It is important to note that the working group at the fire department is comprised of firefighters who regularly work in highly hazardous and dangerous conditions. The threats to health and safety range from fire, heat, stress, and exhaustion to physical trauma. Although these immediate threats are part of the job and dealt with rather effective strategies, such as equipment and training, most of them will likely die from heart infractions. Poor nutrition and obesity are the primary contributors to low cardiovascular health, which puts firefighters’ lives at a bigger risk than the occupational hazards mentioned before.
Firstly, the greatest threat to the safety and health of personnel in the fire department is heart disease and infraction. It is stated that “in fact, half of all in-the-line-of-duty deaths among firefighters are caused by myocardial infarctions” (Kuehn, 2021, p. 575). It is easy to jump to conclusions to blame the root cause on occupational hazards, such as fine particulate matter and carbon monoxide, but well-known traditional risk factors should not be overlooked.
In the general population, the most significant contributors to health diseases include physical inactivity, chronic stress, poor nutrition, and obesity. The first element can be dismissed since firefighters undergo physical training on a regular basis. However, a study found that “about 75% of firefighters are overweight … about 40% of firefighters are obese” due to unhealthy food environment at fire stations, unhealthy snacking, and unaffordable healthy food (Joyce et al., 2021, p. 1). The report suggests that “firefighters are interested in learning about healthy eating but do not feel that healthy habits are being addressed by their employer” (Joyce et al., 2021, p. 1). Thus, most of the working group firefighters are likely to die from heart infractions caused by poor nutrition rather than fire or other occupational hazards.
Secondly, in order to improve safety and health and reduce this threat to personnel at the working group level in the fire department, two steps need to be taken. It is critical to create a healthy food environment and give access to healthy food choices (Kuehn, 2021). An excessive amount of emphasis was put on occupational hazards, where traditional risk factors have been overlooked. Although it is difficult to draw a conclusive line between the two categories of factors, the nutrition and obesity parts need to be addressed (Zimmerman, 2019). It is important for employers to restructure fire stations to have healthy nutrition access since firefighters both do not know and cannot afford healthy food on their own (Joyce et al., 2021). It might be valuable to make deals with healthy meal delivery services or have a stationed cook to reduce snacking and control food quality. Thirdly, the professional development opportunities to improve safety and health and reduce this threat include nutrition training and education. A member of the working group cannot develop and grow professionally if his or her health is undermined by a collection of occupation and traditional risk factors.
In conclusion, poor nutrition and obesity are the main causes of poor cardiovascular health, putting firefighters’ lives at a bigger risk than occupational hazards, such as fire and smoke. A majority of the working group employees are likely to die from heart infractions caused by poor nutrition rather than fire or other occupational hazards. Thus, in order to improve safety and health, it is vital to create a healthy food environment and give access to healthy food choices. For the working group, professional development and health cannot be separated from one another.
References
Joyce, J., Strait, K., Hildebrand, D., & Dawes, J. (2021). Nutrition and heart health in the fire service [PDF document]. Web.
Kuehn, B. M. (2021). Studies detail heart risks for firefighters. Circulation, 144(7), 575-576. Web.
Zimmerman, D. (2019). Fire fighter safety and survival (3rd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.