Exercise For Prevention: The Importance Of Fitness For First Responders

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Pete Wakefield

Firefighter & Public Speaker

Pete is a firefighter, public speaker & personal coach. Pete also hosts a podcast sharing insights into the first responder community @the_firefighters_podcast.

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importance of fitness for first responders
30. Mai 2023 5 min read
Exercise For Prevention: The Importance Of Fitness For First Responders

Could YOU save YOU?

How about a family member, a friend or even a complete stranger in your community?

When it comes to your own personal standards I believe you don't get what you want, you don't get what you deserve and you don't even get what you aspire to. In my experience as an athlete and first responder, you get what you tolerate… And what you tolerate is subconsciously where you set your standard.

An Alternative Way Of Thinking about Your Fitness

When it comes to our own personal fitness, a good way to think of it is the same way that you might think about personal finances. Do you just have enough to look after yourself or do you keep something in the tank? Do you have that rainy day fund? Do you have excess? If you need it to could you to rescue someone else in their moment of need?

Now let's equate this to our personal fitness.

Are you only just fit enough for your own personal needs? Maybe that means you can lift yourself out of a chair. Maybe your standards are higher and you can even climb over a wall, or maybe you can walk or run round the block. But could you pick someone else up off the ground and could you drag them 50 feet, how about 100 feet? Could you carry them down the stairs to safety?

If a loved one was in trouble one mile away could you run to them and would you be in a fit state to help them by the time you got there? In other words, is your standard just for you or do you put enough in reserve to help others?

What Drives First Responders?

Most first responders don't earn a lot of money. Because by their nature most are driven by outcome, not income. It is the internal motivator. It is purpose It is the opportunity to save, rescue & protect those who need us in their darkest hour. In short it is the outcome.

In order to achieve this outcome, we as First Responders must achieve and maintain a level of physical conditioning that allows us to give our best to the communities we swore to protect.

There are many reasons that a first responder may not achieve a successful outcome during an emergency incident. One reason that should never be expected or accepted however, is that the first responder was simply not fit enough to complete the rescue.

Why A First Responder Needs To Be Physically Fit

Unlike most working environments, we operate in situations and circumstances that in their very nature are hostile and unforgiving. If we do not hold ourselves to a higher standard of physical fitness then we invite the opportunity for injury as we add to the victim count rather than reducing it.

This isn't all about strength. A first responder must be well-rounded in their skill sets and also, their physical fitness. They must have strong core stability, movement efficiency, aerobic capacity and power. A first responder’s body must be functional and built upon strong foundations built to last on the incident ground (not be left to admire on the mantlepiece). It's less about how it looks and more about what it can do.

Historically people relied on either cardio or misguided bro-splits for the part time bodybuilder. But neither of these gave first responders the tools to succeed in having a long career and physical longevity. In the past decade we've seen the birth of the term “tactical athletes” because of the physically demanding nature of the jobs we do. 

Let's pause for a minute and consider the overused phrase that “not all heroes wear capes” and let’s therefore consider if you need to be a first responder to hold yourself to a high standard. We can only help others from a position of strength. Before you can help someone else you must first be able to help yourself. Before you can rescue anyone else you must be able to rescue yourself. So ask yourself:

 “Do I need rescuing?”

“If I screamed out for help have I equipped myself with the tools to save me?”.

Tools For First Responders

One of the most effective tools for first responders is actually education and prevention. The fact that we are associated mostly with words like emergency, rescue and trauma is because, through a series of unfortunate events, members of the public find themselves in situations where they cannot help themselves. In fact, things have gotten significantly worse. So much so that they require rescue.

But through education, active prevention, personal development and empowering ourselves with the right tools, we are able to change places. To move from a victim to an active player in life.

Don't wait until you need rescuing to change those habits and behaviours in your own life that are leading you down a path of physical disaster. Are you familiar with the basics of nutrition, and do you practise them daily? Do you have a healthy habit of hydration? Are you mobile, flexible and physically resilient? Those are the sorts of questions you should be asking yourself.

I hope you never need to call the emergency services & I also hope that you are never called upon to rescue someone else either. But just in case, maybe ask yourself: Do I operate above the minimum? What standards am I tolerating? How big are my fitness reserves and do I have a surplus of strength because, if it all went wrong, and I had to…….Could I save someone else? And…

…Could YOU save YOU?

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