Fire Fighters Respond to Heart Attack Risk
Study
New England Journal of Medicine
Article Spotlights Need for Comprehensive Wellness/Fitness Programs
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WASHINGTON – Harold A. Schaitberger, general
president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, issued the
following statement in response to new research on heart attacks among fire
fighters that appeared in the latest issue of the New England Journal of
Medicine:
“The study by Harvard University’s medical researchers
quantifying the risk of heart attacks among fire fighters underscores the need
for comprehensive wellness and fitness programs to be instituted in fire
departments across the continent.
“The men and women who must be ready 24/7 to respond to
emergencies, whether it’s fires or natural or man-made disasters, including
terrorism, are well aware of the toll that their job places on their
cardiovascular systems, in addition to the chemical and biological hazards and
exposures they face every day. We welcome the added voice of the medical
community pointing to the fact that there is a 10- to 100-times-greater risk of
having a fatal heart attack for our members while fighting a fire.
“We have known of the high incidence of heart attacks among fire
fighters for years because it accounts for almost 50 percent of all on-the-job
fatalities. In response, in 1996, the IAFF and the International Association of
Fire Chiefs created the Fire Service Joint Labor Management Wellness-Fitness
Initiative, and we have been advocating its adoption in all fire departments
since its inception.
“This study reinforces that it’s time for fire departments
across the continent to take action and fully adopt this cost-effective program
because, where it has been implemented, it is saving lives. Further, we must
continue to address organizational risk factors leading to these heart
fatalities, including fire department resources, deployment and staffing,
training and better and lighter protective clothing and equipment.”
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