Physical employment standard for Canadian wildland firefighters: examining test–retest reliability and the impact of familiarisation and physical fitness training

Abstract

To assess the impact of repeat performances (familiarisation) plus exercise training on completion time for the Ontario Wildland Firefighter (WFF) Fitness Test circuit (WFX-FIT), normally active general population participants (n = 145) were familiarised to the protocol then randomised into (i) exercise training, (ii) circuit only weekly performances or (iii) controls. At Baseline, the WFX-FIT pass rate for all groups combined was 11% for females and 73% for males, indicating that the Ontario WFX-FIT standard had a possible adverse impact on females. Following test familiarisation, mean circuit completion times improved by 11.9% and 10.2% for females and males, respectively. There were significant improvements in completion time for females (19.8%) and males (16.9%) who trained, plus females (12.2%) and males (9.8%) who performed the circuit only, while control participants were unchanged. Post training, the pass rate of the training group was 80% for females and 100% for males. Practitioner Summary: This paper details the impact of familiarisation plus exercise training as accommodation to mitigate potential adverse impact on initial attack wildland firefighter test performance. The results underscore the importance of test familiarisation opportunities and physical fitness training programmes that are specific to the demands of the job.

The Validity and Reliability of a Treadmill Test for Structural Firefighter Applicants

“…Long experience with actual firefighter applicants suggests that the majority are motivated by the prospect of employment and would have undertaken preparatory training prior to testing. Motivation and preparation are important in most physical challenges including occupational tests where prior improvement of work capacity and pacing can enhance perfor-mance 42 …”

“…Physical preparation and practice should also be considered within the context of accommodation for sub-groups that may be disproportionately impacted by such tests. Individuals who maximize their fitness before attempting physical aptitude tests improve their performances and increase their likelihood of meeting the cut-score 32,42 . Specific training modalities can be recommended based on the particulars of the test.…”

“…Motivation and preparation are important in most physical challenges including occupational tests where prior improvement of work capacity and pacing can enhance perfor-mance. 42 Assessments of physical readiness for work should be considered ''high-stakes testing'' when employment decisions are dependent on the outcome. This is especially true when the participant only has one opportunity for evaluation.…”

“…Individuals who maximize their fitness before attempting physical aptitude tests improve their performances and increase their likelihood of meeting the cutscore. 32,42 Specific training modalities can be recommended based on the particulars of the test. For example, training with load carriage should be recommended as a targeted form of physical preparation for the UA treadmill test because of the significant relative burden of the FPE (26 AE 2.4% of body mass), 43 especially for women for whom targeted load carriage training has improved performance on occupationally relevant tests.…”

Effectiveness of fitness training and psychosocial education intervention programs in wildland firefighting: a cluster randomised control trial

“…Wildland firefighters irrespective of role within crews across Canada are required to complete the Canadian Physical Performance Exchange Standard for Type 1 Wildland Firefighters (abbreviated: WFX-FIT), a four-component timed circuit, within 14 min and 30 s to qualify for national exchange (Tobias 2012;Gumieniak et al 2018aGumieniak et al , 2018b. Following screening, the four components completed in succession are: (1) carry pump on back; (2) hand carry pump; (3) hose pack life and carry on back; and, (4) charged hose advance.…”