Contributed by MnFIRE Medical Director Zeke McKinney, MD, MHI, MPH
Firefighters perform several gear and systems checks to make sure everything is ready when the alarm sounds. Regular inspections of engines, hoses, tanks and turnout gear help ensure proper maintenance and peak performance. The same should be true for their own bodies.
Firefighters face several health risks at a greater rate than the general population, including cardiac disease, cancer and emotional trauma. With yearly checkups, you can stay ahead of potential health risks, keeping you stronger while serving and healthier in retirement.
Here are four reasons why every firefighter should get an annual physical:
- Early detection: An annual physical can help detect heath concerns before they become problematic, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. These conditions will not cause symptoms until they are severe. Unchecked, conditions like these can lead to major health issues and be detrimental to your daily life and longevity.
- Heart health matters: Cardiac events are the number one cause of line-of-duty deaths among firefighters. Extreme heat, heavy gear and intense exertion on the fire ground put a severe strain on your cardiovascular system. By receiving regular checkups and monitoring your cardiovascular system, you can reduce your chances of cardiac events.
- Establish a baseline: It’s well documented that there are several carcinogens firefighters face, including smoke, diesel exhaust and chemical residue. While proper PPE practices are helpful, the ongoing exposure is concerning, and only compounds with your time in the fire service. Having a yearly checkup can give your healthcare team a good baseline to watch for any changes or health trends over the years.
- Improve your performance: There are several challenges firefighters face that can reduce not just your performance on a call, but also your general quality of life. Sleep disruption, irregular and unhealthy eating habits, dehydration patterns and the stress load are common in the fire service. Talking to your doctor about healthier choices or habits in some of these areas can improve your stamina, focus, and recovery time between calls.
Bottom line: Getting an annual physical is good preventive maintenance. A one-hour check once a year from a physician who can diagnose and monitor conditions that can be more common in firefighters and can add years to your ability to serve – and your life.
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This checklist can help health care providers in a firefighter’s annual evaluation, treatment and ongoing health and wellness monitoring. The recommendations in this document are supported by ongoing clinical research of firefighters’ health and by the extensive experience and expertise of the providers caring for them.
Additionally, The National Firefighter Registry for Cancer (NFR) is working to collect data to help better understand health trends and reduce the risk of cancer among U.S. firefighters. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is recruiting firefighters to join the NFR so that we can better understand the link between firefighting and cancer. The registry is open to all U.S. firefighters with or without cancer, no matter your length of service, and it only takes five minutes to get started.
