FirefIghting: Research Review

— Physical Performance —

1. Specific Published Research

• Cisar, C.J., and Moberg, A.D., "The Relationship of Upper Body and Lower Body Muscular Strength to Fire Fighting Ability". Finding… results indicate that fire fighting ability is dependent on the development of upper body muscular strength, and to a lesser extent on lower body muscular strength. (see complete reference below – #6)

• Davis, P.O. and Dotson, C.O., "Relationship Between Simulated Fire Fighting Tasks and Physical Performance Measures". Finding… relatively high muscular strength and endurance, coupled with a near maximal aerobic capacity effort, were required to complete the simulated (fire fighting) tasks. (see complete reference below – #10)

2. Specific Unpublished Research Conducted at the Bureau of Instruction & Training

• Berry, M.W., and Matic, T., "Relative Contributions of Physical Size, Strength and Fitness to Roof Ladder Placement Performance". Finding… strength is the primary contributor to roof ladder placement times (71.2%) and the number one predictor. Fitness makes a significant (24.8%) and unique contribution only when combined with strength measures. Physical size makes a non-significant contribution (4.1%).

• Berry, M.W., and Matic, T., "Relative Contributions of Physical Size, Strength and Fitness Relationships to the five-task On•Target Combat Test ®". Finding… contributions of physical size, strength and fitness were approximately equal. Strength was the number one predictor of the CT. Fitness made a significant and unique contribution only when combined with strength and size measures.

• Berry, M.W., and Matic, T., "Relative Contributions of Physical Size, Strength and Fitness to the Differences between Elite Recruits and Typical Recruits". Finding… the relative contribution of strength, accounts for the majority of the difference between recruit groups (63.2%). Strength is the number one predictor of the elite recruit group. Physical size makes a significant, but smaller contribution (30.7%) to group differences. Relative contributions of fitness to group differences are non-significant (6.1%).

• Berry, M.W., and Matic, T., "A Comparison of the Strength and Fitness of Higher, Middle, Lesser Skilled Recruits".Finding… large and statistically significant differences in the strength of the high group to each of the other two groups. Small, but statistically significant differences in the fitness of the high group to each of the other two groups.

• Berry, M.W., and Matic, T., "Relative Contributions of Physical Size, Strength and Fitness to the Differences Between Male Recruits and Female Recruits". Finding …the relative contribution of strength, accounts for the majority of the differences between male and female recruits (49.2%). Physical size makes a significant, but smaller contribution (33.7%) to group differences. Relative contributions of fitness to group differences are small, but significant (17.0%) and are entirely due to the inherent differences in percent body fat between the genders.

— Injury Prevention —

1. Specific Published Research

• Cady, L. D., et al., "Strength and Fitness and Subsequent Back Injuries in Firefighters". Finding… results showed a graded and statistically significant protective effect for added levels of fitness and conditioning (least fit, 7.1% injured; middle fit 3.2% injured; and most fit, 0.8% injured). The least fit group had a injury rate seven times that of the most fit group. (see complete reference below – #4)

• Cady, L. D., et al., "Program for increasing Health and Physical Fitness of Firefighters". Finding… high levels of PWC (physical work capacity), strength, and (spine) flexibility were found to be inversely related to workers' compensation costs. Firefighters with below average PWC's subsequently experienced 2.6 times more myocardial infarctions than their above average counterparts. (see complete reference below – #5)

2. General Published Research

• Hejna, W.F., et al., "The Prevention of Sports Injuries in High School Students Through Strength Training". Finding… results showed all athletes using weight training as part of their exercise program suffered an injury rate of 26.2% while their counterparts who did not (weight train) were injured at a rate of 72.4%. The rehabilitation ratio was 2.02 days in athletes who trained with variable resistance exercise vs. 4.82 days for control group athletes (non-weight trained). In other words — a non-weight trained athlete was 2.8 times more likely to get injured and their time off was 2.4 times longer then the weight trained athletes.

• Lehnhard, Robert A., et al, "Monitoring Injuries on a College Soccer Team: The Effect of Strength Training". Finding… results showed that the incidence of injuries decreased following strength training, from 15.15 to 7.99 per 1,000 (soccer) exposures. A reduction of 47.3% in the injury rate.

— Safety of Physical Training —

1. Fire Department Physical Fitness Programs

• International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Statistics 1988-90, 3 year average. Finding… physical fitness programs accounted for only 3.1% of the total injuries reported. Structural fire fighting had an injury rate 17 times that of physical fitness programs.

2. Fire Department Bureau of Instruction & Training

• Berry, M.W., and Matic, T., "Recruit Weight Training Injuries". Finding… a total of 413 firefighters from 12 separate recruit classes (1992-2000) were trained twice a week for fourteen weeks on a six station circuit. The injury rates were 0.21 per 1,000 workouts (a total of two lost time injuries in 10,696 workouts).

3. General Weight Training Safety Studies

• Hamil, B.P., "Relative Safety of Weight Training". Findings… results showed that weight training had an injury rate of 0.0035 per 100 hours of participation (one injury for every 28,571 hours) compared to 0.03 for basketball (8.6 times higher) and 0.10 for football (28.6 times higher).

• Zemper, E.D., "Four-Year Study of Weightroom Injuries in a National Sample of College Football". Finding… study involved 105 teams and 10,908 players. The injury rates were 0.13 injuries per 1,000 athletic-exposures (one injury every 7,692 workouts) and 0.35 per 100 players per season (one injury for every 286 athletes). Weight room injuries comprised less then 1% (0.74) of the total lost time injuries during the season.

— Results of Physical Training —

1. Specific Published Research

• Pipes, T.V., "Physiological Responses of Fire Fighting Recruits to High Intensity Training". Finding… study involved twenty recruits tested before and after 10 weeks of training. An average of 16.9% increase in strength and a 33.2% increase in maximum oxygen uptake was reported. (see complete reference below – #24)

2. Specific Unpublished Research Conducted at the Bureau of Instruction & Training

• Berry, M.W., and Matic, T., "Strength & Fitness Changes During Recruit Training". Finding… 306 recruits from nine classes (1992-98) showed a statistically significant 19.3% average increase in their strength and fitness scores after 14 weeks of training.

— The Need For Continued Training —

1. Specific Unpublished Research Conducted at the Bureau of Instruction & Training.

Berry, M.W., and Matic, T., "Physical Size, Strength & Fitness Changes of Firefighter Recruits One Year After Graduation from the Fire Academy". Findings… a total of 148 firefighters from five different graduating classes were re-evaluated one year after graduation. A statistically significant loss equal to 37.6% of the improvement made during training was seen on the evaluations of these firefighters in twelve months time.

— Additional References and Resources —

1. See ARA Human Factors Online at: http://www.arahumanfactors.com/. (company that develops Physical Ability Tests etc.)

2. Barnard, R. and H.W. Duncan, "Near-Maximal ECG Stress Testing and Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factor Analysis in Los Angeles City Fire Fighters", Journal of Occupational Medicine, Vol. 17, No. 11, pp. 693-695, 1975. (research study)

3. Barnard, R., et al., "Effect of Health Maintenance Programs on Los Angeles City Firefighters", Journal of Occupational Medicine, Vol. 22, No. 10, pp. 667-669, 1980. (research study)

4. Cady, L.D., et al., "Strength and Fitness and Subsequent Back Injuries in Firefighters", Journal of Occupational Medicine, Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 269-272, 1979. (research study)

5. Cady, L. D., et al., "Program for increasing Health and Physical Fitness of Firefighters", Journal of Occupational Medicine, Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 110-114, 1985. (research study)

6. Cisar, C.J., and Moberg, A.D., "The Relationship of Upper Body and Lower Body Muscular Strength to Fire Fighting Ability", Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 1993, 7(4), 250-253 (research study)

7. Davis, J.A. and Wilmore, J.H., "Validation of a Step Test for Cardiorespiratory Fitness Classification of Emergency Service Personnel", Journal of Occupational Medicine, Vol. 21, No. 10, pp. 671-673, 1990. (research study)

8. Davis, P.O., Curtis, A.V., The Firefighters Survival Manual: A Guide to Physical Fitness, N.F.P.A.

9. Davis, P.O. and Dotson, C.O., "City of St. Paul Study", total time to lean body mass analysis of the city of St. Paul and Phoenix Fire Departments firefighters on a job simulation test. (unpublished research study).

10. Davis, P.O. and Dotson, C.O., Santa Maria, D.L., "Relationship Between Simulated Fire Fighting Tasks and Physical Performance Measures", Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 65-71, 1982. (research study)

11. Davis, P.O., et al., "Medical Evaluation of Fire Fighters", Postgraduate Medicine, Vol. 72, No. 2, pp. 241-248, 1982 (research study)

12. FEMA/ http://www.usfa.fema.gov/nfdc/statistics.htm (Federal Emergency Management site)

13. FEMA/USFA Online statistics for Firefighter Fatalities are at: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/nfdc/ff_fat.htm (Federal Emergency Management site)

14. FEMA/USFA Providence Fire Department Staffing Study is at: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/nfa/tr_94cv.htm (Federal Emergency Management site)

15. http://www.iafc.org (International Association of Fire Chief's site)

16. IAFF Online death and injury survey at: http://www.iaff.org (International Association of Firefighter's site)

17. Jacobs, D.T., Physical Fitness for Public Safety Personnel, N.F.P.A., 1990. (book, may be out of print)

18. Lemon, P.W.R., et al., "The Human Energy Cost of Fire Fighting", Journal of Occupational Medicine, Vol. 19, No. 8, pp. 558-562, 1977. (research study)

19. Lemon, P.W.R. and Hermiston, R.T., "Physiological Profile of Professional Fire Fighters", Journal of Occupational Medicine, Vol. 19, No. 5, pp. 337-340, 1977. (research study)

20. Misner, J.E., et al., "Physical Performance and Physical Fitness of a Select Group of Female Firefighter Applicants", Journal of Applied Sports Science Research, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 62-67,1989. (research study)

21. Med-Tox Online at: http://home.earthlink.net/~medtox/services.html. (company that develops Physical Ability Tests etc.)

22. O'Connell, E. R., et al., "Energy Costs of Simulated Stair Climbing as a Job-Related Task in Fire Fighting", Journal of Occupational Medicine, Vol. 28, No. 4., 1986. (research study)

23. Physical Fitness Coordinator's Manual for Fire Departments, Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Fire Administration, 1990. (book/manual)

24. Pipes, T.V., "Physiological Responses of Fire Fighting Recruits to High Intensity Training", Journal of Occupational Medicine, Vol 19, No. 2., 1977. (research study)

25. Sharkey, B.J. and Jukkala, A.H., Validation Muscular Fitness Tests, U.S.D.A. Forest Service,1980. (booklet, may be out of print)

26. Sharkey, B.J., "Functional Age vs Chronological Age", Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 174-176, 1986. (research paper)

27. Swank, A.M. et al., "Age-Related Aerobic Power in Volunteer Firefighters", A Comparative Analysis", Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2000, 14(2), 170-174. (research study)

28. Validation of Physical Ability Test for the Screening of Fire Fighters II and Fire Apparatus Engineers, State of California Personnel Board, Sacramento, Calif., 1988. (book/manual)

Review of Research: Firefighting Physical Performance and Injury Prevention