
tricep dips)
tricep dips)
weight
weight
Rest
Rest
FLEXIBILITY
5–10 minutes 5–10 minutes 5–10 minutes 5–10 minutes 5–10 minutes
Optional
5–10 minutes
CARDIOVASCULAR
MODERATE
INTENSITY
VIGOROUS
INTENSITY
Cross-training
activity lasting
45–60 minutes
Cross-training
activity lasting
45–60 minutes
Crew hike or
optional
team-building
exercises
Crew hike or
optional
team-building
exercises
MUSCULAR
TRAINING
Reprinted with the permission of Elsevier Public Safety © 2007.
PHOTO COURTESY MARTHA ELLIS
ARE YOU FIRE FIT?
Tricep dips build muscle strength and endurance in your arms.
Hold that pose for 30–60 seconds while maintaining good form. Stand up, walk around to
stretch out the legs, and repeat 2 or 3 times.
Tricep Dips: Tricep dips are a great exercise
for flabby underarms. Sit on a solid bench and
place your hands on each side of your body.
Slowly move your feet out and then lift your
buttocks off the bench so your hands are supporting your body. With your feet flat on the
floor, hip-distance apart, and knees bent at a
90-degree angle, slowly bend your arms, lowering your body, and then raise back up.
Repeat 10–20 times for 2 or 3 sets. You can also
vary the height of your legs relative to your
upper body to change the resistance.
The Wellness Connection
Fitness is more than just exercise. To reach
peak on-the-job performance, it takes a
multi-faceted approach that also includes
overall health and wellness. According to
Janie Clark’s “The Wellness Way” (1990),
wellness means “A personal adventure in
which the physical, mental, and emotional
health are all promoted to optimal levels.”
Using that definition, wellness includes all
the essential elements related to wildland firefighter safety and health, including fatigue management, stress, fitness, nutrition/hydration and
mental fitness. All of these elements are associated with “human factors,” a topic about which
much research has been conducted related to
wildland firefighting. Oftentimes, simple wellness habits related to nutrition and dietary
needs on the fireline, as well as getting adequate
rest, can help sustain firefighter performance
and ward off the potential for injury and illness.
There has been much discussion in recent
years about wildland-related wellness issues.
For example, should supplements be provided
in fire camp? What are the health hazards of
smoke? Does wildland firefighting affect the
immune system? Publications that address
these topics are available through the Missoula
and Technology Development Center
(MTDC) at http://fsweb.mtdc.wo.fs.fed.us or
406/329-3978.
Another example: Consider the nutritional needs of wildland firefighters. Current
research indicates that good nutrition starts
with eating a variety of foods from the major
food groups identified in the USDA food pyramid (www.mypyramid.com). Being that wildland firefighting increases energy production,
firefighters’ nutritional needs can be met by
increasing caloric intake—but only by eating
the right foods in the right amounts. Nutritional
problems most often arise through the use of
fad diets, the development of eating disorders
and a lack of proper nutritional guidance. Make
no mistake, the fireline is no place for weight
loss and diets. Research has shown that long
hours of hard work deplete muscle glycogen
stores; therefore, it’s important to consume
healthy snacks and plenty of water and electrolyte replacement drinks on the fireline.
As noted, wellness also includes mental fitness, which is a combination of mental toughness, flexibility, responsiveness and resilience.
Here’s one simple technique to improve mental
fitness: While stretching after completing physical activity, close your eyes and focus on your
slow, deep breathing. Concentrate on each
stretch, paying attention to how your muscles
feel and slowly counting through the stretch.
Once the stretch is complete, visualize yourself
performing a athletic endeavor. Visualize everything about the moment—the smells, sounds
and sights—and see yourself performing the
endeavor to perfection. Remember that great
Reprinted with the permission of Elsevier Public Safety © 2007.
FIREFIT
FITNESS TIPS
• Incorporate all the
essential components
of fitness in your wildland FireFit program,
including cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and
endurance, flexibility and rest.
•Warm up properly with large limbering
stretches prior to PT, and engage in a
good stretching regime after exercise.
• Understand the formula for muscle
strength and growth: Heavier weight
with fewer repetitions equals larger
muscle mass; moderate weight with
higher repetitions equals muscle
endurance. Which is better for job
performance on the fireline? Find out
at www.nifc.gov/FireFit.
• Work opposing muscles equally: For
every exercise you perform using one
muscle, use the opposing muscles
equally to avoid muscle imbalance
and injury.
• Allow ample time for muscle recovery
between workouts.
• Avoid “overuse syndrome”; don’t perform the same exercise every day.
Instead, cross-train, diversify and
change the routine often.
• Keep a log of your activity (include fitness, nutrition and hydration).
competitors (and firefighters) have a capacity to
handle mistakes (and failure) with grace. They
are able to bounce back from disappointments
and continue performing.
So how can firefighters prepare to be the
best they can be, both on and off the fireline?
Following are some wellness-related tips for
wildland firefighters:
• Follow a diet similar to an athlete’s diet,
including 60–65 percent carbohydrates
(breads, fruits and veggies), 20–25 percent
fat and 15 percent protein (meat, dairy and
legumes), and watch your sugar intake.
• Maintain the intake of immune-friendly
nutrients (vitamins C, E, B6, folate, selenium, zinc and beta-carotenes).
• Stay well hydrated by drinking the
appropriate fluids before, during and after
work, and limiting caffeine and alcohol.
• Mitigate heat stress through proper nutrition, hydration and acclimatization to the
work environment.
• Get plenty of good rest and abide by the
work/rest ratio: 1 hour of sleep for every 2
hours of work. (For more about work/rest
ratios, see the Guest Editorial on p. 8.)
• Incorporate mental fitness (mental
preparation for fire season) into your
workout regimen.
Following these tips, along with the aforementioned exercise regimens, should best prepare firefighters for the physical and mental
demands they’ll face on the fireline, and help
them live a healthier life in general.
Live FireFit
Every firefighter is responsible for their own fitness, health and wellness, which in turn will
enhance both personal and crew safety. Taking
into account that each person is unique, with
different lifestyles, customs and habits, it’s
important to implement a wellness/fitness program that meets your individual needs and
interests. Using FireFit as a guideline for developing a wellness/fitness program is a great first
step toward improving your health. The bottom
line: Whether you’re an adventurer who enjoys
an adrenaline rush or someone who craves a
slower-paced life, make your program your
own—just stick with it. It’s not only your life
that depends on it; the lives of your crewmembers could depend on it as well.
Bequi Livingston is the Regional Fire Operations
Health and Safety Specialist for the U.S. Forest
Service, Southwestern Regional Office. Livingston is
a certified Personal Fitness Trainer, Fitness Specialist
and Fitness Instructor. She is currently completing
her college education with a major in exercise science
and a minor in athletic training. She owns a fitness
consulting business, “BodySense,” and developed
Fireline Fitness in 1984 in order to provide a balanced fitness program for wildland firefighters.
Michelle Ryerson has served as the Safety and
Occupational Health Manager for the BLM’s Office
of Fire and Aviation in Boise, Idaho, for the past 6 1⁄2
years. She is the chair of the NWCG Safety and
Health Working Team, as well as a member of the
Federal Fire and Aviation Safety Team (FFAST). She
has been involved with the creation of many fire program safety initiatives that these two teams sponsor
(e.g., SAFENET, 6 Minutes for Safety, Accident
Reporting System and FireFit).
Reprinted with the permission of Elsevier Public Safety © 2007.