The First 20 Fire Academy Recruits Exercise Training Program

Overview

"The First Twenty (TF20) Exercise Training Program and Fire Academy Recruits' Fitness and Health" was thesis research completed in the Functional Intensity Training Laboratory (FIT Lab) at Kansas State University. The purpose was to assess the performance outcomes, acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of an innovative 14-week Firefighter Fitness and Wellness Program. This study explored if TF20 program was a valid preparatory program for fire academy recruits training for the physical job of a firefighter compared to standard care of taking a college fitness class. It was hypothesized that TF20 group would see greater fitness improvements than the comparison group, the training program would be acceptable and feasible, and that TF20 group would report higher levels of group cohesion.

The First Twenty (TF20) is an innovative computer based firefighter training program that provides foundational educational principles around firefighter physical fitness, mental wellness, and nutrition and is much more cost effective than other fitness program options. The current Fire Academy at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) does little to address the physical fitness of its firefighter recruits other than the physical skills taught in class. The recruits are required to either have previously taken or be concurrently enrolled in a 1 credit hour fitness class offered through the community college. HPER 240, Lifetime Fitness, introduces the student to basic fitness principles, physical activity and the relationship to a healthy lifestyle. The course is graded based on an initial assessment/orientation and participation; the student must log so many hours at the JCCC Gym (JCCC, 2015). This course may be waived at the discretion of the Fire Academy Director if the student can prove they have an active gym membership at a local gym facility. The recruits participate in highly physically demanding tasks as they learn the job of a firefighter. Part of the class is spent indoors for lecture. The remainder of the class is spent on the drill ground learning basic firefighter skills such as donning bunker gear (personal protective equipment) and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), navigating through dark search quarters, searching and removing a victim in a fire room, climbing ladders, cutting ventilation holes on flat and pitched roofs, and fighting live fire in a propane burn facility. The recruits are also required to take the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) during the Fire Academy. The CPAT is a timed physical ability test designed to assess the fitness of firefighter candidates and is used as a screening tool for hiring new firefighters. In addition to completing the current requirements for the Fire Academy, this study included a baseline assessment, 14- weeks of group exercise training, and a post-test assessment. Fire Academy recruits were required to have taken or be concurrently enrolled in a one credit hour gym class; this study took the place of that one credit hour physical requirement. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two exercise groups: TF20 or the Comparison Group (CG). TF20 group exercised five days per week for 14 weeks, similar to the requirements of the Lifetime Fitness (HPER 240) course; the Comparison Group were asked to continue their current exercise regimen (ie: HPER 240 course). Travel workout options were available for TF20 group. It was hypothesized that TF20 group would see greater fitness improvements than the comparison group, TF20 group would find the training program acceptable and feasible, and TF20 group would report higher levels of group cohesion than the comparison/control group.