Essential Job Performance Physical Requirements for Firefighter 1:
Firefighter 1 duties typically include a combination of emergency response, fire suppression, rescue operations, and equipment handling. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1582 provides guidelines for physical and medical fitness standards for firefighters. Firefighter 1 candidates in Wisconsin must meet the following essential physical requirements:
Cardiovascular Endurance:
- Reason: Firefighting is an intensely physical job requiring sustained energy for long periods, especially during emergencies like fires or rescues.
- Requirement: Ability to perform physical tasks continuously for up to 60 minutes, such as climbing stairs, walking or running in full gear, and operating tools in a stressful environment.
Strength and Stamina:
- Reason: Firefighters need to lift and carry heavy equipment, victims, and materials in hazardous situations.
- Requirement: Ability to lift and carry up to 100 pounds (e.g., fire hoses, rescue equipment, patients).
- Requirement: Ability to drag a victim (often requiring pulling a person of significant weight, sometimes up to 150 pounds or more) to safety.
Mobility and Agility:
- Reason: Firefighters often need to move quickly through complex, confined, or dangerous spaces, such as smoke-filled buildings, to reach victims or escape hazards.
- Requirement: Ability to crawl, crouch, and kneel in confined spaces; climb ladders or stairwells with gear; and maintain balance and coordination under physically strenuous conditions.
Muscular Endurance:
- Reason: Firefighting involves prolonged exertion, requiring strength to operate tools and equipment (such as axes, saws, hoses).
- Requirement: Ability to repeatedly lift, carry, and operate firefighting equipment like hoses and fire tools for extended periods of time.
Grip Strength:
- Reason: Firefighters must use tools and equipment like hoses, nozzles, axes, and ropes, which require a firm grip.
- Requirement: Ability to grip heavy or cumbersome tools and equipment, including dragging fire hoses, using hand tools, and managing firefighting equipment under extreme conditions.
Stamina in Extreme Environments:
- Reason: Firefighters often work in hot, smoky, and physically demanding environments where heat and stress can cause exhaustion.
- Requirement: Ability to function for extended periods in high-heat environments wearing heavy personal protective equipment (PPE).
Vision:
- Reason: Firefighters must navigate through smoke-filled or low-visibility environments, identify hazards, and locate victims.
- Requirement: Ability to see well enough to operate in low visibility and high-stress conditions, including the use of night vision equipment if needed.
Hearing:
- Reason: Ability to hear alarms, commands from team members, and warning signals during emergencies.
- Requirement: Sufficient hearing capacity to understand verbal commands and operate effectively in noisy environments.
Essential Job Performance Physical Requirements for Emergency Medical Responders (EMR):Emergency Medical Responders (EMRs) are often the first to arrive on the scene and provide initial medical care, as well as assist in patient transportation. The physical demands for EMRs are less intense than those for full-time firefighters, but they still require the physical capacity to perform their duties in high-pressure situations. Here are the key physical requirements for an EMR:
Cardiovascular Endurance:
- Reason: EMRs must be able to respond quickly to emergencies and provide assistance over extended periods, often in stressful situations.
- Requirement: Ability to sustain moderate physical activity for extended periods, including walking briskly or running to an emergency scene and assisting patients.
Strength and Stamina:
- Reason: EMRs often have to assist in lifting, carrying, and transporting patients, sometimes in challenging conditions.
- Requirement: Ability to lift and carry up to 100 pounds or more, especially when transporting injured or unconscious patients to safety.
- Requirement: Ability to perform chest compressions (CPR), which requires upper body strength and stamina.
Mobility and Agility:
- Reason: EMRs often need to navigate through tight spaces, move quickly between locations, and assist patients in unstable positions.
- Requirement: Ability to squat, kneel, or bend to assess or treat patients, and to move quickly through various terrains (e.g., in buildings, rough outdoor conditions).
Manual Dexterity:
- Reason: EMRs must perform medical procedures such as administering CPR, controlling bleeding, and using medical equipment.
- Requirement: Fine motor skills are required for tasks like inserting an intravenous (IV) line, using medical instruments, or manipulating other medical devices.
Endurance for High-Stress Situations:
- Reason: EMRs often work in life-threatening situations where long hours and critical decision-making are required.
- Requirement: Ability to remain calm, clear-headed, and efficient during emergencies, providing care and making decisions under pressure for sustained periods.
Vision:
- Reason: EMRs must be able to assess injuries and symptoms accurately in varied environments.
- Requirement: Sufficient vision to read medical equipment, observe patients, and navigate emergency scenes effectively.
Hearing:
- Reason: EMRs must be able to listen to patients, family members, or bystanders during emergencies and hear incoming emergency vehicles.
- Requirement: Good hearing to detect patient sounds (e.g., breathing, heartbeats) and to communicate with others in noisy environments.
Emotional and Mental Resilience:
- Reason: EMRs are exposed to high-stress situations, including trauma, death, and injury.
- Requirement: Ability to remain calm, provide care under pressure, and manage emotional responses to stressful situations.