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7 June 2024
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Firefighting named most physically demanding job
Many firefighters enter the profession because of their passion of helping and serving others, but according to research, they’re doing it at the risk of their own health and safety. “I'll be honest, I wasn't very surprised. I've been in the profession for 24 years now and not in a sense of comparing it to others, but I just know the demands that come along with it,” said Shreveport firefighter Brandon Lee. Firefighting is the most physically demanding job in the country. That's according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, which tracked the physical requirements of about 480 jobs at more than 56 000 workplaces.
“I think they've shown studies before where even just a 30-minute time frame, the type of work we do equates to a seven- or eight-hour work time frame for the average physical activity,” said Caddo Fire District 4 Chief Chad Falls.
According to the study, firefighters have to lift the heaviest weight on average, around 126 pounds. Fully dressed, their gear weighs about 70 pounds.
“Whether it be lifting patients, moving persons, lifting equipment, using equipment at house fires, on the scene of vehicle accidents, you know, there's just a lot that comes into the physical demand of equipment use and patient care,” said Lee.
“I've been injured a couple of times. I've strained my back. I've had burns to my hand before that put me off work for a few months,” said Falls.
On top of just the physical demands, firefighters also top the list for exposure to extreme heat and hazardous materials.
“The exposure to carcinogens is definitely increased in the fire service, so much so that there are presumptive laws. It is presumed that firefighters have gotten cancer and if they get cancer, it's an occupational hazard,” said Lee.
But in more recent years, they have taken steps to mitigate that.
“We do things like have a dirty compartment on the truck so that we don't contaminate the truck with our saturated gear. We'll throw it in a separate compartment,” said Falls.
They all work diligently to make sure they can keep up with the demands of the job, without getting injured.
“So, we do have a very physically demanding job. We always need to keep working out, cardiovascular workout, working out with weights to keep up the strength and cardiovascular demand,” said Falls.
They also make sure they’re taking care of themselves in other ways too.
“We annually have physicals in order to catch some of these different illnesses that could come about,” said Lee.
“Mental wellness, mental awareness is something that we're trying to better ourselves, educate ourselves in as well. But that's another factor that I think a lot of people don't think about with the fire service,” said Falls.
Despite the risks, many said there’s nothing they’d rather do.
“But there's a love for service. You know, a lot of firemen have a servant's heart. You know, people talk about all the time the salary is not that high, but the rewards you get from seeing a person that you're helping on the scene or seeing a family that you've assisted by preventing their home from being destroyed, you know, it’s so rewarding that it makes up for a lot of that,” said Lee.
Some other categories firefighters were at the top of include hearing speech from a distance, exposure to humidity and least able to control their workload.
Source: KTBS 3
“I think they've shown studies before where even just a 30-minute time frame, the type of work we do equates to a seven- or eight-hour work time frame for the average physical activity,” said Caddo Fire District 4 Chief Chad Falls.
According to the study, firefighters have to lift the heaviest weight on average, around 126 pounds. Fully dressed, their gear weighs about 70 pounds.
“Whether it be lifting patients, moving persons, lifting equipment, using equipment at house fires, on the scene of vehicle accidents, you know, there's just a lot that comes into the physical demand of equipment use and patient care,” said Lee.
“I've been injured a couple of times. I've strained my back. I've had burns to my hand before that put me off work for a few months,” said Falls.
On top of just the physical demands, firefighters also top the list for exposure to extreme heat and hazardous materials.
“The exposure to carcinogens is definitely increased in the fire service, so much so that there are presumptive laws. It is presumed that firefighters have gotten cancer and if they get cancer, it's an occupational hazard,” said Lee.
But in more recent years, they have taken steps to mitigate that.
“We do things like have a dirty compartment on the truck so that we don't contaminate the truck with our saturated gear. We'll throw it in a separate compartment,” said Falls.
They all work diligently to make sure they can keep up with the demands of the job, without getting injured.
“So, we do have a very physically demanding job. We always need to keep working out, cardiovascular workout, working out with weights to keep up the strength and cardiovascular demand,” said Falls.
They also make sure they’re taking care of themselves in other ways too.
“We annually have physicals in order to catch some of these different illnesses that could come about,” said Lee.
“Mental wellness, mental awareness is something that we're trying to better ourselves, educate ourselves in as well. But that's another factor that I think a lot of people don't think about with the fire service,” said Falls.
Despite the risks, many said there’s nothing they’d rather do.
“But there's a love for service. You know, a lot of firemen have a servant's heart. You know, people talk about all the time the salary is not that high, but the rewards you get from seeing a person that you're helping on the scene or seeing a family that you've assisted by preventing their home from being destroyed, you know, it’s so rewarding that it makes up for a lot of that,” said Lee.
Some other categories firefighters were at the top of include hearing speech from a distance, exposure to humidity and least able to control their workload.
Source: KTBS 3