Relationship Between Selected Measures of Physical Fitness and Performance of a Simulated Fire Fighting Emergency Task.

Abstract : Two hundred and seventy-nine (males, n=272; females, n=7) career fire fighters between the ages of 19 and 58 volunteered for this study to determine the relationship between selected measures of physical fitness and performance of a standardized, strenuous task simulating fire fighting emergency activities. This task required the fire fighter to enter a military dormitory, proceed to the third floor, crawl 38.5 yds to reach a 170-lb victim, and drag him back to safety (the stairwell); time (min:sec) to completion was the performance criterion. Measures of cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2 max), muscular strength, and body composition were analyzed in an attempt to identify the fitness factors which contributed most to successful task performance. Age and all measures of fitness were found to be significantly correlated with performance. The time required to complete this task vs. VO2 max (n=222) averaged 6:17 and 39.4 ml/kg/min, respectively. The top 25 percent (n=56) and the bottom 25 percent (n=55) performer's times and VO2 max averaged 3:15 and 45.5 ml/kg/min, and 11:42 and 34.1 ml/kg/min, respectively. A regression model was presented which provides a reasonably good prediction of task performance as a function of percent body fat, strength, and VO2 max.