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Heart Health is Hot Issue for Firefighters
TODD SOUTH
Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee)
DALTON, Ga. -- Firefighters work in extreme conditions where, in the calm silence of a midnight shift, a blaring alarm can jolt them awake and send them within seconds barreling down the road to a burning building.
Such demanding work has its consequences. Since 1998, nearly half of all firefighter on-duty deaths were from heart attacks.
"That's just the strenuous nature of the job," said Dalton interim Fire Chief Bruce Satterfield. "When you're functioning at top speed and if you're not conditioned, that's why there are so many deaths that are cardiac related."
Between 1998 and 2007, the U.S. Fire Administration reported a median of 46 percent of firefighter deaths nationwide were from heart attacks.
The Dalton and Walker County fire departments have mandatory fitness programs. They also team with local fitness centers for input on different workout programs to keep conditioning varied.
The Insurance Services Organization recently added fitness programs as part of its fire department evaluation, said Walker County Fire Chief Randy Camp.
"What they have shown is departments with fitness programs have less property loss than departments without fitness programs," he said.
• Healthy-Firefighter.org
Copyright 2009 Chattanooga Publishing Company
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Palmyra Chief Donaghey on
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believe it guys !!! at age 42 i suffered a mi, felt like parking a tanker on my chest. i never thought it could happen to me. i was rescued by my own frs , frs from a neighboring district and montgomery co. ems .....the system worked. thank you brothers .....my children still have a father. as a chief i hope to never have one of my firefighters fall from something that may be preventable. exercise saves lives.
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