Comments on: Parking Your Firefighters

By: Martha

Martha — Fri, 09 May 2008 01:27:33 +0000

Honestly, some people are just getting started at 50! It isn’t about age as much as the willingness to keep your parts in working order. Look at the over 50 group that competes in the Firefighter Combat Challenge. They aren’t super human, just willing to get off their butts and work. Don’t get sucked up into the numbers game. Get annual performance testing incorporated into all fitness and wellness programs and you’ll see a marked improvement in performance in the over 50, 40, 30 and 20 age groups. Why on earth would you want to put your seasoned veterans out to pasture when they should be more than capable of contributing to the combat effort on so many different levels. JUST KEEP THEM IN SHAPE, TEACH THEM HOW TO EAT, GET THEM OFF THE CIGARETTES, PERFORM ANNUAL HEALTH SCREENINGS, AND STAND BACK AND WATCH WHAT HAPPENS!

By: fossilmedic

fossilmedic — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:36:15 +0000

I retired from a large department with an excellent occupational health center. Annual physicals and stress tests, work performance tests avery two/three years for all. Physicians with certification in occupational medicine.

With most departments having fewer resources, suggestion 2 is floated as one way to approach the issue … I agree with NJSteve that there needs to be a more frequent assessment.

Suggestion 1 was poised as an attention getter.

What I REALLY want is to have our brother/sisters who survived a cardiac arrest, cardiac surgery (bypass, stent ) or significant cardiovascular event (myocardial infarction) removed from operating on the fireground.

From both the IDLH environment and the cold zone. Including those operating the pumpers and commanding the incident. Regardless of age.

If we do this, the number of sudden cardiac arrests that are classified as LODDs will fall from the 41 we average every year to a handful.

To reinforce this I shared the NFPA retrospective data from a quarter century of LODD data. ALMOST ALL of those that died of cardiac arrest had a pre-existing cardiac condition.

By: NJSteve

NJSteve — Thu, 08 May 2008 04:24:24 +0000

Yes unfortunatately, not a chance to hit your fatality numbers this year.

Rich R and Mark states correctly what should be done. I don’t like your 1st suggestion but I think the author favors his second suggestion anyway. 2nd suggestion is good but I don’t like the years choosen. 49 is good but then I think no latter than 54 and then every 3 years after that for testing and even these year suggestions are maybe too conservative. Yes and mandatory work performance test should be required when firefighter passes the physical and stress test. Your 3rd suggestion, I lean towards supporting, but I’d have to see more data and specific cardiac problems need to be described not just a blanket cardiac episode.

I believe that probably early detection and correction through stress tests probably is the largest reason for decreasing cardiac mortality, and probably even more than AEDs.

By: Mark Akins

Mark Akins — Tue, 06 May 2008 23:31:31 +0000

I whole hearted agree with Rich R.,
Statistics can be geared to say what you want them too,there are far too many factors involved to make a broad statement and say “No more firefighting after 50″.

Ibelieve that the mandatory physical assessments and medical exam for ALL firefighters is the best choice.

The truth is a lot of the cardiac deaths in the fire service would be stopped if there were a truly MANDATORY physical fitness initiative.

By: Rich R.

Rich R. — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:52:01 +0000

I strongly disagree with establishing an arbitrary age (like 50) after which an individual is automatically deemed unfit for “combat (Is there any other kind?) firefighting” regardless of their physical condition. That is blatant discrimination.
The real issue is physical fitness; it is a fact that there are firefighters in their 50’s and even 60’s who, through diet and exercise, are in better shape than some firefighters in their 30’s and yes, even 20’s. The Firefighter Combat Challenge has a category for over 50 and over 60. In fact the best time for a male firefighter over 50 is better than the best time for a female firefighter — should females automatically be deemed unfit for firefighting?
What there should be is a requirement for annual physical exams for all “combat firefighters” to include a body fat assessment and treadmill EKG stress test to determine cardiovascular health.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:45:08 +0000

I think that once you reach the age of 50 in firefighting, you should be removed from active participation into something less demanding such as training the recruits. I know it’s hard to admit that the older we get the tougher the job becomes, but in reality firefighting is a young mans job these days. I spent 32 years in the fire service all of it in active houses and when I retired a few years back, it was the hardest decision I ever made, but I am hoping to be able to enjoy my retirement for many years to come. Stay safe out there.