without hesitation – especially for people who want an excellent overview. Calm, intelligent, well-reasoned – and well-written. We wish we’d written it – Popular Logistics was envisioned for people who’d gotten as far along as Dr. Redlener will take you – the details of the logistics that support robust community preparedness.
We’re going to give you each of Redlener’s Eight Principles – and try to add some useful detail.
#1. Stay Healthy and Fit.Â
S.L.A. Marshall – in his seminal essay The Soldier’s Load (a primary inspiration for this blog), makes two principal arguments:
- fear makes us tire more easily;
- physical fitness makes us more resistant to fear
In other words, fear and physical exhaustion on the one hand, and physical conditioning and preparedness on the other, are antagonists, Be prepared mentally and physically – you’ll not only be able to help yourself, you’ll be in a position to help others – and need less help for others.
But – where to start? What particular goals should we be training for, and how to go about it?
Here are physical standards for firefighters
- In London
- Excerpts from the United States Wildfire Firefighter job description:
- Participates in fire suppression activities in rugged mountainous terrain from sea level to over 10,000 ft. elevation. Uses a variety of hand tools, power saws, and pumps. Exposed to long and irregular working hours under exhausting conditions, including adverse weather conditions required to maintain physical performance over long periods of time.
- FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
- Â Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over
- Â Heavy carrying, 45 pounds and over
- Pulling hand over hand (8 hours)
- Reaching above shoulder
- Walking (16 hours)
- Standing (16 hours)
- Kneeling (3 hours)
- Repeat bending (12 hours)
- Climbing, legs only (8 hours)
- Climbing, use of legs and arms
- Ability for rapid mental and muscular execution simultaneously(emphasis added)
The International Association of Firefighters/IChief “Candidate Physical Assessment Test (excerpt)
- Participates in fire suppression activities in rugged mountainous terrain from sea level to over 10,000 ft. elevation. Uses a variety of hand tools, power saws, and pumps. Exposed to long and irregular working hours under exhausting conditions, including adverse weather conditions required to maintain physical performance over long periods of time.
During the entire test the candidate must wear a 50 lb. weighted vest (simulating the weight of a fire fighters protective clothing and equipment). The eight events are:
-
- Stair Climb (climbing stairs while carrying an additional 25 lb. simulated hose pack),
- Ladder Raise and Extension (placing a ground ladder at the fire scene and extending the ladder to the roof or a window),
- Hose Drag (stretching uncharged hoselines, advancing lines),
- Equipment Carry (removing and carrying equipment from fire apparatus to fireground),
- Forcible Entry (penetrating a locked door, breaching a wall) and
- Search (crawling through dark unpredictable areas to search for victims).
- Rescue Drag (removing victim or partner from a fire building),
- Ceiling Pull (locating fire and checking for fire extension)
We’ll be coming back to this. In our neck of the woods – Brooklyn – we’re trying to construct a confidence course (obstacle course) that will be fun – and also help us build cooperative skills, increase fitness – and that will be fun enough that it’ll be an aid to recruitment.
Stay tuned for more from Dr. Redlener – his excellent advice – and we’ll provide as many recipes as we can.