I was checking out Firehouse.com this morning and read the headline “N.J. city Bans On-Duty Firefighter from Gyms”. After reading the article, I realized that many of the people that we are accountable to (i.e. citizents and politicians) really don’t get it.  They don’t get how physically demanding this job is and they don’t get why we need to maintain active lifestyles and still get plenty of sleep and rest(even on duty).  Perhaps we (as a fire service) are not doing a good enough job of educating and justifying our programs.  During times like these, the need for us to justify almost everything should be expected.

The City’s Business Administrator justified their actions by saying “the cost of medical claims, not to mention loss of personnel as they recover from those injuries, makes the gyms an expensive liability.”  There are numerous long-term studies that confirm that comprehensive and ongoing health and fitness programs reduce worker comp claim and associated costs.  The collateral benefit is that you also get a healthier, happier and better prepared firefighting force.  The Administrator goes on to say, “Until someone tells us that working out is job-related, you can’t do it”.  Really?!

Perhaps someone should educate them on the  IAFF/IAFC Wellness Fitness initiative or on the “Firefighter Health and Safety Research” project being completed by Indiana University on the effects of physical conditioning and sleep on firefighter health.

Below is a short news clip of the I.U. Research project from WTHR 13 in Indianapolis.  Watch it and share it with your crews, your chiefs and your city officials.

FTM-PTB & Be Safe

Last week my neighbor passed away after an ongoing battle with respiratory and cardiac illnesses.  His name was bob.  Bob retired from the new Rochelle (NY) fire department in the 80’s and moved, with his wife, to South Carolina to be with their kids (and grandkids) and escape N.Y. winters.

When I moved into the neighborhood I would see Bob on a regular basis sitting on his front porch, smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer.  Being the social butterfly that I am, I walked over one day and introduced myself.  I immediately knew (unofficially) that Bob had been a fireman, because his first question to me was “how long you been on the job?”  I told him then asked him where he was on the job and what his assignment was.  His reply was “New Rochelle Ny, I was a tillerman.”

My conversations with bob were always short, always on his front porch and I always walked away with great one-liner.  after telling a war story of the “old Days” he looked and nodded his head toward his cigarette and said, “we did things real stupid back then, and look at me now.”

He was referring to foolish risks in general, but, more specifically, he was talking about breathing smoke (and smoking cigarettes).  I vaguely remember the war story, but i’ll never forget that last statement.  Not long after that Bob’s health started to worsen and I rarely saw him out on his porch anymore.

Bob never knew that he had an impact on me.  But, now that he’s gone, I think about what I will leave behind, what nugget of knowledge can I instill in someone that may make them better or safer at their job.  Ours is a unique profession in that you may leave it, but it never leaves you.  Maltese crosses and war stories are around every corner.  The trick is not to take your responsibility lightly or take your job for granted.  It is the duty of everyone in the fire service to leave it better than they found it.

Bob was found in cardiac arrest and was unable to be revived.  Ironically, or fittingly, he was found on his front porch.

FTM-PTB-RFB (RIP)

Check out this link!  This is a prototype for a new SCBA design that could significantly improve firefighter safety while operating at building fires and, hopefully, improve firefighter health through stress reduction.

As we all know, the only reason that the world is “wireless” is because all of the wires have been hidden in void spaces in walls and ceilings.  From a technological and convenience standpoint, our wireless lifestyle is great.  However, that all changes when a building in on fire.  It’s not only internet and communication wire, but cable, speaker (gotta have surround sound), integrated fire and burglar alarm and electrical wire as well.  Let’s not forget about HVAC flex-duct (a slinky wrapped in insulation and foil).  All of this stuff poses serious entanglement hazards with our SCBA being the most susceptible piece of equipment we use.  This new SCBA technology may all but eliminate the threat of entanglement (check out the video).

Stress related LODD are still a major issue each year.  Trends in firefighter fitness programs and annual comprehensive physicals (to OSHA and NFPA standards) are a great start.  However, prevention is one thing, but the sudden and often intense physical exertion expended at a fire is still an issue.  With reduced staffing plaguing many departments, members often push themselves to get the job done, often at the expense of their personal health.  This lighter, less rigid SCBA will let us expend less energy to accomplish the same task(s) which will also result in longer working times and more work being done with less stress placed on the body.

A special thanks to Doug Volk who sent me this link.

Related Articles and Links:

• FireRescue1.com: “The Next Generation of SCBA”
• Firehouse.com: “IAFF to Help Create Smaller, Lighter SCBA”