Often when the subject of firefighter fitness and wellness comes up a commonly repeated complaint is that requiring physical fitness and medical health standards will cause volunteer departments to shut down. Another complaint is that the intentions seem to "tell" a firefighter what he or she should be eating and doing in their off-duty time and that this is an intrusion into their personal lives.

Can the fire service really make a cut in line of duty deaths, especially in the volunteer fire service, by requiring fitness and wellness standards?

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), thanks to support from the U.S. Fire Administration, has partnered with the HOPE Health Research Institute to conduct a study on obesity in the fire service. With the growing epidemic of obesity throughout the country and in the fire service itself, this study is an important resource for firefighters and EMS personnel to learn more about the causes of the problem and what they can do to reverse this potentially life-threatening trend.

Addressing the Epidemic of Obesity in the United States Fire Service looks at the impact of obesity, the scope of obesity in the fire service, and why obesity has become an epidemic. It then highlights innovative trends in nutrition and fitness that firefighters can utilize and presents recommendations for the fire service for combating obesity and increasing fitness.

Obesity is a major risk factor for potentially life-threatening illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, sleep apnea, and even cancer. Obesity can also have a negative impact on a firefighter’s job performance. With heart attack consistently the leading cause of on-duty firefighter fatalities, and many more first responders facing health-related illness or injury, every first responder should take the subject of obesity in the fire service seriously.

Download Addressing the Epidemic of Obesity in the United States Fire Service to learn more about obesity in the fire service and what you can do to protect yourself and your department.