Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program: US Fire Administration Smoke Alarm Installation and Fire Education (USFA SAIFE)

Background: Firefighting is a demanding profession which requires individuals to perform strenuous tasks in highly variable environments. If fire fighters are not physically prepared to perform under these circumstances, their risk of injury or death will increase. Approximately 50% of all fire fighter fatalities are due to "sudden cardiac death" and may be preventable with interventions focused on heart disease risk factor modification. In addition, the incidence of injuries among U.S. fire fighters has increased over the past 15 years. Approximately 50% of these injuries are related to musculoskeletal strains and sprains and result in workers' compensation costs of $450 million annually in the United States. In an effort to reverse these heart disease, injury, and workers' compensation trends, it is critical for physical training interventions to be conducted to determine the effectiveness of a health-related fitness program on fire fighter health, fitness, fireground performance, and injury prevalence. Purpose: In compliance with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1583 (Implementation ofa Physical Fitness Program) and the National Fallen Fire fighters Foundation - Fire fighter Life Safety Initiatives (#2, 4, 6, 7, 8), the purpose of this project is to continue the implementation of a health-related fitness program focused on improving the health, fitness, and fireground performance of career fire fighters. Objectives: The objective of this grant proposal is to request funding to extend this training program for an additional three years to allow for a long-term examination of the impact of a health-related fitness program on fire fighter health, fitness, performance on the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) and injury prevalence.