First in Response, First in Fitness: The Physical Demands of Being an Emergency Responder

For emergency responders new to the profession, the fitness levels they achieve during their training as well as how they manage daily stress can go a long way in determining later job performance. Emergency responders, also known as tactical athletes, include firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency medical personnel, and military service members. Depending on their specific role, these individuals are frequently put at significant risk of injury caused by the sudden level of force their muscles exert when performing their job. While sports athletes use their muscles to produce force prior to a scheduled practice or competition, they can engage in a warmup before doing so. This reduces the likelihood of injury. In contrast, tactical athletes are required to respond quickly to emergency situations, without advance warning, and must run, sprint, or carry heavy loads in difficult, if not life-threatening conditions.

The physical nature of the work performed by emergency responders is stressful and can lead to injuries that can linger into their later years, sometimes even ending their careers prematurely. The economic costs of these injuries are significant. For example, injuries in firefighters average $4 billion to $6 billion annually. In addition, the mental stress that tactical athletes face in dealing with emergency rescue operations and protecting public safety adds to the job’s challenges. Over time, this stress accumulates and can potentially affect the physical performance and fitness of these individuals. Joel Martin, associate professor in the Kinesiology program in the School of Kinesiology at George Mason University, recently discussed the issue of tactical fitness in first responders.

Some government entities are adopting an integrated approach to fitness for the tactical athletes they employ.

Some government employers of emergency responders and tactical athletes are taking an integrated approach to facilitating the overall fitness, health, and well-being of these employees. One of these employers is the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) which, through the nation’s Uniformed Services University, has developed an initiative known as Total Force Fitness (TFF) to support military readiness of troops across the Services. The TFF framework includes eight areas or domains which can overlap and interact in predicting the health, well-being, and mission readiness of service members. Among these domains are Physical Fitness, Psychological Fitness, and Nutritional Fitness. An individual’s strengths in each of these areas will predict their preparedness to serve in combat duty or in some other capacity equally as stressful and physically demanding.

The framework includes other aspects that initially may not appear to have any bearing on the overall fitness and ability of a military service member to perform in a high stress situation. For example, the framework includes the domains of Financial Fitness and Social Fitness. An individual experiencing financial difficulties or relationship problems at home could be feeling stress related to their personal circumstances. This stress could disrupt an individual’s sleep patterns and lead to other potential negative behaviors that could affect optimal job performance. Getting enough sleep is especially important because military service members and other tactical athletes are often required to make critical decisions instantaneously. Sleep deprivation can impair judgement and decision-making abilities.

An adequate amount of quality sleep is necessary for tissue repair following strenuous physical activity.

The lack of an adequate amount of sleep or poor sleep quality can also impede the body’s ability to recover following a period of strenuous physical activity. An article appearing on the website of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) shows that sleep is essential to the healing process in repairing muscle and tissue damage after a physical workout. Sleep is required for the body to rest or “recharge.” Lack of sleep can also slow reaction times, impair cognitive functioning, precipitate mood changes, and elevate a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease. All these effects of not getting the proper amount of quality sleep can diminish the performance and effectiveness of emergency responders on the job.

Falling into the “Freshman 15” syndrome can be a pitfall for first year emergency responders.

Emergency responders who are in the first year of the job after finishing training often describe experiencing the “Freshman 15” syndrome. This is where a first responder “acts out” under the stress of balancing the demands of their new job while meeting their family responsibilities. These individuals will often attempt to relieve stress by engaging in unhealthy and negative behaviors that could include exercising less, eating a poor diet, and neglecting self-care. This can result in weight gain and an overall decline in fitness. Exercise scientists are working with fire departments and law enforcement agencies across the country in developing interventions to address this problem.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning can play a useful role in developing emergency responder fitness programs.

Existing research suggests that the use of an individualized fitness program can achieve better results compared with a “one-size-fits-all" program. With local government agencies operating under limited budgets, there may only be one strength and conditioning coach or one athletic trainer available to work with hundreds of emergency responders. The time-consuming task of constructing an individualized fitness plan for each emergency responder in this type of situation simply is not feasible. However, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning may allow for the streamlined development of individualized fitness programs for emergency responders. Video-based applications which can perform movement assessments are now available and can be downloaded to smart phones. When used together, machine learning applications and AI can analyze the physical and physiological data specific to an emergency responder and devise a fitness program that meets the goals and needs of that individual.

To learn more about the Kinesiology program in the School of Kinesiology at George Mason University, please visit the program website.