Strengthening First Responders' Coaching Proficiency through a Peer Fitness Leader Workshop: A Preliminary Efficacy Trial.

First responders require physical fitness to perform dangerous tasks in unpredictable environments. To promote physical fitness among first responders, many agencies use a peer fitness leader (PFL) approach; however, resources for the fitness, wellness, and health of PFLs are often minimal. This study's purpose was to investigate the effectiveness of a training workshop to increase PFL's training knowledge and coaching comfort (CC). Thirty-six PFLs (Experience: 14.6 ± 9.1 yrs; Age: 41.0 ± 9.8 yrs; BMI: 28.9 ± 7.0 kg·m-2) attended a one-day workshop. Paired samples t-tests assessed for differences between baseline and post-assessment knowledge scores. Pearson correlations described the bivariate relationship between baseline and post-assessment knowledge scores. Wilcoxon's Signed Rank Test determined associations between baseline and post-workshop CC variables. Spearman's Rho correlations described bivariate relationships between baseline and post-assessment values for each CC category. Kendall's Rank correlations investigated relationships between knowledge scores and total perceived CC for pre- and post-workshops. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results indicated an improvement from the baseline knowledge score (6.08 ± 1.46 points) and post-workshop knowledge score (7.03 ± 0.94 points); (t (25) = 3.85; p < 0.001). Similar trends were observed for all CC measures (Z > -3.42; p < 0.001). Differences were not observed between pre-workshop total CC and knowledge scores (τ = -0.03; p = 0.81) or following workshop completion (τ = -0.04; p = 0.76). Participants demonstrated varying exercise knowledge and CC, highlighting inconsistencies in exercise standards within first responder occupations. This investigation suggests the proposed pedagogy design may be a solution for agencies with limited budgets.

Firefighter Health: A Narrative Review of Occupational Threats and Countermeasures.

Structural firefighters are responsible for protecting properties and saving lives during emergency operations. Despite efforts to prepare firefighters for these hazardous occupational demands, the unfortunate reality is that the incidence of health morbidities is increasing within the fire service. Specifically, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mental health disorders are among the most documented morbidities in firefighters. Pubmed and Google Scholar search engines were used to identify peer-reviewed English language manuscripts that evaluated firefighters' occupational health threats, allostatic factors associated with their occurrence, and evidence-based strategies to mitigate their impact. This narrative review provides fire departments, practitioners, and researchers with evidence-based practices to enhance firefighters' health.

The Impact of Gloves and Occupational Tasks on Handgrip Strength in Structural Firefighters.

Adequate handgrip strength (HGS) is important to safely perform fireground tasks. However, there is limited research describing the deleterious impact of glove use and fatigue from occupational tasks on HGS. Therefore, the aims of this investigation were to quantify the impact of glove use and occupational tasks on HGS, to explore the relationship between HGS versus the glove and task-induced decrement in HGS, and to evaluate the relationship between HGS and decrement in HGS versus occupational performance. Fourteen (Male: n = 13) career structural firefighters (Age: 35.5 ± 7.2 yr) performed a maximal isometric HGS assessment with and without gloves before and immediately following completion of a simulated fireground test (SFGT). General linear model with written contrast was used to identify significant differences in HGS between conditions. Pearson Correlations were used to describe bivariate relationships between the decrements in HGS and occupational task times. Significance was set at p < 0.05. There were significant main effects indicating that gloves, performing occupational tasks, and their combined effects decreased HGS (p < 0.001 for all). There were strong inverse relationships between baseline (barehanded) HGS versus the decrement in HGS from donning gloves (r = -0.82, p < 0.001) and from performing occupational tasks with gloves (r = -0.61, p = 0.021). Baseline HGS and the decrement in HGS due to wearing gloves and performing occupational tasks were not correlated to the timed completion of occupational tasks (p ≥ 0.27). These findings suggest that the use of regulation fire gloves and work-induced fatigue reduces HGS and these decrements are related to HGS. Practitioners are encouraged to utilize training strategies to optimize HGS among structural firefighters.