title: Subjective and objective analysis of three water pump systems carried by forest firefighters.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Mark 3 (M3) water power pump is an integral piece of wildfire fighting equipment. However, it is provided to fire stations without a carrying harness. The currently-used carrying harness is very uncomfortable, especially when carrying the pumps considerable distance in a forest to reach a water source.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to advise the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources on the selection of a new M3 load carriage system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty Fire Rangers wore the three systems (Original, Prototype, and Modified) through a circuit of tasks representative of their working environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjective and objective approaches were combined to assess and rank the M3 carriage systems. Subjective visual analogue scale ratings were obtained for ease of loading/unloading, comfort, system stability, and overall performance. Tri-axial accelerometers were mounted on each pump and at the sternum of each participant to determine relative pump-carrier accelerations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, the Prototype was ranked as the best system; it resulted in the lowest relative pump-carrier accelerations on 10 out of 15 objective measures, and also received a first place ranking on all subjective measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was recommended that the Prototype be implemented as the M3 carriage system for fire suppression teams.
authors.affiliation: School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.affiliation: School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Ryan B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.affiliation: School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Joan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.affiliation: School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Patrick A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Costigan
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D000328:Adult; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D004867:Equipment Design; D006804:Ergonomics; D005260:Female; D061388:Firefighters; D005390:Fires / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Load carriage; accelerometry; ergonomics; fire fighting equipment; performance assessment