The First Twenty's Blog (35)

Fitness testing – a necessary Good?

Back in 2009, I was 45, had served 22 years as an Operational Firefighter, and was (JUST) passing the one mandatory fitness test a year to stay employed.

This was a bleep test, and I needed to hit 8.0 to pass it, but could look…

Recognizing Suicide Warning Signs in Firefighters and EMTs

Behavioral health is a key component of an overall firefighter health and wellness program. Unfortunately, it is a difficult subject to discuss – many factors affect a firefighter’s ability to understand when a fellow brother or sister is suffering, but that does not make it any less critical an issue.

By far, the number one comment…

A Fitness Transformation

Many have shared their personal fitness journeys here over the past few months, so I thought it would be appropriate to share mine as well. We all have started in different places and begun for different reasons, but our end goal is all the same. To improve our functional fitness and to be become the best firefighter we can possibly be.



I have been on and off the…

DO YOU KNOW THE MONSTER WITHIN?

You’re a hard charging, fire eating, “truck-ape”. You’re not scared of anything. As a matter of fact, you fight what we fear. You tell your friends your job is snatching lives from the jaws of death. You’re a firefighter’s firefighter, and you’re damn proud of it.

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Who are You Letting Down?

Before you read any further read this article by Captain Steve Heidbreder.

I don’t know…

Fitness in the Firehouse

According to the CDC heart disease is the leading killer in the United States. Additionally we know according to NIOSH, and the United States Fire Administration that the leading cause of fire service Line of Duty Deaths (LODD) is heart and cerebrovascular diseases (heart attack and stroke). While many factors play a part in these diseases physical fitness plays a huge role in…

Should we link Firefighter fitness to pay, appraisals and continued employment?

We are about to introduce a new fitness standard, and tests, in our Fire and Rescue Service (Fire Department), and after we have established that for 9 months Firefighters pay will be affected by whether they pass the tests or not. Even their continued employment with…

Firefighter Fitness from a New Zealand Firefighter's Perspective

Introduction

As firefighters, we tend to consider ourselves generally fit and healthy individuals capable of carrying out a physically demanding job.  But are we really as fit as we think we are?  Are our bodies really in good enough shape to handle the frenetic pace of the first twenty minutes at a working structure fire; the…

Being in “Shape” is Relative; Being Fit for Duty is not

In this time of fitness fads and trends, I submit to you that in the business of firefighting, there is no room for confusing what is and what is not fit for duty.

Under your turn outs, no one cares if you have six pack abs or biceps like boulders. What the community you swore to serve and what your crew cares about is that you arrive…

Firefighter Functional Training - Promoting Health and Wellness in Your Department

In North Carolina the Office of the State Fire Marshal is the certifying body for the fire service.  As in most locales I am sure, it has been quite some time since our firefighter certification program received a major makeover.  Our latest makeover took effect January 1, 2015 and included the addition of three modules to the certification…

White Shirt Fitness

There are numerous “hot topics” that face leaders in the fire service right now, and it does not take much to stir up a heated debate among “brothers” around a station or on the Internet.  Firefighters are very passionate in their beliefs, and if you want to know what they think, generally all you have to do is ask them.  Bring up simple topics like vertical ventilation and smooth bore…

Do you want to be Fire Fit?

Sadly most of us are not fire fit!  We have all heard by now how cardiac events are killing more of us than anything else.  Obesity & lack of fitness is stopping us from helping those who need our help.  My goal is to share my story and hopefully encourage you to get fire fit.

That was me nearly 3 years ago. I was eating…

See how setting goals, staying motivated, and making small foundational changes can have huge results in Lieutenant Robby Owens, Sr.'s personal wellness story.

My Fitness Story

Some fitness articles and web sites offer suggestions on nutrition to workout programming and everything in between. Often times, the ones offering these…

The First Twenty is a common expression in the fire service meaning that the first twenty minutes of a fire are the most crucial. It is twenty minutes that define the skill and judgment of a firefighter and often dictate the outcome. This critical and short window of time determines the difference between recovery or loss, as well as life or death for both the firefighter and the victims.

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The First Twenty is a non-profit dedicated to the unmet fitness and wellness needs of our nation's firefighters. By Firefighters for Firefighters, in 2012 The First Twenty introduced the Nation's first ever comprehensive fitness and wellness program for firefighters.