Bushfire CRC Poster

Professional fire fighters have above average fitness levels and perform highly strenuous work. In Australia, professional fire fighters are outnumbered by volunteers 22 to 13 and yet little is known about the fitness levels of volunteer fire fighters or the energy demands of their work, specifically in wildfire suppression. As such, it is difficult to determine whether volunteer brigade members are sufficiently fit to safely perform their required tasks on the fire ground. If task demands do exceed an individual’s capabilities, subsequent over exertion can have critical cardiac consequences. The risk of heart attack through over exertion also increases with age, due to declines in cardiovascular fitness. The mean age of volunteer fire fighters in Victoria is steadily increasing with the majority of members now over 45 years old6. As an older, and potentially, less fit fire fighting force, volunteers may face an increased cardiovascular risk during wildfire suppression. The relative stress incurred by Australian volunteer fire fighters during wildfire suppression cannot, however, be quantified without evaluating the physical demands of their work.