By Todd South
Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee)
DALTON, Ga. — The squad shuffles along, sneakers pounding the pavement. As one man calls a quick cadence in the cold morning air, another stretches his arms high while holding the American flag.
A few minutes later, the 10 Dalton firefighters are inside the fire station, ready for the next phase of their workout. They are starting their shift with a workout designed to build cardiovascular fitness and a little camaraderie.
“Our first exercise will be side-straddle hops. Side-straddle hops are a four-count exercise. I will count the cadence, you will count the repetition,” says firefighter Dale Stratton, a former Marine.
The Dalton department established a mandatory fitness program in 1997 due partly to national reports showing that nearly half of all firefighter deaths came from heart attacks.
Fire Chief Bruce Satterfield said the firefighters keep a balance between intense effort and recovery. They work on getting their heart rates up but not pushing it too far. After the hourlong workout, they still have a whole shift to work, he noted. That could include a fire call where they’ll be asked to don 40 pounds of gear and haul water-filled hoses for an unspecified time.
“We don’t just emphasize exercise on duty,” the chief said.
The Dalton and Walker County fire departments have mandatory fitness programs. They also team with local fitness centers for input on different workout programs to keep conditioning varied.
The Insurance Services Organization recently added fitness programs as part of its fire department evaluation, said Walker County Fire Chief Randy Camp.
“What they have shown is departments with fitness programs have less property loss than departments without fitness programs,” he said.
Dalton stands out for fitness in the area. The department has won the annual Fit to Fight 75-mile footrace between Atlanta and Forsyth every year but one since the competition began in 2003. For the competition firefighters run in pairs, some in regular workout clothing, others in full firefighting gear.
To maintain its fitness program, the department has brought experts to teach nutrition and exercise classes that will encourage a whole-lifestyle approach to health, he said.
On one morning, hard rock from the band AC/DC fills the air as firefighters begin their routine. Each man takes a turn choosing the exercise, and a playing card drawn from the deck near Mr. Stratton’s feet tells them how many reps.
About halfway through the workout, one firefighter calls out for a plank position — the person rests on elbows and the toes of their feet, keeping their back straight. The exercise targets the core of the body and tests abdominal strength. A hand flips over the six of hearts — 60 seconds in the plank.
Some of the men’s legs quiver, one buckles and goes to his knees. The firefighters have already done at least three other core exercises, and there are more to come.
After the workout, firefighter Jeff Viens said occasionally they will wear full fire gear and run up hills, which simulates some of the vigorous working conditions firefighters often face.
Copyright 2009 Chattanooga Publishing Company