Heart Rate Responses during Simulated Fire Ground Scenarios among Full-Time Firefighters

Simulated fire ground scenarios (SFGS) provide firefighters with an opportunity to maintain skills, receive feedback, and optimize performance. Although there is extensive research on heart rate (HR) changes in the firefighter population, few examine the differences between positions. Firefighters are primarily responsible for fire suppression and control (23), officers for emergency operations and organizational management, paramedics for providing on-scene emergency medical care, and drivers are responsible for driving the fire apparatus. Utilizing HR analysis to quantify the physical demands of SFGS among firefighting crews by position. Sixty-seven male (age: 38.97 ± 9.17; ht: 177.99 ± 6.45 cm. wt: 88.83 ± 13.55 kg) firefighters (FF) participated in this investigation. FF crews performed two SFGS involving the suppression and control of a structural fire. Participants were outfitted with heart rate (HR) monitors and average heart rate (HRavg) and maximum heart rate (HRmax) data were collected for each of the two SFGS. Significant differences were observed for Age (P = 0.01), APMHR (P = 0.01), HRmax¹ (P = 0.04), and HRmax² (P = 0.04) in which firefighters had higher values for Age-predicted maximal heart rate (APMHR), HRmax¹, HRmax² compared to the officers. SFGS can be very physically demanding events that may elicit maximal or near maximal HR responses regardless of position. Based on the metabolic demands of these events and the individual firefighter's capabilities, this information can be used to develop resistance training and conditioning programs that optimize performance at maximal or near maximal heart rates.