We are fatter than everyone else!

According to the study done by the NVFC (National Volunteer Fire Council) that firefighters have a higher percentage of obesity (73-88%) than the average American (33.8%).

Obesity is measure by BMI (Body Mass Index) To calculate BMI you can use this link http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm if your BMI is anything over 30 you are considered obese, and according to most health professionals are at risk for heart disease, certain cancers, etc.

The link tot he study is here :http://www.nvfc.org/files/documents/Obesity_Study.pdf So you can view it for yourself.

After reading it I do have a few thoughts.

1. BMI has some draw backs. On the BMI Calculator site (the link I posted above) even will tell you that BMI may overcalculate people with high muscle mass causing them to have a higher score, and it can undercalculate those with low muscle mass. I do not have to tell you the issue here, its pretty obvious.

2. This thing says I am overweight! No obese but overweight. This is hard to swallow as I have made SIGNIFICANT life changes in the past 2 years. I am not a big guy I am only 5foot9 and right now my weight fluctuates between 175 and 178, in order to get into a “normal” range I would have to get into the 160’s. Sure 2 years ago I was overweight I was 216lbs, scratch that I was not overweight I was FAT! So I changed I changed my eating habits, got in the gym and now 41lbs later I am planning on running the 2013 Disney World Marathon, and have completed 10k’s,5k’s,8’ks, and the Tough Mudder. Yet still according to this nationally recognized system I am still, well fat.

3. I do agree that there is a significant “health” issue in the fire service, far to many guys eat too much, and work out not enough. It is proven in the amount of health related LODD’s, injuries, and retirements we see every day.

4. Part of the problem is our lifestyle there have been several studies done to show the correlation of sleep deprivation to heart disease, well there is not to many people more sleep deprived than the American Firefighter. Further more the study done in Indianapolis proved that just the nature of our job causes our heart rate to go to the MAX (kinda like the pump cavitation) just at the dispatch of a call. Further more it showed that the anticipation of the alarm even at busy stations causes your sleep to not enter REM and prevents you from proper recovery. Here is the video link:

http://www.vententersearch.com/?p=361 Here is the link to the full study: http://www.indiana.edu/~firefit/pdf/Final%20Report.pdf

Also found in the study done by the University of Kansas states that firefighters are 300% more likely to contract a cardiovascular disease (heart attack, or stroke) based on uncommon factors such as the particulates in smoke. Add to all of that our poor eating habits and our sedentary lifestyles out side of work and it is a recipe for disaster!

So what is the solution? First and foremost we must change as a service, and as people. We must place an increased emphasis on fitness in order to not only be able to perform on the fireground but to survive our careers and enjoy our retirement. I have said it once and I will say again, I HATE WORKING OUT I get ZERO enjoyment from it, but I know to be the type of firefighter I want to be, and to perform the way I want to perform I have to push aside that hate and get in the gym. I also know that while I may want to eat 2 steaks at dinner one is more than enough. Simply put we have to change our habits, and adjust not only what we eat but how much we eat.

Some of you may not know where to begin so here are some helpful sites to assist you:

www.stickysidedown.wordpress.com

www.fireservicewarrior.com

http://firegroundfitness.blogspot.com/

http://engineco22.net/

http://www.healthy-firefighter.org/

http://firefit.net/workouts.aspx

Additionally you can follow my workouts by following me on twitter @averagejakeff using the hashtag #fswfitness. This is just the tip of the iceberg folks, go out there and find a program that suits you and will get you to your optimum performance. It is not easy but neither is this job, if you do not want to do it for you then do it for your family, and the family of the guys you work with, no excuses just WORK!

As my buddy Rude Boy would say “Firefighters are athletes, TRAIN LIKE IT!”

As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE

January Drill Of The Month: Ladder Climbing

 

With the recent injuries, and deaths involving ladders (I know they were aerialladders) I felt that this month it would be a good idea to return to some basic drilling and go over some safe ways to climb ladders.

Lets face it climbing ladders is tough on a normal day, people fall from ladders all of the time and they do not have to wear PPE, SCBA,or carry tools, and rescue victims.

Unfortunately climbing ladders is something I feel we take for granted especially from an engine company perspective. Think the last time your ladder came off the engine? It probably only comes off to check it, or to clean it.

So now lets look at some important points when climbing ladders:

1. Always maintain three points of contact with a ladder:  This is accomplished by using the beams instead of the rungs. When your climbing let your hands slide along the beams, this way you always have 1 foot and 2 hands in contact with the ladder at all times, making it easier to catch yourself if you were to slip. This also in my opinion makes the climb smoother. When you use the rungs the ladders tend to bounce a lot due to the shifting of your entire body weight from one side to the other, you really see this in your straight stick aerials and longer extension ladders (35-40 footers). If you slide up the rails if takes some of the bounce out making the climb easier. This also makes victim rescue techniques easier.

2. Slide the tools: This goes along with the above but we should never be empty-handed on the fireground, so we need a way to carry tools up the ladder. With smaller tools like the halligan and axe using the same slide technique as mentioned above works well, and maintains ladder contact. With longer tools like hooks, simply use the length of the tool and hook it on the highest rung you can reach. When you reach the head of the tool repeat until you have reached your destination.

3. Use Rope: Were we really get into trouble is carrying saws to the roof. Saws are heavy, they take a hand away causing us to break contact with the ladder, and they can through us off-balance. In this case rope is the answer. Take a rope bag (I carry a 50 footer on my air pack at all times) tie or clip the rope to the saw, then start climbing (with the bag attached to you of course) while you’re climbing the rope should play out. Once you reach your destination you can then hoist the saw up. Utilizing this method allows for you to climb the ladder safer, more efficient, and faster than having to lug the saw up. It also allows you to carry your hand tools as well.

4.  Aerial Ladders: Climbing Aerial Ladders is a different animal all together. Some of the same techniques work (using the beams when at low angles, and using the hook method for long tools) but all together it is different. If you have a bucket try to utilize it as often as possible. This will reduce fatigue (easier to ride than climb), allow you to carry all of the tools you need, and give you a relatively safe working platform. If you must climb an Aerial ladder then you must be equipped with a ladder belt, or some sort of fall protection device

5. Footing the ladder: It amazes me that people are still getting taught to foot the ladder from the rear. The best place to be is in the front. You can see what is happening to the building, you can see what is happening to the firefighters climbing the ladder, you are in the perfect position for victim rescue (firefighter or civilian), and you can assist in taking the bounce out of the ladder. In addition you can keep an eye what is going on, and avoid falling debris.

Bottom line is climbing ladders is a serious, and dangerous part of our job. It should never be taken for granted, and should be practiced often. Take some time this month to pull the ladders off the rig and climb ladders. You should of course be doing this in full PPE and SCBA in order to get the full effect.

Do not forget to keep following along on twitter @averagejakeff

As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!

 

Vodpod videos no longer available.

 

January Drill Of The Month: Ladder Climbing, posted with vodpod

THANKS

I just wanted to say a quick thanks to all the people out there that continue to read the site and follow along on Twitter.

When I first started this thing it was honestly out of sheer frustration. I was in a position where I felt like I had to say about a lot of various fire service topics and had no outlet. I was frustrated with the lack of motivation, attention to detail, and love for the fire service from members of my department. I was angry that the phrase “That guy loves the fire department” when said about someone was ment as a cautionary warning rather than praise.

So I started writing, and slowly but surely I have gathered a small but loyal following, as many as 80-200 people view this site everyday and while in the grand scheme of things it may seem small to me each and every time someone looks at this I feel great. If one person learns one thing from my postings, ramblings, etc. then I have accomplished my mission.

I do not do this for notoriety, money, fame, or anything else. I simply feel that I have a wide-ranging fire service experience and wish to share what I know with others in the hopes that we can all share ideas.

I am not as talented or deep a writer as Capt. Wines from the Ironfiremen.com or the Fire Service Warrior Crew , but I have never been one to be like someone else. Even though I am a great teammate, and shift member I still tend to stand out from the group. Maybe its my devilish charm, boyish good looks, or overbearing personality either way that’s me.

So the bottom line of all of this sappy talk is just to say thanks, there are a ton of choices out there for you to get your fire service fix and I appreciate every second you spend here on this site.

Lastly, it is feedback time! Thats right I want to get better, I want to try to enhance the experience you get from this site. So drop me a line and tell me what you like, don’t like, want to see etc. Do you want to see more videos? Would you like to see some Averagejake Original Videos? Do you want more training content? Content from different writers? Do you want me to come teach a class at your department ?(FYI I offer a wide variety of classes both Fire and EMS) I want to know!

So please leave some feedback in the comments section or send me an email. Be sure to keep following along on twitter @averagejakeff

As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!