Comparing Health Status and Exposure Risk in Career vs. Voluntary Firefighters

Details

• Personal Author:
  Arnett S ; Morris C ; Winchester L
• Description:
  The wearing of protective turnout gear and personal protective equipment (PPE) can pose a substantial challenge in addition to the tasks necessary for firefighting. The elevated heart rate response combined with the rise in core temperature places a considerable challenge on the body. Even firefighters who are considered experts in their field can experience a severe physiological challenge based on unpredictable environmental conditions, especially if they lack an adequate level of fitness. Further work needs to be conducted on the effects exercise or physical exertion has on the body in regards to reaction time (RT), while also looking at task complexity and physiological stressors the body can have to respond to while making a crucial decision. The purpose of this study will be to evaluate potential differences in health and physical fitness status between members of a volunteer firefighting department vs. members of a professional firefighting department. An additional purpose will be to evaluate if firefighters will exhibit an increase in markers of physiological stress during a simulated fire suppression work circuit while wearing full turnout gear compared to when performing the simulated fire suppression work circuit in standard athletic attire. The research protocol will consist of three testing days, with the first dedicated to a health and physical fitness assessment and the second and third dedicated to a physiological evaluation during a simulated fire suppression work circuit. The health and physical fitness assessment will involve testing the 5 components of health-related fitness (body composition, cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility) using previously published and accepted protocols. The physiological evaluation during the simulated tactical occupation workload will consist of evaluating and monitoring firefighters while completing a 6-min simulated fire stair climb in measuring the following variables: reaction time, core temperature, physiological strain index, blood lactate, and salivary cortisol. This study will attempt to fill a key gap in the literature in that no study has directly evaluated many of the previously mentioned variables in firefighters simultaneously during a simulated fire suppression task. In addition, none to-date have directly compared the physical fitness or health status of firefighters from professional departments versus those firefighters who are members of a volunteer department. This will be a key research question to answer as it could have potential workplace safety and policy-altering ramifications. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biomarkers Firefighters Fires Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety
• Keywords:
  Fire Fighters Fire Fighting Health Effects Personal Protective Equipment Physical Fitness Physiological Function Physiological Response PPE
• Publisher:
  University of Cincinnati
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Kentucky ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20054923
• Citation:
  18th Annual Pilot Research Project Symposium, University of Cincinnati Education and Research Center, October 5-6, 2017, Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati, OH: University of Cincinnati, 2017 Oct; :1
• Email:
  cody.morris@wku.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Performing Organization:
  University of Cincinnati
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  18th Annual Pilot Research Project Symposium, University of Cincinnati Education and Research Center, October 5-6, 2017, Cincinnati, Ohio
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9427857f54bb44fbaaedc5201019dd6ecf67289e17ffd2cc6917e4f918bf544f011f5629118dbd5db422dcb188c306dd0d4f53ec775e4798451077e711ff81e8
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/217333/cdc_217333_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 122.28 KB ]