Author(s): JOFFROY, S., PUTINO, Y., GARNIER, S., BOUSQUET, B., Institution: UNIVERSITÉ PAUL SABATIER, Country: FRANCE, Abstract-ID: 1150

Introduction: In France, the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (SDIS) is a public administrative institution with a deliberative Professional firefighters who are civil servants employed by local authorities. The majority of firefighters are not “professionals”; they already have a primary occupation and are referred to as volunteer firefighters for example assembly responsible for managing firefighters at the level of the various departments (Representing 80% of the national territory). Each one of them must undergo medical monitoring to determine their fitness to handle the constraints and risks to which they will be exposed to. Physical fitness is important for all firefighters, but they do not train like athletes (Gouffier, 2016). A specific approach to mental and physical training enables them to respond to unexpected events.
Methods: In this study, a questionnaire on the nature and types of physical activities practiced by firefighters was proposed in three fire stations, composed of volunteer firefighters and professional firefighters. The number of respondents to this questionnaire was 90. The objective was to identify the difficulties and potential needs of firefighters in order to implement training sessions that are better adapted to operational conditions.
Results : Fifty-five percent of the respondents consider themselves to be fit, and 35% consider themselves to be in good health. For the former, this corresponds to engaging in physical activity for at least 30 minutes per day; for the latter, it means being able to perform all professional duties without medical treatment. However, when the notion of exertion is specified, the responses differ: 46.6% of firefighters aim to give their maximum effort, whereas 53.4% report managing their effort during training sessions. The same applies during operations: firefighters take care to protect their health and safety. Individual athletic level is assessed differently. Only 6% consider themselves “very athletic” (high-intensity training), 46% see themselves as “athletic,” and 44% describe themselves as “average athletes,” (Lower frequency and level of practice) given that an “athlete” is defined as someone who practices sports regularly (30 minutes three times per week).
Discussion: These results have shown that the profession of firefighter, which requires significant psychological capacities, is subject to specific work demands depending on the missions and the risks involved, also placing strain on their physical abilities (Vaulerin and al., 2016). It therefore appears essential to improve the practice of physical activities during training sessions at the fire station in order to better preserve their mental and physical safety. Potential Optimization Techniques (TOP), used in the military, could be applied to the firefighting profession (Rocco and al., 2015).
Conclusion: The prevention of firefighters must remain a priority in order to ensure the operational readiness of personne