June 2025 - Get Fit For Duty Research Newsletter
- Get Fit For Duty
- Jun 25
- 10 min read
Interested in Fire Service related research? We have a monthly research newsletter to keep you updated.
Welcome
Hello & Welcome to the Get Fit For Duty Research Newsletter!
The aim of this newsletter is to provide a monthly update on recent research focused on the health and wellbeing of firefighters. Each month will aim to have a guest researcher, who will give a insight into their current research and the positive impact their work will make to firefighters.
If you are currently undertaking research within the fire service sector, we would love to hear about your project, please email us at info@getfitforduty.co.uk.
Included in the JUNE newsletter,
Scroll down to read the JUNE edition of our newsletter
June Monthly Roundup
Hello,
Thanks to those who subscribed and read the first newsletter, I hope that you found it interesting and a useful insight to some of the work being carried out to support firefighters on their return to work following injury.
We are now into our second issue of the newsletter and I am happy to start sharing the current research being undertaken by individuals working within the fire sector not only in the United Kingdom but internationally too.
This month’s issue we have Warren Hart, from North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, as our guest researcher.
The article of the month evaluates the relationship between specific occupational task performance and measures of physical fitness, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health.
As mentioned previously, to help build this community, I need your help. If you know anyone who would be interested in this newsletter, please share it on your social channels and invite them to join our group on LinkedIn. Simply search for “Get Fit For Duty - Firefighter Health & Wellbeing Group”
Stay healthy,
Dr Liam Noll
Sport & Exercise Science, PhD
June Research Focus - Warren Hart, Exercise Physiologist for North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service.
For June’s issue of the Get Fit For Duty Research Newsletter, I am pleased to introduce Warren Hart from North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service.
Please tell us a bit more about yourself & your background
I am currently the Exercise Physiologist for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (NYFRS) and a PhD student at the University of Lincoln, where I completed both my undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. Upon leaving University, I was lucky enough to be dropped directly into the world of firefighting and physical performance, as an exercise physiologist, where I have been employed in my current role for 8 years.
I support the physical performance and rehabilitation of firefighters within NYFRS. I conduct around 150-200 directly measured aerobic capacity assessments annually. This is for members of staff entering the service, those returning to work from illness, and those who do not achieve the performance standard via estimated means. I support the performance development across a range of physiological variables, using direct and indirect measures of performance.
In addition, I engage with events to promote the health, well-being, and performance of firefighters and applicants. I am also a member of the FireFit Steering Group and the Menopause chair for NYFRS.
Please tell us about your research topic & what makes your passionate about this area of study
The research falls within the realm of tactical athletes and is based on the Fire and Rescue Occupation. After taking the first year to understand the mechanisms and processes, I felt more could be done to understand all firefighters and improve the support around health, wellbeing, and performance.
My first project was part of my master's, which looked at the validity of methods used across the sector to establish aerobic capacity, whilst also exploring novel devices to establish lower limb strength. Additionally, the data also allowed us to look at the potential influence of variables such as lower limb strength on firefighting performance.
Once I had completed my master's, I saw there was a massive gap in the understanding of female firefighters. The more I started to look into the literature, or lack it, increased my drive to increase the knowledge base around this growing population. Females are not only under-researched in the firefighting population, but also research in general, so it is an exciting time to be involved in the research area when new things are been discovered and published weekly.
What methodologies have you used within your research project?
Validity of Submaximal Aerobic Capacity and Strength Tests in Firefighters: We conducted a quantitative study, using direct and estimated measures (measured aerobic capacity using expired-gas analysis during treadmill-based maximal ramp test and Chester step assessment) of aerobic capacity and lower limb strength ‘Squat’, (traditional 1 rep max and flex 1ep max prediction) alongside understanding variables influence on simulation firefighting task performance.
The assessment, maintenance, and development of physical fitness and occupational performance in female firefighters: a scoping review. We systematic scoping review adopting the 5-step framework for scoping review from Arksey and O’Malley 2005, as well as the SPIDER tool to identify and summarise existing peer-reviewed data for female firefighters in the UK. The mean data from these studies were pooled and weighted to give some description of performance.
How do you hope your research can help address current challenges firefighters face in terms of health & wellbeing?
My first paper was to help establish a safe and valid method to measure the aerobic capacity of firefighters. Whilst also highlighting the importance of lower-limb strength on performance.
To increase the understanding of female firefighter performance and highlight the gaps in the literature, and to give some foundations to future research. In turn, I hope the project I have undertaken and am still undertaking will allow me and others to work in various directions to understand the performance of female firefighters in more depth, the impacts of female-specific biology and physiology, and reduce the risk placed on individuals while carrying out operational tasks. tasks. Alongside this, it is hoped that it will improve overall health and wellbeing, both physical and psychological.
What were the findings/results from your research?
Results from Paper one - The Chester Step Test underestimated actual VO2max by 1.4 ml·kg–1·min–1 (~3%), although VO2max values were positively correlated (r = 0.61, P < 0.01) and not significantly different. Estimated VO2max values negatively correlated with FFST performance (r = –0.42). Predicted 1RM underestimated actual 1RM by ~2%, although these values were significantly correlated (r = 0.99, P < 0.001) and did not significantly differ. The strongest predictive model of FFST performance included age, body mass index, and direct maximal measures of 1RM and VO2max.
Submaximal back-squat testing offers good validity in estimating maximum firefighter strength without exposure to the fatigue associated with maximal methods.
The CST provides a reasonably valid and cost-effective VO2max estimate, which translates to firefighting task performance, although the error observed means it should be used cautiously when making operational decisions related to VO2max benchmarks.
The Chester Step Test provides a reasonably valid and cost-effective V˙O2max estimate in firefighters, although the associated error means it should be used cautiously when making operational decisions.
If the Chester Step Test is utilized during firefighter recruitment and/or annual fitness testing, then borderline results (i.e., within ±12.16 ml· kg–1 · min–1 of the operational benchmark for VO2max) should be confirmed on a case-by-case basis via maximal incremental testing and direct gas analysis.
Estimating maximal strength via submaximal protocols and laser-optic device technology is a sufficiently valid, simple, and cost-effective method to be considered as part of the standard approach to fitness profiling across the fire and rescue service.
The sex- and age-specific relevance of operational benchmarks for both maximum aerobic capacity and strength should continue to be critically explored via firefighter-specific research studies, particularly in females.
I’m currently working on a second study. One of the overarching outcomes of this study is the limited research evidence to date relating to these particular aspects of female firefighter physical fitness and physiology. More specifically, only four studies in total were of sufficient relevance and quality to be included in the current review, with each of these reporting on a relatively low number of female firefighters alongside data for male counterparts.
As well as highlighting the general lack of female-only research data relating to firefighter fitness and physiology, this review illustrates that caution should be used when interpreting the gender comparisons and female-specific conclusions of studies to date, which are potentially underpowered by small sample sizes.
Are there any specific interventions or recommendations that have emerged from your research so far?
There should be careful considerations around the validity of the methods used to estimate/predict the aerobic capacity of firefighters. When considering the risk, firefighters are subjected to more direct measures means would. Upper and lower body strength that contributes to firefighting performance, which is not fully explored or even assessed annually, future research should look at exploring this in detail.
The scoping review I have just finished has a range of future recommendations for research directions. The aim is to continue to build on these findings and explore factors affecting task performance and the physiological variables associated. In turn, the aim is to develop support mechanisms to enhance the health and performance of female firefighters.
Where can our readers learn more about your research project?
The first paper can be found on Oxford Academic in the Occupational Medicine journal.
The next paper is currently undergoing the peer review process with the same journal as the last paper.
What are the future directions for your research?
The next stage of the research is to grow the data set and understanding of the task performance of UK-based female firefighters and the range of data with the variables associated with firefighting performance. So, we will be looking at collecting directly measured values of physiological performance, alongside questions around female health (which we are still currently working on). We are also reviewing the scope to explore specific populations within the female population, such as pre-natal and postnatal and menopause.
The focus of these studies is to come up with female-specific support mechanisms and processes to improve overall health and increase the performance of female firefighters to reduce the risk (injury and illness) when performing operational tasks. It is hoped that these findings will support females whilst at work and improve health away from work and into retirement, whilst also reducing the psychological stress that can come from physical demands and biological changes.
How can readers contact you for more information?
My work email is Warren.hart@northyorksfire.gov.uk. Alternatively, I am on 'X’ @WarrenMHart and LinkedIn.
Research article of the month - Evaluation of the relationship between occupational-specific task performance and measures of physical fitness, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health in firefighters.
Jaron Ras, Elpidoforos S. Soteriades, Denise L. Smith, Andre P. Kengne & Lloyd Leach
Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between specific occupational task performance and measures of physical fitness, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health.
Methodology: A cross-sectional design was used, 282 full-time male and female firefighters were recruited. A researcher generated questionnaire and physical measures were used to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics, CVH, MSH and weekly physical activity habits. Physical measures were used to collect data on physical fitness and occupational-specific task performance.
Key Findings:
The results suggested that firefighters with higher cardiovascular fitness, who were more active, who were physically stronger and with a lower body fat percentage had a more favourable cardiovascular health profile. These firefighters had lower musculoskeletal injury risks and were recorded as the best performance on each occupational specific task in this study.
Firefighters with higher heart rate variability recorded a faster performance across all occupational specific tasks. These findings provided a novel understanding on the relationship between cardiovascular autonomic functioning and operational performance in firefighters.
The findings from this study are supported by consistent findings from previous similar studies. Findings have shown that firefighters who were stronger and had a higher cardiovascular fitness level were able to perform operational tasks including stair climb, hose drag and pull, forcible entry, equipment carry, ladder raise and casualty rescue drag tasks significantly quicker when compared with physically weaker firefighters with low cardiovascular fitness levels.
The authors from this study suggest that fire services can enhance the services they offer, lower the risk of civilian casualties, and prevent damage to vital infrastructure by instituting regular physical exercise programs and enforcing a basic fitness standard for all firefighters.
June’s Monthly Question
I am keen to gather the thoughts and opinions from you, the reader of this newsletter. I believe that it is important to share our views here to build a strong an engaging community.
To help with this, I will ask a “question of the month” and it would be great for you to get involved.
June’s Monthly Question - “Is there an area of research that you would like to see developed in the fire sector?”
Thank you to those who reached out and provided their input to this question. I have provided a word cloud image below with the results.
Question of the Month for July - “What provisions should be provided for firefighters to support their health, wellbeing & career longevity?”
You can email me your answers directly via email info@getfitforduty.co.uk, you can DM me on LinkedIn.
If you have a question you would like answered, please reach out and I will feature it in a future newsletter.
Events - Fitness Events / Conferences
Conferences
If you are planning any fire related events and would like to promote them to like-minded researchers, drop us an email and we can include it in our next newsletter.
AFSA Summer Conference - 16th-17th July 2025. Venue: JobServe Community Stadium, Colchester, CO4 5UP. Click here to book your place.
The Emergency Services Show - 17th-18th September. NEC Birmingham. Registration is FREE. Click here to book your place.
Fitness Events
If you are taking part in any upcoming fitness events and are raising money for the firefighters charity, please let us know by emailing info@getfitforduty.co.uk.
ATHX Games
If you’re looking for a functional fitness event, the ATHX Games could be the perfect event for this year. You can enter as either a same sex or mixed sex pair.
You can find out more information about the ATHX Games here
London Summer Walk
On 23rd August 2025 you can take part in the London Summer Walk. You can choose to walk a 50km, 25km or 10km loop depending on your physical ability.
Click here for more details about the London Summer Walk.
Call for participants
Are you looking for participants for your upcoming fire related research project? If you are, send me an email about your project and I would be happy to feature it in an upcoming newsletter to try and help increase participation for your research project.
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