Paul - noticed the same thing - why are we selling 3 - 6X T shirts at these events. Can you be obese and healthy? Seems like an oxymoron but the medical evidence is overwhelming in favor of leaner firefighters and in the general population as well. The predominant cause of LODD's over the past 10 years has been cardiovascular events or strokes; the message of a healthier lifestyle is falling of deaf ears. I have been an advocate of fitness and regular medical checkups. NFPA 1582, Section 6 is a good place to start for initial and recurrent medical physicals. The Peer Fitness Programs are great for your departments as well. Fire Departments need to have a department physician in their community who knows what we do for a living and the physical demands placed on the firefighters during a working alarm. They are a great impartial resource for the firefighters and the departments.  We also should implement a fitness standard across the fire service industry that calls for annual medical and fitness evaluations and if you cannot perform those essential functions of the job and pass a medical physical, have a period of remediation. If you still cannot perform then you need to seek alternative work. This applies to both volunteer and career firefighters - there is no excuse for departments to shirk their responsibility. Do skinny and "fit" people die? Certainly they do, but the added weight places an inordinate strain on your system and soon, heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes will be a part of your life. Obese firefighters also place a burden on your brother and sister firefighters when you go down at the scene of an emergency. The resuscitation statistics do not favor you in this situation. Paul, you are right on with this illustration.  Thanks for taking the "heat" on this one.

Thanks for jumping into the conversation, Chief!

Frank, I think most of us have struggled with weight at some point - it's just too easy go off course with the abundance of fat and sugar rich food options. The difference is we do something about it to improve our condition and health.

Thank you Paul, Im glad you have brought the problem to light, I was one of those guys and it took a lot to finally make a choice to change that, and Im so glad I did, I want other guys to know its a difficult position to be in and a very hard decision to have WLS, but its one Ive been blessed with, Its still a daily struggle, and I battle everyday but I have kept my weight down, Im still a bigger guy and I will always be but I'm much healthier and much more active, Im proud that Ive been able to use my experience with WLS to share with other brothers and sisters that there are other options once you've lost control and need that tool in the tool box, but its not an end all cure all its a tool just like a set of irons...I also agree that the industry sets standards for health and safety yet our manufacturers will make the larger and larger turn out gear...I'm not saying WLS is for everyone, and its about being healthy and taking control for ones health and wellness...I still struggle and after reading today reached out to guys in my house that are good with fitness and nutrition to help me, to get back into a better way of life to be even healthier to hopefully loose the last 50 I've got to loose, and they gladly said yes, well do it together....please from one of those former guys to my bigger brothers....please take a serious look and reach out, get healthy life is so much better, I look at my 3 kids and my wife and thank the lord for that second chance make today the day you choose....

The first BOD meeting I ever went to (about seven years ago) was prompted by an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine that urged fire departments to have fitness programs. I was just trying to get us access to a gym.

The NEJM is still writing about the problem:http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa060357
"Heart disease causes 45% of the deaths that occur among U.S. firefighters while they are on duty. "

Sir I have purchased your book, prints and posted them at my station and in my home. This one is very poignant! Keep em coming!

We received a grant for new turnout gear my second year on the department.  When we were measured for sizing I found out I was under-tall for my width.  (I'm 5'2" with my fire boots on.) 

Ordering a standard size would mean I'd have my gear in the first shipment.  Alterations meant I might have to wait an additional 6-8 weeks to get my gear.

I used this as my excuse to finally buckle down and lose weight.  By the time the grant was approved and we could actually order our gear I'd lost over 40 lbs, was eating better, and exercised almost every day. 

I didn't realize how much of a difference the weight made until the first time I had to pack up and go in. 

I'm just glad it was a shiny new set of turnouts that motivated me to do something and not keeling over in a house fire.

Maybe that guy just doesn't have a mirror wide enough to be able to see the whole picture?  The truth hurts.

I also have tried to have this conversation and have been told that its none of my business. Which is of course wrong as any member that can't pull his own weight (no pun intended) on the fireground puts their problem on the other members. Your correct in your observation that these guys can't be frontline or interior firefighters. One guy even told me that he "only" drives and pumps so its not that important to be in shape. Number one, they only have minimal aerobic capacity and number two, modern scba does not have straps that are long enough that would fit some of these guys.  

Thanks to all who have shared their thoughts. Please, let's remember to keep a positive and constructive outlook here. Tangible solutions need to be offered, so if anyone has fitness and nutrition websites they'd like to share, this would be a great time.

FYI: This is a one-two punch commentary! My June Fire Engineering magazine commentary tackles obesity in fire service, too. This will give some of you the satisfaction of sending your 'hate' emails all over again:)

Paul,

I’m sorry your receiving hate mail over the topic, you see an alarming issue and bring it to light, just like you have done with your art, you broach the shhh topics, don’t talk about it, it may offend…ie Suicide, safety, seatbelts, fitness….I’m  speaking from the heart when I say it took a lot for me to make a change, I had thought about  it, and thought about it, and thought about it….I got bigger, tried every diet known to man, had some success, and then put it back on, it took my ah ha moments of I was at 558lbs, a Part time Deputy Chief and active fireground officer…or so I kept convincing myself…1. I went to climb a ladder at a working fire in a bungalow, hit the 5^th or 6^th rung and though my knees and shins were going to literally explode, I had ordered new gear yet again at a size 74 yup they made it no questions asked and the salesman even got them to wave the upcharge using do you make the small gear cheaper argument…I wanted a FDNY Gemtor harness, Id called Gemtor, inquired about having one made, and the rep not knowing it was for me, laughed and said..”are You Kidding me?” No way in hell …. And then a friend said some real hurtful things when we were in NY after 9-11 working… Those were my breaking points…Its not easy to admit people have problems, or to ask for help…..But I was lucky enough to have a few guys I was lucky to have met that gave me such encouragement and an positive outlook it helped make the change…I met Denis Leary and the Cast of Rescue Me after 9-11, and when Rescue Me was a concept. Denis, Adam Ferrara, Lenny Clarke, Diane Farr…and the Hockey greats that Support the Leary Firefighter Foundation…..they were so encouraging and were so positive about it and I had huge support here and made the decision to go the Weight Loss Surgery route….It’s been an amazing journey, with high points and low points, high points, Completing my first outdoor triathlon and numerous indoor ones as well, landing a career position with a local fire department, meeting my wife and having 3 amazing children, My lowest was my body not cooperating with the hardcore fitness for the Chicago Fire EMS Academy my dream job, It wasn’t that I wasn’t fit my body couldn’t keep up and I ended up in near kidney  failure, I suffer from Kidney stones as a rare side effect from the type of WLS but I’ll live with that and if knowing that would happen would choose to do it again…Like I said its easy to harp and b**** about the fat guys, and until they have their ah ha moment they won’t buy in to change, some guys it takes a life changing event…some guys never have that ah ha moment….but our own culture doesn’t help…we spend 24 hrs together and have some amazing cooks and chefs in the firehouse, I love to cook,…it’s a family environment and we eat….it still in this day and age that you have the departments that are either end of the spectrum with fitness they go balls to the wall and embrace it, or are so afraid of liability they won’t allow it….I’m asking the guys that are big, stop really take a look and ask yourself do I like living like this, am I truly happy, once you empower yourself to make that change…its exhilarating one of my friends on the Job, hit his highest and lost a 100+ lbs after he hit his heaviest at the 350 range and as a reminder had 358 tattooed on his wrist a s a reminder that when he went to do something like eat a donut he saw that weight on his wrist and said nope….Your so right we work an extremely dangerous job, and adding the additional stress of being unhealthy shouldn’t be one….were losing guys younger and younger with MI’s, and strokes….Please I beg you guys stop make today you choose, make the decision to be health empower yourself to take control back…..If you love the job now,
you’ll love it a 1000X’s more while healthy…trust me I’m living proof…..

Thanks for sharing, Chief - it's sincerely inspiring!! Hopefully folks will listen and learn from your experience.

As for hate mail... well, it comes with the territory:) And I honestly do not mind.

The wildland fire world has this figured out. If you want your red card, you have to pass the annual, arduous pack test. That means walking three miles with 45 pounds on your back in 45 minutes. That's a fast pace to maintain. The NFPA should recommend a simple, annual performance test like that. Size alone is not the issue. Some big people are in shape. Some small people are not strong. The point is whether or not you can do the job. If you need a waist extender for your SCBA rig, you probably cannot do the job.

Agreed!

Nutrition and fitness are vital....it should be a mandatory part of a Firefighter training and lifestyle......Unfortunately process foods and fast food chains have taken over and lured many from the simple art of proper dieting. I would be curious to see a firefighter study on how many actually know simple anatomy, the systems and the body, and even the basics on how the body works in relation to nutrition and exercise.

Here's a link to an excellent blog post by Chief Ed Hadfield. Good info for anyone wanting to start a fitness program.

http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2012/05/crossfit-and-the-fi...

.

-I have long said that firefighters should think of themselves as akin to professional athletes. If we understand the physical nature of the job, it only makes sense that we work out and train for the serious rigorous demands.

Whether career or volunteer!!

Amen Paul. I'm tired of this topic being too taboo to talk about. Our fitness or lack there of in the fire service is directly related to the leading cause of injury and death. Still, by and large we ignore it. I am glad to see this topic gaining support and being talked about the right way by people like you.

If we wanted to properly train firefighters, we would require regular physical fitness and driving/highway safety training. Who knows, maybe one day we'll see a national program/standard that must be met for membership/employment and minimum annual fitness and wellness levels for the entire fire service.

Like Mrs. Cox in the previous comment, thanks for the great depiction of the TRUTH.

Paul,  I couldnt agree with you more on this subject.  There are times that I am scared for myself and others I work with due to the fact the physical fitness that doesnt occur.  The station that I am currently assigned to about 3 months ago changed our eating habits and continued to workout and our weight/body fat % has dropped.  Myself a year ago was atleast 30% body fat (I was huge!).  One day I looked at myself and said I need to change something not only formyself but my crew I work with and my family!  Currently I am down around 30 lbs and down around 12% body fat.  Im currently looking to drop even more!  We will be printing this cartoon out and putting it in our workout room!  Keep them coming, cant wait till next months!

Thanks to all who added to the conversation! We obviously have a long way to go on this issue, but maybe this editorial got people talking - and hopefully starting to make a difference!