Heart attack major cause of death for firefighters
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Fire Departments Are Using Federal Money To Make Firefighters Healthier
FireFightingNews
January 17, 2007
New Jersey -
Firefighters
combat one of nature's basic elements, but their hearts - not fires -
are to blame for many of their deaths on the job. So some fire
departments are using federal money to expand programs aimed at getting
firefighters healthier. In the northern New Jersey town of Cranford,
Fire Chief Leonard Dolan III has ordered his career firefighters to get
medical tests and health advice. He's using the federal money to pay
for it.
"Sudden heart attack is a major cause of death in our business. And to
be physically fit so you can go from a resting state to a great deal of
physical activity means you need to be in shape," Dolan said.
Last year, 115 firefighters across the country died on the job - 55
from heart attacks, according to a U.S. Fire Administration report.
Part of the problem is attributed to the nature of the job:
Firefighters spend a lot of down time in firehouses, and their
adrenaline skyrockets when the alarms sound and they race off to an
emergency.