Firefighter Pre-Admission Fitness Evaluation Applicant Booklet

Get Active Questionnaire

Rate your physical readiness for training.

• Why complete the Get Active Questionnaire?
  Training to become a firefighter generally implies that your level of physical fitness will increase, and it will have a direct impact on your general health.  
  
  Physical activity improves your physical and mental health. Even small amounts of physical activity are good, and more is better.
  
  For almost everyone, the benefits of physical activity far outweigh any risks. For some individuals, specific advice from a Qualified Exercise Professional (QEP – has post-secondary education in exercise sciences and an advanced certification in the area) or health care provider is advisable.
  
  The Get Active Questionnaire is intended for all ages – to help move you along the path to becoming more physically active. 
  
  Complete the Get Active Questionnaire, found below. Read carefully and answer the questions to the best your knowledge. The Get Active Questionnaire will advise if you should consult your physician before you start.
• Answer the following questions
  The following questions will help to ensure that you have a safe physical activity experience. Please answer YES or NO to each question before you become more physically active. If you are unsure about any question, answer YES.
  
  1. Have you experienced ANY of the following (a to f) within the past six months?
       a. A diagnosis of/treatment for heart disease or stroke, or pain/discomfort/pressure in your chest during activities of daily living or during physical activity?
       b. A diagnosis of/treatment for high blood pressure (BP), or a resting BP of 160/90 mmHg or higher?
       c. Dizziness or lightheadedness during physical activity?
       d. Shortness of breath at rest?
       e. Loss of consciousness/fainting for any reason?
       f. Concussion?
  
  2. Do you currently have pain or swelling in any part of your body (such as from an injury, acute flare-up of arthritis, or back pain) that affects your ability to be physically active?
  
  3. Has a health care provider told you that you should avoid or modify certain types of physical activity?
  
  4. Do you have any other medical or physical condition (such as diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, asthma, spinal cord injury) that may affect your ability to be physically active?
• If you answered YES to one or more questions

  Use the Get Active Questionnaire – Reference Document.  This document will advise on what to do if you answered YES to any question.  By using the Reference Document, you may either feel comfortable with becoming more physically active on your own, without consulting a health care provider or qualified exercise professional, or you may become more physically active following a consultation with a health care provider or qualified exercise professional. 

• If you answered NO to all questions
  1. Assess your current physical activity.
  
  a. During a typical week, on how many days do you do moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity (such as brisk walking, cycling or jogging)?
  b. On days that you do at least moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity (e.g., brisk walking), for how many minutes do you do this activity?
  c. For adults, multiply your average number of days/week by the average number of minutes/day (i.e., multiply a by b).
  
  Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommend that adults accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous- intensity physical activity per week.
  
  If you want to do vigorous-intensity physical activity (i.e., physical activity at an intensity that makes it hard to carry on a conversation), and you do not meet minimum physical activity recommendations noted above, consult a Qualified Exercise Professional beforehand. This can help ensure that your physical activity is safe and suitable for your circumstances.
  
  2. Then you can: 

  • increase your physical activity gradually so that you have a positive experience;
  • build physical activities that you enjoy into your day;
  • reduce your sedentary behavior;
  • delay becoming more active if you are not feeling well because of a temporary illness; and
  • complete the Get Active Questionnaire if your health changes.
• Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy

  Physical activity during pregnancy has many health benefits and is generally not risky for you and your baby. But for some conditions, physical activity is not recommended. The Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy is to help decide whether you should speak to your Obstetric Health Care Provider (e.g., your physician or midwife) before you begin or continue to be physically active.

Applicant Booklet

• Body Mass Index

  How to use your body mass index and your waist circumference as references
  
  The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple calculation using a person’s height and weight used as an indicator of obesity, overweight, healthy weight, and underweight.  It is important to keep in mind that although the BMI is useful for creating guidelines for healthy adults (ages 18 and older), it does not apply to everyone. As BMI does not take into account if the weight carried is muscle mass or fat mass it can cause the results to be inaccurate. Therefore, BMI is not recommended for use as the sole measurement of body composition and should be used in conjunction with the waist circumference (WC) measurement.

  How to determine your BMI

  Body Mass Index considers your weight in relation to your height to fit you in four (4) categories:

  • Underweight;
  • Normal weight;
  • Overweight;
  • Obese.

  Enter your information in the following formula to calculate your BMI:
  BMI = (weight (kg)/height (m)²)
   
  Health Risk Classification According to Body Mass Index (BMI)

  Classification	BMI Category (kg/m2)	Risk of developing health problems
  Underweight	< 18.5	Increased
  Normal Weight	18.5 - 24.9	Least
  Overweight	25.0 - 29.9	Increased
  Obese class I	30.0 - 34.9	High
  Obese class II	35.0 - 39.9	Very high
  Obese class III	>= 40.0	Extremely high

• Waist Circumference
  How to determine your waist circumference
  
  Measuring WC may be one of the easiest and most accurate ways to tell whether the excess weight carried constitutes a health risk, such as cardiovascular disease.
  
  Research shows that overweight people who carry excess weight around the waist are at greater risk of heart disease and stroke than those who carry it on their hips, thighs and buttocks.
  
  Follow the steps below and in Figure 2 to measure your WC:

  • Take your measurement standing upright;Inhale and exhale, letting out all the air in your lungs. Breathe normally;
  • Inhale and exhale, letting out all the air in your lungs. Breathe normally;
  • With your hands, find the top of your hipbones (the iliac crest) on both sides;
  • Place the tape around your waist, at the top of your hipbones (the iliac crest). Hold the tape firmly but do not press the tape into the skin;
  • Make sure the tape is parallel to the floor as holding the tape at an odd angle can result in a misreading;
  • Take the reading.

  ^{Figure 2; Waist circumference measurement}
  A waist circumference of 102 cm (40 inches) or greater for men, and 88 cm (35 inches) or greater for women increases your health risks.
   
  Now that you have determined both your BMI and your waist circumference, determine under which Health Risk category you currently are, see Figure 3.
  
  ^{Figure 3; Health Risk Categories}
  Source: James D. Douketis, Gilles Paradis, Heather Keller and Chantal Martineau Canadian guidelines for body weight classification in adults: application in clinical practice to screen for overweight and obesity and to assess disease risk, CMAJ • April 12, 2005
   
  If you are currently situated in the increased risk and higher categories, it is a possibility that meeting the fitness standards and completing various demanding task can be a more difficult challenge. Carrying extra weight can lead to exercise induced heat stress, a loss in balance, back and knee pain. If you are aiming for a fat loss program, you should start with a change in your diet and regular physical activity. You should consult and seek help from a qualified physical fitness trainer.
  
  If you have any concerns about your Health Risk category or the accuracy of your score, talk to your physician, a registered dietitian or a qualified physical fitness trainer to determine if there are any concerns about your safe participation in the Firefighter Pre-Entry Fitness Evaluation.
• Nutrition

  HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR NUTRITION

  Performance nutrition starts with healthy eating and adequate hydration. Consult with your physician, a registered dietitian or a qualified physical fitness trainer for more information. You can visit the www.hc-sc.gc.ca for a copy of the Canadian Food Guide, which can provide good suggestions.
• Getting Started

  HOW TO GET STARTED WITH YOUR TRAINING PROGRAM

  A good training program is effective, safe and enjoyable, just be sure to:

  • Wear comfortable clothing that doesn’t restrict your movement;
  • Wear good quality running shoes that provide good support and traction;
  • Start at a level that is right for you now and progress gradually from there;
  • Use proper nutrition as a key element in your training program; 
  • Remain well hydrated by drinking water and electrolytes;
  • Ensure that you plan enough rest and recovery days (days without any training as well as light exercise such as yoga or walking), this will help preventing overtraining and/or injuries. 
• Expectations

  WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A TRAINING PROGRAM?

  As an aspiring firefighter, it is essential that you develop overall body strength. As a firefighter you will be expected to wear the firefighting personal protective equipment (PPE) that weighs approximately 50 lb (22 kg). You will need to have the strength to walk around wearing this extra weight for an undetermined period of time. It is important to choose cardiovascular and strength exercises wisely in order to be as efficient as possible in your day-to-day tasks, but also to accomplish the tasks required as a firefighter.
  
  Prioritize functional movement, which are describe as squatting, lunging, sprinting, climbing, pushing and pulling. These movements involve bigger muscle mass like your legs, your back and your chest all at the same time while using other smaller muscle group.
  
   For better training effect, it is expected that you always train using the repetition maximum (RM) principle. RM is defined by the most weight you can lift for one repetition. Therefore, you need to adjust the weight in order to be able to complete the number of repetitions asked but you could not do more repetitions in one set.  (ie. 6RM: you can only lift 100 lbs 6 times but not 7 or 8).
• Warm-up

  THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD WARM-UP

  Every training should start with a good warm-up. Warm-ups serve multiple purposes such as:

  • Increasing your heart rate;
  • Increasing your body temperature;
  • Increasing blood flow into your muscles;
  • Reducing risks of injuries.

  A good warm-up should be composed of 9-15 minutes of light aerobic activity, while slowly increasing the intensity to the training intensity level.

  1. Low intensity aerobic activity; 3 to 5 minutes:
     • Jogging, biking, rowing etc.
  2. Dynamic exercises; 3 to 5 minutes:
     • Dynamic movements
       • High knees, kick to butt, crisscross etc.
  3. Specific movements; 3-5 minutes
     • Movement that are related to the training you are about to perform
       • Squats with smaller weights, push-up for strength exercises, acceleration for running etc.
• Cool-down

  THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD COOL-DOWN

  Every workout should end with a proper cool-down. Cool-downs serve multiple purposes such as:

  • Reduces your heart rate, allowing your body to return to pre-workout state;
  • Reduces your body temperature, allowing good blood circulation which prevents dizziness, possible fainting;
  • Helps remove waste product from your muscles.

  To perform an appropriate cool-down, it should include at least 5-10 minutes of easy aerobic activity such as light jog, easy biking or walking. The more intense the training session the longer the cool-down should be.
• Sample training program
  It is important to note that the sample program (Annex B) is a generic program designed to prepare healthy applicants for the Firefighter Pre-Entry Fitness Evaluation. Based on your starting physical fitness level, you should pick the level that is more appropriate for you.
  
  The sample programs are created under the assumption that you are healthy, you have never been injured, and you have been previously involved in a physical training program. However, if you have doubts, you are unsure where to start, or how to perform an exercise, it is strongly recommended to consult a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT). A CPT will create a program that is specific to your needs and will take into consideration your starting fitness level as well as any previous injuries. They will also advise and guide you on proper training techniques.
  
  You should always listen to your body, as it will find ways to tell you to stop. If you feel too tired to exercise, you probably are. If you are in pain and you are pretty sure it is not normal muscle soreness, make sure you consult a Physician or a Physiotherapist. Don’t continue training if you are experiencing pain, the recovery time might become longer if you continue to exercise and you at an increased risk of injury.