Fighting fires takes a toll on the body. Indeed, according to an article in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, “the strenuous physical activity, emotional stress, and environmental pollutants encountered while fighting a fire place considerable strain on the cardiovascular system, and each of these exposures can … increase the risk of cardiovascular disease events among susceptible individuals,” for example, those who are obese or have known coronary disease.
And yet, while career firefighters undergo rigorous physical screenings before joining a department, yearly maintenance physicals are not mandatory. And it’s even worse for volunteer firefighters, who comprise nearly 70 percent of firefighters in this country. There are no requirements at all. And yet on-duty sudden cardiac death is the number one cause of death for this population. “Smoke inhalation accelerates heart disease,” said Jana Goldberg, MD, a sports and exercise cardiologist. “The heart rate jumps up — it’s a stressful environment both physically and mentally."
Goldberg is trying to change that scenario. She is partnering with The First Twenty, a nonprofit dedicated to decreasing the “Line of Duty” deaths due to heart attack. (The name stems from a common expression among firefighters meaning that the first twenty minutes of a fire are the most crucial.) The First Twenty focuses on improving mental and physical health, delivering programming through a mobile app, community specific emails, blogs and workshops. While the organization’s focus was originally on firefighters only, the outreach has expanded to include police and veterans.
Their workshops introduce both career and volunteer service members to The First Twenty program with both physical and mental health coaching. Goldberg noted that one is coming up in February, with former Philadelphia Eagle Brian Dawkins as keynote speaker. “We will include a heart screening questionnaire, blood pressures, body impedance testing, and possibly ECGs to identify high-risk individuals and also talk with them about measures to prevent cardiovascular events.”
In addition to Goldberg’s individual efforts, she’d like to bring a workshop onsite at Penn, as part of a partnership with The First Twenty. “Penn could serve as an ideal partner to give back to our community,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to make a significant impact on the health of an underserved, high-risk group who has dedicated their lives to service.”