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Fitness test applies heat to firefighters

Largo's department - yes, even the chief - is put through the paces to stay in top shape.

By LORRI HELFAND
Published October 22, 2006

LARGO - In muggy 80-degree weather, firefighters put on 100 pounds of bunker gear one day last week and carried a 43-pound section of rolled-up firehose up three flights of stairs.

And that was just for starters.

Firefighters - and their bosses - put themselves through many of the rigors of fighting a fire that morning as part of a new fitness program aimed at the entire department.

For the program, all 136 sworn members of Largo's fire department this month ran an ability course reminiscent of the test they took to become firefighters.

With an emphasis on overall wellness, fitness assessments are becoming more common in fire departments. But an annual test, modeled after the new-hire test, is unusual because most departments try to steer clear of tests that appear punitive or overly competitive, say local fire officials.

"They're one of the first ones around to do it the way they're doing it," said Palm Harbor fire Chief James Angle, president of the Pinellas County Fire Chiefs Association.

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On Thursday, 11 firefighters, fire inspectors and the fire marshal donned their gear and hit the training ground at 16th Avenue SE to cap off the department's wellness program.

"You've got to have a standard," said 20-year veteran Pat Gansert, 42, a Largo firefighter and EMT. "This isn't a job for people who can't do it. We work hard every day."

For firefighters, bursts of intense exertion often follow quieter periods.

"You're working 24 hours and you wake up in the middle of the morning. You go from a resting pulse rate to pure panic," said Wayne Stokke, president of the Largo Professional Firefighters Union.

Stress and overexertion account for most on-duty firefighter deaths, according to the National Fire Protection Association. In 2005, as in previous years, almost half of firefighters deaths were caused by cardiac events, primarily heart attacks.

Over the past decade or so, there has been a nationwide push to improve the fitness of firefighters. But many fire departments are lagging.

"Most firefighters aren't getting adequate heath and fitness regimes, and in many departments, they're not getting regular medical examinations," said Stefanos N. Kales, director of the Occupational and Environmental Medicine residency program for the Harvard School of Public Health.

Locally, departments have put more of an emphasis on wellness in recent years, Angle said. His department in Palm Harbor has a financial incentive program to reward firefighters who show above-average performance on fitness tests.

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In Largo, the firefighter wellness program includes annual medical and fitness evaluations, as well as a voluntary fitness incentive program. And the most improved crew receives a paid day off.

Next month, Largo command staff, including Chief Jeff Bullock, will cover a 24-hour shift at Station 41.

Years ago, Largo began measuring firefighters' health using specific benchmarks, with the final goal of incorporating the minimum abilities test, Bullock said.

The city's fire union worked with Largo fire administration to make sure firefighters were comfortable with the test, Stokke said. Firefighters wanted to be reassured that the test was a tool aimed at improving their health, not weeding them out, he said.

Another unique factor in Largo's test is that the fire chief, inspectors and other staff leaders take part.

"As command staff, if we expect everyone to do it, we should do it as well," said fire Marshal Jim Warman, 42, a 22-year Largo fire veteran.

Belleair Bluffs' dozen-member fire department also took part because it's managed by Largo's department.

Belleair Bluffs fire Lt. Dale Fletcher, 47, was one of the first to tackle the test Thursday.

Wearing full bunker gear, he carried a hefty section of rolled hose up to the third floor of the training tower. He connected the hose to a standpipe before marching the line up to the fourth floor.

Once there, he hoisted up another section of hose, and laid it on the balcony floor. From there, he headed outside, where he carried a charged 1-inch hose line 75 feet.

He finished off the test by popping open a dummy ceiling at another station, much like firefighters do when they check for hidden fires.

"It's crucial you maintain a certain degree of physical fitness," said Fletcher, breathing deeply after the drill. "If you don't keep yourself in shape, you get your behind kicked a lot quicker."

Fire inspector Bill Miller, 58, who says he's the oldest member of Largo's department, welcomed the workout and the camaraderie.

"We all need to stay in shape," Miller said.

Few complained, except to say they'd like it to be a bit more challenging in the future.

Division Chief Jeff Day, who is in charge of training, said the test, while similar to the new-hire version, is purposely much easier.

For example, it's not timed, the hoses are lighter and firefighters don't have to drag around a 175-pound dummy.

But the first step, he said, was to create a test that the majority of firefighters were comfortable with, and build on that.

The mission of the wellness program goes beyond having fit firefighters, Day said.

"We're trying to help people have a life after fire service," he said.

Lorri Helfand can be reached at 445-4155 or lorri@sptimes.com.

[Last modified October 21, 2006, 20:47:39]