Historical records of firefighter fatalities indicate that heart attacks have been a major contributor to the medical fatalities experienced by wildland firefighters. In recent years, three individuals have died while training for or taking a work capacity test designed to select firefighters. This paper outlines the cardiovascular risks associated with wildland firefighting, compares the risks of work capacity testing with those of firefighting, and considers ways to reduce the risks, including health screening, medical examinations, and reconsideration of the Incident Command System positions requiring the arduous level work capacity test.
File Type:
htm
Categories:
Cardiac
