By Terry Date
The Eagle-Tribune
PELHAM, N.H. — Pelham firefighter Howard Mastropiero suffered a fatal heart attack while on vacation last summer.
“Although he was not on the job, it very well could have happened on the job,” Chief James Midgley said.
Firefighting takes a toll, especially on the heart. Firefighters can go from a standstill to a situation of extreme physical and psychological stress in a matter of minutes. Sometimes, it’s more than a body can take.
Since the 1970s, about half of all on-the-job firefighter deaths were the result of heart disease, according to Stefanos Kales, a Harvard Medical School professor.
Between 1994 and 2004, 45 percent of 449 firefighter deaths resulted from heart disease, according to a 10-year study Kales co-authored. Almost one-third of those firefighters died while battling fires.
“Their heart rates skyrocket after getting up to answer calls,” Kales said.
Physiologist Paul Davis has been studying firefighter health since 1974. Davis, a researcher at the First Responder Institute in Maryland, said as many 60 percent of firefighter deaths at work are heart related.
“It’s one of the toughest jobs out there, and a significant number of them are not physically fit,” Davis said.
Kales and Davis both believe exercise should be mandatory for firefighters.
“The remedy is you need to act proactively in the face of the data,” Davis said. “You need a mandatory fitness program, otherwise it’s a dog without bite.”
There are no mandatory programs, but fire chiefs and firefighters themselves are reporting changes in behavior. Fewer firefighters smoke, more of them exercise regularly, and the meals served at local fire stations are more likely to be better balanced and lower in fat.
Windham fire Chief Tom McPherson said he has seen a lot of progress in firefighter fitness over the years. He said a voluntary program is the best approach for Windham.
“You get better participation when it is introduced as a lifetime change versus being told that they have to do it,” McPherson said.
Not all local chiefs agree.
Salem Assistant Chief Paul Parisi and Londonderry fire Chief Kevin MacCaffrie both said they think making exercise mandatory is important. But doing so would come with a cost. Towns must be willing to pay for the programs and firefighters want job protection should they fail to meet fitness standards.
In the meantime, there are obvious changes in many local firehouses.
Derry firefighter Ryan Bump recently cooked turkey tacos for the crew at Derry’s Central Fire Station. Not too long ago, those firefighters more likely would have chowed down on burgers or pasta. And if they had tacos, they would have been beef.
Bump has organized a “Biggest Loser” competition at the department in which 10 teams of three members each are fighting to shed the most body fat in three months. Newton firefighters, too, are challenging one another to see who can lose the most body fat.
But there’s still room for improvement.
No statistics are available on how many local firefighters are overweight, but fire chiefs and others ventured estimates of anywhere between 10 percent and 25 percent of their forces are overweight.
MacCaffrie, the Londonderry chief, said firefighters need to be fit to perform on the job, but also to remain healthy as they age.
“To serve the public, we need to be fit,” he said.
To that end, Londonderry has three volunteer fitness coordinators.
Coordinator Will St. Jean, stationed at a substation on Old Mammoth Road, said he works out every day and tries to lead by example.
The biggest barrier to a successful exercise program is motivating firefighters to exercise, St. Jean said. He estimated 75 percent of Londonderry firefighters work out regularly, either at the station or at a gym.
All the chiefs interviewed reported seeing healthier eating habits. Firefighters are drinking more water, eating more salad and fruit, and taking a pass on dessert more often.
“The general meal plan is they have more vegetables and less fatty foods overall,” MacCaffrie said of Londonderry firefighters. “They still cook pasta, and occasionally hamburgers and hot dogs ... but I think their meals are more balanced than they used to be.”
The results show.
Londonderry firefighters Peter DeVoe, 30, and Mark Brien, 38, have lost 30 and 18 pounds, respectively, since January, thanks to better eating habits and regular exercise.
Kales, the Harvard professor, said management and unions have worked to make the firefighting culture more health conscious.
But firefighters are subject to the same temptations as all Americans.
“I do think the culture is changing, though maybe not enough,” Kales said. “What is working against it is the overall obesity epidemic.”
Copyright 2009