Heart attack major cause of death for firefighters

Fire Departments Are Using Federal Money To Make Firefighters Healthier

FireFightingNews

January 17, 2007

New Jersey –  Firefighters combat one of nature\’s basic elements, but their hearts – not fires – are to blame for many of their deaths on the job. So some fire departments are using federal money to expand programs aimed at getting firefighters healthier. In the northern New Jersey town of Cranford, Fire Chief Leonard Dolan III has ordered his career firefighters to get medical tests and health advice. He\’s using the federal money to pay for it.

\”Sudden heart attack is a major cause of death in our business. And to be physically fit so you can go from a resting state to a great deal of physical activity means you need to be in shape,\” Dolan said.

Last year, 115 firefighters across the country died on the job – 55 from heart attacks, according to a U.S. Fire Administration report.

Part of the problem is attributed to the nature of the job: Firefighters spend a lot of down time in firehouses, and their adrenaline skyrockets when the alarms sound and they race off to an emergency.