The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
Does you department support physical conditioning training?
Does your department provide you with the tools necessary to maintain appropriate physical conditioning? Do you have a gym at the fire station? What kind of equipment has worked the best?
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
-
was a generic plan and there was an offer for more personalized attention for people with medical or workout issues.
-
Permalink Reply by Justin Buck on
-
we do some but not alot of physical conditioning we dont have any equiment at our station but i wish we did.
-
Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
-
but you need to pump yourself up!
-
Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
-
Our stations all have a weight room for use by all members. You just have to go through a safety briefing and orientation before you can use it.
-
Permalink Reply by Irons38 on
-
Our department does promote physical fitness training, however its not mandatory. We are allowed an hour each shift during the day to work out. We have some ok fitness equipment, it could be better but its something. If I had any recommendations to anyone looking into purchasing equipment for fire stations, buy commercial grade. It lasts longer trust me. We bought our first few oliptical machines from Nordic Track and they fell apart after 2 months. After beg borrowing and stealing we have a few machines that are commercial grade and have lasted for quite some time now.
We have free waits, tread mills, olpitical machines, and a stair machine between both stations. We have a room in each station for the eqipment, but they are not gym rooms by any means.
-
-
what???? no endless pool? and don't forget the luge trainers! every station has at least three of those sitting right in front of the TV in the day room!
-
-
LOL no pool, but we do have 8 luge trainers in one station and 5 at the other. They do get a good work out and those are commercial as well.
-
Permalink Reply by Charlie on
-
I am fortunate to work for a progressive department. First, we are allotted money (albeit not much) each month for a gym membership. Second, our department heads are working on a plan with gyms close to each station that would allow us to work out on duty for free. This keeps the department from having capital expense of purchasing equipment for each station; and then there's storage, etc. Lastly, we do monthly training. For 45 minutes to an hour before we get started we do light calesthentics, stretching, etc. while in turnout gear. This helps everyone who is not in the best physical conditioning realize they might should do a little more. Also, this acclimates everyone to working in turnout gear. You don't have to have fancy equipment to work out at the station. You have a firetruck. You can put on gear, exercise then pull or push your truck. Carry a high-rise pack, buckets of foam or chop a tire. Be creative.
-
Permalink Reply by BillySFCVFD on
-
Wow, chop a tire, that sounds like an intense work out. Careful telling a rookie to do that, might find your truck out of service. Haha. TCSS
-
Permalink Reply by Jeff Cole on
-
This is a very neglected area for our business. That's sad.I am sad to say my department does nothing to promote it. During the earlier 90's the department sent me to a week-long course at Montgomery County, Maryland Fire Training Grounds to become a "Certified Fitness Coordinator". It was an excellent course, developed and instructed by Dr. Paul Davis, who developed the Firefighter Combat Challenge. I had long been into fitness, which just seemed to be a natural requirement for the job. When I returned, my biggest adversary was my union. Being a small, combination department, those on the negative side of fitness at that time strongly out numbered those who understood the relationship of conditioning and "da job". There whole impression was that if they couldn't do ten pushups, or five chinups, that they were going to lose their jobs. Although my opinion is that you must be pretty pathetic if you CAN'T, the whole concept was opposite of their beliefs. It was actually to be an individualized, long-term, total approach to health and physical fitness. Based on an individuals abaility, and planned progression and improvement. I was disillusioned to say the least.
In fact, there was NO interest what so ever. So I used my aquired training and got a part time job at a gym. NOTHING destroys the publics confidence in their firefighters more than totaly unfit, obese members who cannot even close their bunker pants. It's quiete easy to take one look and realize that there is little someone like that can actually do. I stand corrected, perhaps the lack of fitness comes second to the image of beer chugging warriors hanging out at the station who demand their "rights" to maintain the beer meister in the fire station. Critical? Yes I am.
Understand that I realize you cannot judge a persons fitness level just by appearence, and the present of some body fat does NOT make an ineffective firefighter, conversly, neither does rippling six-pack toting gym rat.
My department still does nothing. We had approached the Chief about using the city recreation centers fitness room during the late afternoon, of course remaining available. Since we currently have no spare room for exercise equipment at the station, the Chief backed the idea 100%. It was the City's "Fathers" that shot it down. It wouldn't look good to the public, with employees on the pay roll "hanging around the gym". They feared negative publicity. Of course this could have EASILY have been corrected, and I don't think it would have been as bad as feared. But the end result? Nothing. I laugh at those geniouses who claim that the injury liability is to great while exercising on duty. Those same intelectuals also took the poles out of the stations, and can't figure out why staff is getting injured on the stairs so frequently. Anyways, we don't even need much room or fancy equipment either. Just some cardio equipment, stairs makes sense, and general body-weight movements LIKE push-ups and dips, chins...and the use of "power bands" can keep the cost low. Those who already are in the habit of working out will likely save thier "big" workouts for off-duty. But they don't need to be targeted. It's those who do NOTHING that need to be motivated.
-
Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
-
ANyone studied the liability issue if "untrained" members are using gym equipment anf get injured whilst on the job?
Food for thought- one of my ex-employers (Not a fire department) removed all gymnasiums of their site as untrained peopel were using the equipment and getting injured- this resulted in some bif workers compensation claims against them as it was equipment supplied by the employer, in the workplace.
-
-
That's why my F.D. requires members to go through a safety briefing & orientation before being allowed to use the equipment. It's a written policy.
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Next ›
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
