![]() To deal with the ups and downs, the 60-person (Hochtl being the lone female) corps of the Eagle River Fire Protection District needs to train for the short-term demands of the job while keeping themselves fit to avoid the longer-term risks to cardiac health. “Firefighters are notoriously dehydrated (they drink too much coffee), their ambient level of stress is higher than the normal person just because of their work schedules and what they see, and when you do sleep during your 48 hours on, it’s a totally different sleep than when you’re off duty.” “They’re not taking care of their bodies in the same way an athlete would, where they’re resting well and they’re warming up and cooling down properly,” explains Lieutenant Jenny Hochtl of the Eagle River Fire Protection District (ERFPD). Never mind the risks of charging into a burning building: firefighters are far more likely to die from a cardiac event like a heart attack, which accounts for roughly half of all firefighter fatalities, eclipsing the rate for the general population (heart disease accounts for only one in seven civilian deaths in the United States). That regimen may sculpt the fantasied firefighter physique, but the mental and physical stress of being ready to respond to any emergency at any moment during the typical 48-hour shift can exact its toll on even the fittest in any company.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |