Firefighter Medical Exam Template - Lorain County Fire Chiefs Fire Training Program (Page 2 of 2) in pdf

Essential Functions of Firefighting, Based on NFPA 1582

• Performing fire-fighting tasks (e.g., hoseline operations, extensive crawling, lifting and carrying heavy

objects, ventilating roofs or walls using power or hand tools, forcible entry), rescue operations, and

other emergency response actions under stressful conditions while wearing personal protective

ensembles and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), including working in extremely hot or cold

environments for prolonged time periods

• Wearing a SCBA, which includes a demand valve–type positive-pressure face piece or HEPA filter masks,

which requires the ability to tolerate increased respiratory workloads

• Exposure to toxic fumes, irritants, particulates, biological (infectious) and nonbiological hazards, and/or

heated gases, despite the use of personal protective ensembles and SCBA

• Depending on the local jurisdiction, climbing six or more flights of stairs while wearing fire protective

ensemble weighing at least 50 lb (22.6 kg) or more and carrying equipment/tools weighing an additional

20 to 40 lb (9 to 18 kg)

• Wearing fire protective ensemble that is encapsulating and insulated, which will result in significant

fluid loss that frequently progresses to clinical dehydration and can elevate core temperature to levels

exceeding 102.2°F (39°C)

• Searching, finding, and rescue-dragging or carrying victims ranging from newborns up to adults

weighing over 200 lb (90 kg) to safety despite hazardous conditions and low visibility

• Advancing water-filled hoselines up to 21/2 in. (65 mm) in diameter from fire apparatus to occupancy

[approximately 150 ft (50 m)], which can involve negotiating multiple flights of stairs, ladders, and other

obstacles

• Climbing ladders, operating from heights, walking or crawling in the dark along narrow and uneven

surfaces, and operating in proximity to electrical power lines and/or other hazards

• Unpredictable emergency requirements for prolonged periods of extreme physical exertion without

benefit of warm-up, scheduled rest periods, meals, access to medication(s), or hydration

• Operating fire apparatus or other vehicles in an emergency mode with emergency lights and sirens

• Critical, time-sensitive, complex problem solving during physical exertion in stressful, hazardous

environments, including hot, dark, tightly enclosed spaces, that is further aggravated by fatigue, flashing

lights, sirens, and other distractions

• Ability to communicate (give and comprehend verbal orders) while wearing personal protective

ensembles and SCBA under conditions of high background noise, poor visibility, and drenching from

hoselines and/or fixed protection systems (sprinklers)

• Functioning as an integral component of a team, where sudden incapacitation of a member can result in

mission failure or in risk of injury or death to civilians or other team members

Firefighter Medical Exam Template - Lorain County Fire Chiefs Fire Training Program Page 2