Physiological, Perceptual and Psychological Responses of Career versus Volunteer Firefighters to Live-fire Training Drills.
A primary objective of the present study was to examine the effect of short-term live-fire firefighting activities on key physiological, perceptual and psychological variables and whether occupational status influenced these responses. It was also of interest to examine whether individual difference factors differentiated the occupational status groups and if so, whether such individual difference factors influenced perceptual and psychological responses to firefighting activities. Male firefighters (n = 52 career, n = 53 volunteer firefighters) participated in 18 min of simulated firefighting activity in a training structure that contained live fires. Measures of heart rate (HR) and Tcorewere obtained before and after firefighting activities along with perceptions of thermal sensations, exertion, respiratory distress and affect. Firefighting activities resulted in significant elevations in HR and Tcore, whereas thermal sensations, respiratory distress, exertion and affect all showed significant and sizable changes reflecting greater distress and dysphoria. Occupational status and individual difference factors accounted for some of this negative change. The findings replicate and extend previous work by demonstrating the influence of occupational status and individual difference factors in the psychological responses to firefighting activity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA. petruzze@illinois.edu.|University of Illinois Fire Service Institute, Champaign, IL, USA. petruzze@illinois.edu.
Steven J
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7102-4163
SJ
Petruzzello
Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
Paula Y S
PY
Poh
Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
Tina A
TA
Greenlee
University of Illinois Fire Service Institute, Champaign, IL, USA.
Eric
E
Goldstein
University of Illinois Fire Service Institute, Champaign, IL, USA.
Gavin P
GP
Horn
University of Illinois Fire Service Institute, Champaign, IL, USA.|Department of Health and Exercise Science, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA.
Denise L
DL
Smith
D000328:Adult; D061388:Firefighters / Q000523:psychology*; D005390:Fires; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D016272:Occupational Health; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D014838:Volunteers / Q000523:psychology*
distress; dysphoria; firefighting; heat stress; individual differences; occupational status