Training Firefighters to Live Longer

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - When a battalion chief in the Fayetteville Fire Department wondered why the men on his crew were prone to die 10 years earlier than the average man, he turned to Dr. Barry Brown at the University of Arkansas for answers.

Brown, a University Professor of exercise science, applied what he had learned about athletic performance to evaluate the firefighters' physical status and to develop a training program to improve fitness and reduce their risk of premature death. Based on Brown's initial study in spring 2003, the Federal Emergency Management Agency provided $105,000 to fund a year-long training program for the entire Fayetteville Fire Department.

Brown hopes that when FEMA and local governments see the impact of the Fayetteville Firefighters Wellness Program, they will be willing to fund an ongoing program for firefighters. Brown envisions a National Firefighters Life Improvement Center serving mid-sized fire departments nationwide.

Today, he and his graduate students-Koulla Parpa, Leigh Jurney and Marcos Michaelides-are working with more than 60 firefighters. The research team constantly monitors the firefighters as they engage in programs of regular, vigorous exercise and conditioning. They are tested frequently to chart progress.

In addition, firefighters participate in a wellness component. Jerald Foote, assistant professor of dietetics, focuses on nutrition through presentations, programs and individual counseling. With Ed Mink, director for health promotion with the University Health Center, firefighters learn strategies to handle stress.

The response by firefighters has been enthusiastic.

Firefighter Jerry Kelly noted that as the city of Fayetteville grows, taller structures are being built, which increase the physical stress of an already stressful job. Although he has always worked on being physically fit, he was able to increase his time on the stress test by two minutes in his first three months of training.

Joe Scheyder, captain of Fire Station 2, found that after three months, he had "a huge increase" in strength and stamina. When he emphasized the program to his crew, they all signed on.

"This program is state-of-the-art as far as the country goes, not to mention the state of Arkansas," Scheyder said.

In addition to testing blood and monitoring heart rates and oxygen levels, Brown and his students test firefighters' spit. Samples of saliva are collected when firefighters are at rest, immediately before they leave the station on a run, and immediately after they fight a fire. The researchers then test the cortisol levels present in the saliva to determine if the firefighters are experiencing chronic continuous stress and what effect the training is having on stress levels.

Brown will present the results of the study at the World Sport for All Congress in Rome, Italy, in November. The congress is organized by the International Olympic Committee in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the General Association of International Sports Federations.

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Photo Captions:

Firefighter#1:

Staff of the Fayetteville Firefighters Wellness Program: l to r, exercise science professor Barry Brown with graduate students Leigh Jurney, Marcos Michaelides and Koulla Parpa.

Firefigher#2:

Joe Scheyder, captain of Fire Station 2, takes stress test monitored by an exercise science student.