Comparison of aerobic capacity in annually certified and uncertified volunteer firefighters.

The leading cause of mortality among firefighters has been cardiac arrest precipitated by stress and overexertion with volunteer firefighters having double the death rate from this cause compared with career firefighters. In an attempt to reduce on-duty sudden cardiac deaths, annual fitness testing, and certification, has been widely instigated in wildland firefighters, who have half the cardiac arrest death rate of structural firefighters. The hypothesis was that annual fitness testing would serve as motivation to produce higher cardiorespiratory fitness. This study compared predicted aerobic capacity in annually certified and uncertified volunteer firefighters. Each firefighter performed a submaximal treadmill test to predict (V) over dotO(2)max. Certified volunteer firefighters, who participated in annual fitness testing, had a predicted (V) over dotO(2)max of 39.9 +/- 8.4 ml.kg(-1).min(-1). Uncertified volunteer firefighters had a predicted (V) over dotO(2)max of 37.8 +/- 8.5 ml.kg(-1).min(-1). Annual fitness testing during the certification process did not contribute to statistically higher (F-2,F-78 = 0.627, p = 0.431) (V) over dotO(2)max levels in certified volunteer firefighters. Although there was no significant difference in predicted (V) over dotO(2)max values for certified and uncertified volunteer firefighters, it was reported that 30% of volunteer firefighters had predicted aerobic capacities below the recommended minimum (V) over dotO(2)max level of 33.5 ml.kg(-1).min(-1). Current annual fitness testing for volunteer firefighters does not seem to be effective. Thus, the study emphasizes the need of a higher priority for firefighter fitness programs to best ensure the safety of firefighters and the public.