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Below is a report of interest that you may not have yet seen. We are trying our new Secret List format to see how well it "sends" in the body of this e-mail as we do not send attachments. See below on how to view the report if this doesn't show up well for you.
During a 3-month period, volunteer firefighters serving Nassau and Suffolk counties in Long Island, NY, were asked to complete a non validated, 19-item questionnaire regarding their health habits, medical history, and demographics. 730 surveys were returned among a potential study population of 20,590 volunteer firefighters. More than three-quarters of respondents met the criteria for being overweight or obese, and nearly 40% reported having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or both. Most respondents expressed at least some interest in attending a fire service sponsored health lecture and participating in a fitness program. Interesting stuff of interest to any Firefighter-volunteer and career.
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BillyG
The Secret List 1-6-08 / 0844 hours
www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com
 
Self-Reported Cardiac Risks and Interest in Risk Modification Among Volunteer Firefighters: A Survey-Based Study
Patrick Scanlon, PA-C, DO; Elizabeth Ablah, PhD, MPH
From the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita (Dr Ablah) and the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine of New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury (Dr Scanlon), where Dr Scanlon was a student at the time of the study.
Address correspondence to Elizabeth Ablah, PhD, MPH, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, 1010 N Kansas St, Wichita, KS 67214-3124. E-mail: eablah@kumc.edu
Context: Coronary heart disease causes approximately 45% of firefighterdeaths annually. Although firefighters have clinically significant cardiacrisks, a paucity of research and data exists.
Objective: To evaluate firefighters' cardiac risk factors aswell as their motivation to resolve these risk factors.
Methods: During a 3-month period, volunteer firefighters representingthe 79 fire departments serving Nassau and Suffolk countiesin Long Island, NY, were asked to complete a nonvalidated, 19-itemquestionnaire regarding their health habits, medical history,and demographics.
Results: A total of 730 surveys were returned among a potential studypopulation of 20,590 volunteer firefighters. More than three-quartersof respondents met the criteria for being overweight or obese,and nearly 40% reported having high blood pressure, high cholesterol,or both. Most respondents expressed at least some interest inattending a fire department–sponsored health lecture andparticipating in a fitness program.
Conclusion: Firefighters expressed desire to learn more aboutrisk factor modifications and have fire departments take a moreactive role in helping firefighters improve their health. Theeffectiveness of resources and intervention programs shouldbe assessed.

There are more than 1 million firefighters in the United Statestoday, 72% of whom are volunteers.1 Firefighting—by careerand volunteer firefighters alike—is physically demandingand necessitates good physical and cardiovascular fitness.2-4 Althoughall firefighters tend to be selected based on applicants' physical fitness,cardiovascular health does not necessarily play a dominant rolein defining fitness, especially over time. Approximately 100firefighter deaths occur every year—excluding those thatoccurred on September 11, 2001—and about 45% of thesedeaths are caused by coronary heart disease.2
At a moment's notice, firefighters are called to respond tovarious alarms that require considerable demands on their bodies,some of which require working at near maximal heart rates foran extended time.5 These physiologic changes, the increasedphysical load from their protective equipment, and psychologicalstressors can cause severe strain on a firefighter who is notphysically fit to perform his or her duties.6 One study7 indicated thatspecific duties (eg, fire suppression, alarm response) wereassociated with statistically significant risks of coronaryheart disease.
Even among firefighters who are apparently fit, the extremephysical demands of firefighting are still evident, especiallyin hot and smoky conditions.8 Firefighters' cardiovascular fitnessis important not only to their own health and safety, but alsothe lives of other firefighters and victims in need of assistanceor rescue.
In considering cardiovascular fitness, modifiable and nonmodifiablecardiac risk factors exist. Nonmodifiable risk factors includeage, family history, and sex.9 Modifiable risk factors includecigarette smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels,obesity, physical inactivity, and diabetes mellitus. Individualswith these risk factors are predisposed to increased morbidityand mortality.9 Firefighters can control their modifiable riskfactors through diet, exercise, physician follow-up, and propereducation about heart disease and its associated risk factors.
The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) sets standards regulating appropriatehealth and wellness programs and medical requirements for paidand volunteer fire departments. For example, NFPA 1582 Section2-4.1.3 dictates that fire departments require firefightersto have medical evaluations within a specific time frame: every3 years for persons aged 29 years or younger, every 2 yearsfor persons aged 30 to 39 years, and every year for personsaged 40 years or older.10,11 These medical evaluations are designedto screen for and evaluate conditions that potentially couldcompromise an individual's ability to function as a firefighter.  [  more  ]