Physical Health and Emergency Care
Physical health and emergency care must be understood by modern firefighters and emergency responders. Responders must be in optimum physical condition at all times while battling fires or attending to other types of emergencies.
Mental Strain and the Importance of Physical Fitness
Responding to an emergency is a mentally strenuous task. It entails a lot of quick movements that can strain the body if you aren't trained. Improving one's physical health improves one's ability to execute rescue procedures without being injured. Physical fitness provides firefighters with the stamina needed to perform emergency response tasks. Emergency services are starting to realize that majority of injuries and deaths get caused by a lack of physical fitness. Endurance exercises are vital if emergency responders want to avoid injuries and stay longer in their jobs.
Straining Tasks and Hazardous Environments
Firefighters and emergency responders perform a lot of straining tasks such as scaling ladders, searching of casualties, pulling hose pipes among many other tasks. In addition, emergency responders also work in very hazardous environments that cause physical stress. Firefighting and emergency response is a job that requires high levels of concentration and alertness. Firefighters make a lot of important decisions all the time, therefore mental alertness allows them to make the right calls. It is a well-documented fact that physical exercise improves the mental concentration in individuals. Furthermore, being physically fit enables firefighters to cope well with emotional stress related to work.
Coping with Physical Demands
Firefighters and other emergency responders can be called upon at any moment to respond to an emergency. The daily routine of a firefighter involves performing straining tasks like carrying heavy equipments and working in extreme environmental conditions. The mentioned elements combine to raise the physical demand on the human body. It is therefore important for firefighters and other emergency service responders to make sure that their bodies are in peak physical conditions to cope with the physical demands of their work.
