SO YOU GO HOME AT THE END OF YOUR SHIFT

Every week a firefighter dies of a cardiovascular cause on the fire ground. The reasons are many, but one stands out---poor heart conditioning. Scientists measure this as VO2max. Think of it as heart horsepower. How much VO2max do firefighters need to work safely? LA Fire studied firefighters who were “packed out” wearing turnouts and SCBA. They found a VO2max of 42 was required to have enough physical reserve to be safe.

We measure VO2max according to the Wellness Fitness Initiative Standards pages B1-19-20 by two methods:

• Step test: 5 minutes of activity followed by a 15 second delay is when standard says to measure heart rate.
• Gerkin treadmill: computer analysis

If you don’t have a VO2max of 42, most firefighting agencies now have a peer fitness trainer who can work with you.

VO2 Cost of Selected Fire Ground Activities