Physical Program for Firefighters Research Paper

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Physical Program for Virginia Fire Fighters

The Need for a Physical Fitness Program for Virginia Fire Departments

Fire fighters hold a special place within American society. They help keep our urban and rural landscapes safe from blazes of all kinds. Yet, even in a much more rigid bureaucratic environment, many firefighters within certain departments like here in Virginia failed to meet the physical standard that would provide the utmost level of safety. Although the physical requirements for entering the fire department are strenuous, the state of Virginia lacks a mandatory physical fitness program for its fire fighters that would ensure a continuous level of physical fitness and thus the highest level of performance in the most dangerous situations.

Significance of the Problem: Lack of Available Physical Fitness Programs

To think of an unfit fire fighter is an extremely dangerous problem. Currently, there is only an entry physical exam test (Virginia Department of Fire Programs, 2013). Once a candidate is actually brought on to the force, he or she does not have to show ongoing physical training to retain their job as a fire fighter with the state of Virginia. There is no ongoing mandatory physical fitness program that would require incumbent fire fighters to keep up with a rigorous physical training routine, despite the obvious physical demands of their job role. Unfortunately, "the lack of physical fitness problem begins in the firehouse, where firefighters may spend several sedentary hours watching television, sleeping, or even sitting around playing on the computer" (Calcagno, 2012).

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The issue here is that many fire fighters spent hours waiting for fire, and not physically training in order to perform their best when a fire does occur.

This does have a huge impact on the organization as a whole, but also on the community at large as well. Sedentary lifestyles can impact the health of the firefighters within the organization. According to the research, "over 59% of all on-duty firefighter fatalities in the United States in 2011 were caused by stress and/or overexertion which resulted in a heart attack" (Biddle & Bell, 2011). Physically inept fire fighters present a clear and obvious danger to society and to the firefighters themselves. The research clearly illustrates that unfit fire fighters can also cause danger to society. Thus, "If a firefighter goes down in a fire because he is not physically fit or because of pre-existing condition resulting from poor health, the rescuer is night victim, whose rescue will require important resources" (Calcagno, 2012). Unfit fire fighters cause more victims needing rescue in some of the most dangerous conditions.

It is the responsibility of the department to provide our fire fighters with the machines and programs necessary to stay physically fit in order to perform best on the job and to save lives. This means saving the lives of both civilians and of the firefighters themselves. What Virginia needs is a mandatory physical fitness program for fire fighters in order to keep them at the top of their game......

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