Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 31, 2025

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments
Published on: August 8, 2019
Predictors of Work Efficiency in Structural Firefighters
Maxwell S Norris1, Matt McAllister, Andrew E Gonzalez
1Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky (Mr Norris, Dr Best, Dr Abel); Department of Health and Human Performance, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas (Mr Gonzalez, Dr McAllister); Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, Provo, Utah (Dr Pettitt); H.H. Morris Human Performance Laboratories, Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (Dr Keeler).
Objective:
Develop a novel work efficiency (WE) metric to quantify firefighter physical ability and identify correlates of WE.
Methods:
Physical fitness and anthropometric measurements were taken on 19 male firefighters. Firefighters performed a timed maximal effort simulated fireground test (SFGT). WE was quantified as: (1/[Air depletion × SFGT completion time]) × 10,000. Regression analyses were used to identify predictors of WE.
Results:
WE was significantly correlated to age, relative body fat, fat mass, occupational experience, jump height, inverted row repetitions, relative bench press and squat strength, treadmill time to exhaustion, relative ventilatory threshold, and relative peak oxygen consumption. Treadmill time to exhaustion and relative lower body strength accounted for the greatest variance in WE (R2 = 0.72, root mean square error = 0.07).
Conclusion:
Aerobic endurance and relative lower body strength were related to an occupationally-specific assessment of firefighter physical ability.
More Related Videos
06:57Utilizing Electroencephalography Measurements for Comparison of Task-Specific Neural Efficiencies: Spatial Intelligence Tasks
Published on: August 9, 2016
10:29Experimental Methodology for Estimation of Local Heat Fluxes and Burning Rates in Steady Laminar Boundary Layer Diffusion Flames
Published on: June 1, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Design Example: Flow Through a Fire Extinguisher
The key to understanding how the...
Design Consideration
The factor of safety is another key...
Hazard Rate
The Availability Heuristic
Factors Affecting Workability