Closing Out 2015

I’ve become a fan of TED talks, short presentations on Technology, Entertainment and Design from cutting edge scientists, deep thinkers and social pioneers.

What keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life? If you think it's fame and money, you're not alone – but, according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, you're mistaken. As the director of 75-year-old study on adult development, Waldinger has unprecedented access to data on true happiness and satisfaction. In this talk, he shares three important lessons learned from the study as well as some practical, old-as-the-hills wisdom on how to build a fulfilling, long life.

Here’s the link to his TED Talk presentation. My hope is that at this season of the year, you’ll relish the relationships that you’ve established and bask in the love of close friends and family.

http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good_life_lessons_from_the_longest_study_on_happiness?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=image__2015-12-23

The Tale of the Tape

It’s a lot of fun to go analytic when it comes to sport. Baseball is probably the best example. Students of the game pour over the numbers- the value of which has never been better described than in the movie Money Ball. 

In our own inimitable way, we’ve become more sophisticated in examining the underpinnings and constructs of how we can go faster. The operant word here is power. Sure, you need a modicum of strength, but it’s the application of strength, expressed per unit of time (watts) that explains performance on the Firefighter Combat Challenge course.

So, the question is, “Where are there opportunities to shave off seconds and fractions of seconds in order to go faster?” The 2-minute barrier, long a benchmark is now almost passé. Meaning no disrespect to anyone who goes sub-2, but like everything else in sport- faster, higher, stronger drives the equation.

We were curious to know how the data looked if we put it into an Excel spread sheet and then plotted the time line, dissecting the splits and comparing the World Records for three individuals and one Relay.

In the Daniel Pace created chart below, Bob Russell’s 2001 historic run on Mudd Island in Memphis is displayed longitudinally in a color bar graph, along with the segment times of the total run. Then, Ryan Fitzgerald’s and Justin Couperus’s races are similarly formatted for comparison and Montgomery Team Blue’s WR on the bottom.

You can draw your own conclusions, but look at the splits for a relay. Clearly, an individual is fighting a downstream fatigue effect. Having an ability to maintain terminal velocity for the dummy drag is hugely important. The big blocks of time are those activities were the greatest improvements are possible; e.g.: the run to the far end of the course and the hose advance.

From 2001 to the present, the time on the Keiser represents the smallest segment of the five events. Clearly, there’s been a lot of discussion about the Forcible Entry simulation. But, it’s far disproportionate compared to where real time savings exist.

The level of conditioning of today’s Challenge Athletes is way beyond that of those in the past- even ten years ago. The Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge is still one of the toughest competitons out there.  But, to your credit, a lot of you guys make it look easy.  “It ain’t no joke.”

A four-way comparison of World Record Runs on the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge 

How the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge Changed my Life

by Jackie Palmer
Posted by The First Twenty on November 16, 2015 at 10:30am

We all have that defining moment, the event that changed us. The moment that changed our lives, changed our paths, changed the way we view the world. Some people have more than one. And for some of us, we find something that continues to change and shape our lives. For me, that discovery was the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge.

I grew up as an athlete, started lifting weights at 14, played multiple sports in high school and Division I basketball. Even after my college, I continued to stay in shape. I loved training and working out, it was kind of my zen. Anything that was bothering me seemed to be not as bad after a good workout. Not only that, I have a family history of health issues that I want to avoid.



Ten years ago, I discovered the fire service and decided I wanted to be a firefighter. One year later, when I was 28, I was hired by Las Vegas Fire and Rescue. After I finished my academy and probation, the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge World Finals were being held in Las Vegas. An email went out, that volunteers were needed to put together a relay team. Of course, I jumped at the chance to do anything competitive. I was then introduced to the most miserable fun I would ever have.

I have competed ever since, taking one season off for paramedic school. I started the first few years with tandems (2 people splitting the course) and relays (3-5 people). Finally, four years ago, made the agonizing leap to compete as an individual. The first two years, I improved my time and standings, but was always average, nothing ever really notable.

Over the years, I have met some of the most amazing people. In fact, my best friends I met from competing. Where else can you see the true firefighter spirit? You have firefighters who are dedicated to training, being better than they were the day before. Men and women from all over the world, who have a huge competitive drive, yet are willing to loan another competitor their own gear. Athletes who are sharing training methods and technique tips with others who they will be racing against. It’s definitely not your average competition.

In 2013, I had my defining moment. During the awards ceremony at Worlds, my friends had done very well in all the categories. I would hold the medals and plaques while they would go to the stage to receive the next ones. It became the joke that I was there just to hold their medals. It was then I realized I was the one holding myself back. I hadn’t done enough. If I wanted a medal, I needed to do more. I needed to change everything, and I was starting the next day.

A teammate put me in contact with a nutritionist, so I changed the way I ate. I had been aware of my eating habits, but never really dedicated to eating healthy. I was now eating the way I needed to, balancing everything, not just making sure I ate some meat and only half a donut. My crew was on board with eating healthy as well, so it made it much easier at work.



I changed my training. How could I expect to get better if I wasn’t willing to push to improve. A firefighter from Washington, Georgia Daniels, gave me the best training advice. She said, “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” So I did. I trained harder than I ever had before, pushed myself beyond what I thought was physically possible for me. And a crazy thing happened; I got better on the fire ground.

I became a better firefighter.

How many of us have pushed our physical limits to the point of not being able to stand? How many of us know where that point is? When you are beyond physically exhausted, can you still push as hard as you can? When your low air alarm goes off, how long do you have while still working at max? Or your alarm stops going off, now how much air do you have? Can you still make yourself work to drag your partner out? Do you still have the strength to do it?

Since almost all my training is done with my SCBA and mask on, I got to learn all of these by accident. I became stronger and more effective pulling lines. I became comfortable wearing my airpack, no longer feeling like I was restricted in my movements. I could manage my air much better while inside an IDLH environment. Most importantly I learned, if necessary, I had a lot more I could give if I needed to get my partner out.



That year of dedication paid off. At the end of 2014, I had made huge improvements and finished with a 2nd place overall, and a new world record in the relay. However, I felt I could do more. So again, I looked at what I was doing and started making necessary changes the next day.

I wanted to know the absolute limit I could take my body. I learned a lot about myself. Working on the busiest engine and rescue in the city of Las Vegas, doesn’t allow for a lot of working out on duty, or sleep. So trying to train while sleep deprived doesn’t work. Sometimes, I just had to admit I was not physically able to workout, and sleep was the only thing I should do. Knowing when to tap out and take a nap is a hard lesson to learn when you are used to pushing yourself.

However, on those days where working out was possible, my crew was there to help. My partner, the unwilling victim of my training, was pushing me to go harder. They made sure I never gave, in their words “a second place effort.” Always finding ways to motivate and push me to go harder. Even if it meant they had to run with me to make sure I didn’t slow down. My guys would even cook extra healthy when it got closer to race days. Having that kind of support made me want to represent my department and especially my station, even more.

After another year of hard work, in 2015, I finished with a 1st place individual, the fastest female in 9 years. My relay team, due to all their hard work and dedication as well, finished first, and a new world record.

Of course I am not done yet. I can do more. I can be faster. I can be a better firefighter.

This article was written by guest contributor Firefighter/Paramedic Jacqueline Palmer of Las Vegas Fire and Rescue Station 10. She is Firefighter Combat Challenge Athlete for Team 4th Alarm who "believe in the 4 F's of life: Fire, Family, Fitness and Faith. They encourage our brothers and sisters to work hard, train hard, and play hard."

New strategies could mean big advances in staying young

From Time Magazine by Jeffery Kluger Dec 3, 2015

It's not this hard: New studies show better way to turn back the clock

For humans, death in old age has always been life’s great punchline. It takes 70 or 80 years to get really good at the whole business of being alive, and no sooner does that happen than mortality begins looking your way, tapping its watch and discreetly reminding you that there’s a line waiting for your table.

It’s the job of aging—and the multiple diseases that accompany it—to make sure we eventually get out of the way, an unhappy fact humans have been battling practically as long as we’ve been around. But some experts argue that aggressively treating the age-related diseases—heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia—instead of aging itself has been a mistake.

A collection of studies just published in Science aims to explore some promising new strategies for getting down into the machinery of the cells themselves to stop or at least slow the aging process. “Age is the greatest risk factor for nearly every major cause of mortality in developed nations,” wrote Matt Kaeberlein, University of Washington professor of pathology, and his colleagues in an introduction to the studies. “Despite this, most biological research focuses on individual disease processes, without much consideration for the relationship between aging and disease.”

The effort to change this is a war being fought on multiple fronts. Here are the places science is making some of the greatest advances.

Gut microbes: Whether you like it or not, your body is home to many trillions of bacteria that are essential to digestion and other bodily processes. In the aged, however, the makeup of that population changes, with higher concentrations of a bacterial species known as bacteroides, which which are harmless and helpful as long as they remain in the gut, but can cause infections and other problems when they infiltrate other tissues. Overall, researchers have found, the changing makeup of the microbiome can have an impact on immunity, cognitive function and maintenance of muscle tissue—all of which decline in older people.

The problem is exacerbated by antibiotics, which tend to be prescribed at higher rates as people age, and generally kill good bacteria as well as bad. Studies have shown that long-term stays at assisted living facilities or nursing homes are associated with both increased frailty and further deterioration of the microbiome—though it’s not certain whether this is a matter of causation or mere association. Either way, the microbiome is one of the easier parts of the human system to manipulate. It’s too much to say that we can eat our way to immortality, but better health and, perhaps, more years are hardly out of the question.

Telomeres: Telomeres are cuff-like structures at the ends of chromosomes that grow shorter over the course of a lifetime, leaving the body susceptible to a range of age-related breakdowns. According to Nobel Laureate Elizabeth Blackburn of the University of California, who wrote one of the papers in the Science release, the rate at which any one person’s telomeres burn down is from 30% to 80% determined by genetics, with the rest most heavily influenced by external variables such as diet, environmental toxins, exercise and stress.

The low-hanging fruit here are lifestyle variables: improving diet, increasing exercise, doing what you can to reduce stress and limit exposure to environmental toxins. No matter the reason for telomere shortening, boosting the levels of the body’s own telomere-building enzyme, known as telomerase, may help. That can be done, but it’s risky. According to Blackburn, who is one of the discoverers of telomerase, “in 80 to 90% of fully malignant human tumors, cancer cell telomerase is up-regulated compared to normal tissue counterparts.”

Still, the enzyme remains one of the great hopes of anti-aging scientists, provided the dangers can be controlled. That’s no easy feat, which is why a hope—but a promising one—is what telomerase will remain for now.

Stem cells: The body’s best little construction workers are stem cells, the versatile progenitor cells that have the power to rebuild organs and other systems by becoming whatever kind of specialty tissue they need to be. No surprise, stem cell production and performance decline as we age—and organ decline follows. Environmental factors such as toxins and poor diet can further damage stem cells, as can sun exposure, in the case of the skin. Two approaches can help reverse, or at least slow, the aging and death of stem cells. In numerous experiments, stem cells from an older organism injected into a younger one have been shown to revert to a more youthful state, and the reverse is true for young cells place in an aged body. Introducing plasma or other blood factors from younger people into older ones may work a similar rejuvenation. Simpler interventions may also help: if a person with a poor diet and little exercise or a high stress level is exhibiting stem cell decline too early in life, reducing the stressors and otherwise changing the lifestyle may reduce the problem too.

Mitochondrial breakdown: There’s a little tiny engine room deep inside your cells that is responsible for metabolizing energy and keeping the cell alive. It’s the mitochondria, and it’s so important it’s thought of as its own tiny organ. It even has its own DNA profile. But the engine starts to falter as we age, and that has an impact across the entire power grid that is the body. The good news is, researchers have definitely determined that yes, this plays a direct role in aging. The bad news is that reversing the process doesn’t seem to reverse aging—at least not by itself.

The breakdown in the mitochondria has to do with how key proteins—which are densely packed inside the organelle—unfold as they go about their work. This process is less efficient in older organisms. Investigators working with roundworms have figured out ways to intervene in this process and improve the unfolding, but that hasn’t had an impact on the apparent age of the animal. Still, the authors of the Science paper have concluded that while mitochondrial health does not, on its own, determine aging, it all but surely plays an important role. Determining that role—and making the most of it—is where anti-aging therapy might lie.

Belly fat may be worse than obesity for survival

BY LISA RAPAPORT

(Reuters Health) - People with a “normal” weight but extra pounds around the middle may have lower long-term survival odds than individuals who are obese, a U.S. study suggests.

What’s considered a normal weight for adults is often based on a measurement known as body mass index (BMI), which assesses weight relative to height. For the current study, researchers focused on people’s waist-to-hip ratio, which measures whether they’re storing excess fat around the middle.

They found that men with a normal BMI but central obesity, the clinical term for belly fat, had twice the mortality risk of men who were overweight or obese according to BMI.

Normal weight women with belly fat, meanwhile, had a 32 percent higher mortality risk than obese women without excess pounds around the middle.

“Waist size matters, particularly in people who are a normal weight,” said senior study author Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

“The lack of recognition of this leads people with abnormal distribution of fat to have a false sense of safety or reassurance that they don’t need to exercise or they can eat whatever they want because they are “skinny” when in reality, if a person has a normal BMI and an abnormal waist size the risk is worse than if they have a high BMI.”

To understand the connection between waist size and mortality, researchers analyzed data on more than 15,000 adults surveyed from 1988 to 1994 and then followed through 2006.

Based on BMI, about 40 percent of participants were normal weight, while 35 percent were overweight and 25 percent were obese.

According to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, about 70 percent of participants were centrally obese, meaning their waist-to-hip ratio was at least 0.85 (for women) or at least 0.90 (for men).

Along with the waist-to-hip ratio, participants’ waist circumference was also more helpful than BMI in predicting risk of mortality, although only about 29 percent of people in the study were centrally obese using the WHO sex-specific criteria for waist circumference – more than 88 cm (34.6 inches) for women and more than 102 cm (40.2 inches) in men.

Over an average of about 14 years, there 3,222 deaths, including 1404 due to cardiovascular disease.

A man with normal-weight central obesity had a 78 percent higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease than a man with a similar BMI but no fat around the middle, the study found.

For women in this same scenario, normal-weight central obesity more than doubled the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Limitations of the study include a measurement technique for waist circumference that’s different than the method recommended by WHO, the authors acknowledge. Researchers also relied on self-reported data for many health complications such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or diabetes.

Even so, the findings provide ample evidence suggesting that doctors should look beyond just BMI to identify people who are at the greatest risk due to excess pounds, Dr. Paul Poirier, of Laval University and the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, noted in an editorial.

Measuring BMI is a good start for identifying patients at greater cardiovascular risk, but it is not sufficient to identify every person at risk, Poirier wrote.

“We need to talk about waist loss and not weight loss,” Poirier said by email. “When you lose weight through exercise and proper nutrition then the first fat to go is the fat at the waist line.”

Some preliminary research has previously pointed to the potential for diets low in carbohydrates to help eliminate waist fat, though more research on this is still needed, Lopez-Jimenez noted.

Because people with normal weight and excess pounds around the middle may not have as much muscle mass as people without belly fat, these individuals may benefit from an exercise routine that includes strength and resistance training in addition to aerobic activity, Lopez-Jimenez added.

Here’s what happens to your body after you down an energy drink. It’s kind of scary.

From the Washington Post Tuesday, November 17, 2015 

Ariana Eunjung Cha

There's been a lot of controversy about caffeine-spiked energy drinks in recent years following a spate of deaths and overdoses related to the beverages. In one of the most heartbreaking cases, 14-year-old Anais Fournier of Maryland died after consuming two 24-ounce cans of an energy drink. Food and Drug Administration has been studying such cases to try to determine if there's a causal link and, if so, what to do about it. Makers of energy drinks, meanwhile, have insisted that the beverages are safe and that some of the cases of bad reactions may have been due to pre-existing conditions that the individuals in question had. In an effort to get more information about exactly happens in your body after you consume one of the drinks, Mayo Clinic researcher Anna Svatikova and her colleagues recruited 25 volunteers.
All were young adults age 18 or older, nonsmokers, free of known disease, and not taking medications. They were asked to drink a 16-ounce can of a Rockstar energy drink and a placebo -- with the same taste, texture, color and nutritional contents but without the caffeine and other stimulants -- within five minutes on two separate days. The energy drink had the following stimulants: 240 mg of caffeine, 2,000 mg of taurine and extracts of guarana seed, ginseng root and milk thistle. Researchers took numerous measurements first before they drank and 30 minutes after. With the placebo, there was very little change. With the energy drink, however, many of the changes were marked:

• Systolic blood pressure (the top number) - 6.2 percent increase
• Diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) - 6.8 percent increase
• Average blood pressure - 6.4 percent increase
• Heart rate - none
• Caffeine in blood - increase from undetectable to 3.4 micrograms/mL
• Norepinephrine level (the stress hormone, which can give you the shakes when you have too much caffeine) in blood - increase from 150 pg/mL to 250 pg/ML

Writing in JAMA, the researchers said that these changes may predispose those who drink a single drink to increased cardiovascular risk. This may explain why a number of those who died after consuming energy drinks appeared to have had heart attacks. As part of their research, Svatikova and her co-authors exposed the volunteers to two-minute physical, mental, and cold stressors after consuming the energy drinks to see how that might affect blood pressure and other body functions. The physical stressor involved asking participants to squeeze on a handgrip; the mental one to complete a serial mathematical tasks as fast as possible; and the cold one immersing their one hand into ice water. Interestingly, there was no further change. The American Beverage Association said in a statement that "there is nothing unique about the caffeine in mainstream energy drinks, which is about half that of a similar sized cup of coffeehouse coffee" and that drinking coffee would have produced similar effects. “The safety of energy drinks has been established by scientific research as well as regulatory agencies around the globe. Just this year the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirmed the safety of energy drinks and their ingredients after an extensive review," the organization said. In the United States, many energy drink manufacturers voluntarily label their drinks with total caffeine content and advisory statements stating the products are not recommended for children, pregnant or nursing women and persons sensitive to caffeine.

Here’s a Firefighter Combat Challenge Lion’s Den First!

The first father-son competitor pair happened in the last decade when Randy Hogan and his son showed up. Randy was a captain with the Byron (IL) Fire Department.

Classic NZ Fern design and Lion’s Den coins from the Maw family

But History was made this year when the Maw family from New Zealand came on the scene.
Steven Maw, 24 obtained his Lion's Den time, at the US Nationals in Tyler, Texas in 2014 and was inducted into the Lion’s Den in Phoenix last year. (Our rule is that times that qualify during a season- before World Challenge- are inducted that same year. Times during the current WC are awarded the following year.)






Hamish, (center) just finishing his Lion’s Den Run
Wayne Maw, 51, obtained Lion's Den time at World Challenge XXIII, Tuesday, the 4th of November, Phoenix 2014 and inducted this year at Montgomery
- becoming the first Father/Son to achieve Lion's Den from New Zealand Hamish Maw, 22, obtained Lion's Den time World Finals, Friday 23rd October 2015. Wayne, Steven, and Hamish did a 3-Man All-Maw Relay on Wednesday the 21st October; we’re pretty sure that’s never happened before. Perhaps a new category for an all-in-the-family relay team?

The Maw Family at WCXXIV Montgomery, AL 2015

 Steven became first New Zealander to do a Sub 90 and in doing so became the fastest ever Kiwi, as well as the 2014 NZ National Champion, Runner up 2015. Steven and Hamish were 2014 NZ National Tandem Champions, runners-up for 2015. Wayne, Steven and Hamish were part of the 2014 NZ National Relay winning Team.



The family are members of the Southbridge Fire Brigade; Wayne has 34 years service, Steven 7 ½ years, and Hamish 5 years.
Kudos, Gents! Or, as they like to say in NZ, “Brilliant!”

The Maw family at the 2015 Lion’s Den Induction Ceremony in Mongtomery, AL; Steven, Wayne, Mother Maw and Hamish

Is it what we eat? Or that we overeat? A look at the effort to figure out why we’re fat.

Scanning through the archives of the Washington Post, I came across this abstract written by Nancy Szokan, a frequent contributor to the Tuesday Health Science section. The link to the original Wired magazine article is embedded. Obesity is at epidemic proportions and affects the fire service in numbers similar to that of the general population. I think you'll find the purpose of this new study to be very interesting and relevant to your department's fitness initiatives.

By Nancy Szokan August 25, 2014 

Do we get fat because we overeat, or because of the types of food we eat? That’s the question posed by the Energy Balance Consortium Study, described by Sam Apple for Wired magazine . Apple gives a fascinating picture of how the study was conducted: Two days a week, participants were locked into “tiny airtight rooms known as metabolic chambers,” where scientists calculated how many calories they burned by measuring changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide in the rooms’ air. 

Their meals, delivered through vacuum-sealed portholes so researchers’ breath wouldn’t interfere with the measurements, were chemically analyzed to determine exact levels of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. (One site for the research was the metabolic ward at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda.)

Twice a month, the subjects had their body fat analyzed through “dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans.” Their blood was analyzed for lipids and hormone levels. Stool samples revealed which bacteria were in their guts.

The study is one of the first to be funded by the nonprofit Nutrition Science Initiative, founded in 2012 by science journalist Gary Taubes and physician/researcher Peter Attia. NuSI’s mission, Apple writes, is to challenge “existing knowledge gathered in the past five decades of research . . . from studies marred by inadequate controls, faulty cause-and-effect reasoning and animal studies that are not applicable to humans.”

The initiative’s work is broadly aimed at cutting the U.S. obesity rate in half and the prevalence of diabetes by 75 percent in 15 years. It’s an ambitious goal, and Apple’s expansive, wide-ranging story about NuSI, its founders and its study is an eye-opening read.

You Heard It Here First...It's A Lock

The culmination of hundreds of thousands of training hours comes down to the World Challenge Championship. And, with 24 such events under our belt, what do you do to top WCXXIV in Montgomery?

Well, we did a survey and 131 respondents said, hands down the best place ever. How can you not like the Southern Hospitality on steroids? This, coupled with over 400 signatures on a petition to return was the icing on the cake. (Take a quick look at the responses posted to my last Blog)

So, put this on your calendar: October 24-29, 2016, World Challenge XXV, Montgomery, Alabama! They're already addressing some of your requests from this year, getting ready to hit this ball out of the park.

Roll Credits...Capital Cool

Typical crowd shot during the week of World Challenge XXIV

Shortly after our CAB (Challenge Advisory Board) meeting on Wednesday, Dave Valero (aka Diamond Dave) of the El Paso Fire Department suggested that we have a Blog for those who would like to convey to our hosts, the City of Montgomery their kudos for the most outstanding World Championships ever. 

This is that place. Let me attempt to count the ways: bleachers, shelter, water, snacks, course help, goody bag (with tee shirts), sunglasses, shuttle service, air conditioned head, just for starters.

It’s pretty simple- just add your comments and they’ll automatically be shared with those who have invested so much to raise the bar. And, in case you missed it, even the street lights recognized our presence. You need to have a gmail, Open ID or google account to post. Also, here's our hashtag for twitter: #WorldsMontgomery2015.

Proclaimation from the Mayor, Todd Strange

WCXXIV: Montgomery Day 6

Living up to its expectations, the Relay Competition produced a full house and all the expected noise and caphony. There were surprises in the races, as a single bobble by one of the favorites would spell defeat.

Clearly, our “E-Ticket” ride is a crowd pleaser. We’ll be talking about this “Worlds” and the Montgomery event for a very long time. (The term “E-Ticket” for those of you who have been to Disneyland long ago, was the very best of rides like Space Mountain.)

The tribute to Jeanie Allen was one of my most moving experiences ever, bringing tears to everyone’s eyes. Mayor Strange, compelled with the emortions of a man who cares deeply for other people and who has a very fond place in his heart for firefighters was looking for a way to express his sympathy and did so by hugging me tightly. I had no words.

The loss of an admired friend such as Jeanie had the pain not unlike that of the loss of a child. My wife and I learned a lot about Jeanie during her valient fight and was honored do what little we could to provide a refuge at our house when she would come to NIH in Bethesda for her clinical trials.

Hopefully, all of you, on your passing will be similarly revered.

WCXXIV: Montgomery Day Five

Street banner in Montgomery Alabama

A repeating theme on the conversation here in Montgomery is the scale of what’s important. Interestingly, in discussions with veteran competitors, the actual racing takes second place to the incredible fraternity that is the Firefighter Combat Challenge.

There’s a huge segment of North American firefighters who are missing out on what is the most elite of the firefighter community.

Ross Lowery, who retired as BatChief3 from Moline, IL was our operations manager and Course Marshal for several years in the early days. He remarked that he would not trade the experience for the world.

So, when people ask you about why you do this, you, like thousands of others will likely say, “I really can’t adequately tell you about the experience- you have to be there.”

You can check out the standings for all the races elsewhere on this website. Kamloops will host an awards ceremony within the next six weeks or so. And all the other competitors will show their medals and combat swag to admiring fans. We’ll be hard at work editing for uploading the video of the various races. But, all the while, there’s going to be a reflection of the six days in Alabama that were over the top. And that will bring a smile to your face.

WCXXIV Montgomery Lion’s Den

This year’s class of Lion’s Den Inductees is the largest ever, with the most foreign nationals as well. The Grand Ballroom of the Embassy Suites was filled to capacity and beyond. Our best estimates of the crowd is something close to 500 attendees.

The program may be viewed on YouTube at this link: https://youtu.be/8RVcNJKFDik

2015 Lion’s Den Inductees at the Embassy Suites, Montgomery, Alabama

Noteworthy was the response of the audience to the appeals of Chris Cerci for support of his battalion chief, only recently diagnosed with Stage Four cancer and Cheri Ardoin for the scholarship fund for Jeanie Allen’s kids. We raised $1800 and $5,000 respectively.

WCXIV- Montgomery Day Four

With Wednesday logically being the biggest day of the week, many competitors took Thursday as a rest day in preparation for the Finals.

Ted Overcash, the perennial “Ever Ready Bunny” of the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge came up with the idea of an Over 60 Relay team. Actually, he wanted to go for 70, but it came down to just himself and Dr. Davis. So, Team 361 was formed with five members all over 60. This will be the topic of a future BlogSpot, with photos. But, let’s just say it was great fun and amusement.

The most frequently discussed topic was the Montgomery Fire Rescue Department (MFR). In our nearly quarter century of Challenge Championships, no one has come close to providing the infrastructure and amenities associated with this event.

And, if you missed this year, you missed an experience that you will live to regret. With over 600 competitors, from more than one dozen countries, 29 states and 7 Canadian provinces, perfect weather, perfect live streaming and a host of World Records, shelter provided for those who did not bring their pop-ups, refreshments and snacks and an incredible Lion’ Den, the bar has been set way, way high.

The modern day version of the bucket brigade: MFR stockpiles water for the competitors on Thursday with more excitement and amenities to come. 

The Kuwaiti Oil Company team presented the Challenge Road Crew with a plaque that will find a conspicuous place in our office. 

Kuwaiti Oil Company’s Appreciation Letter for the experience of World Challenge XXIV

WCXXIV Day Three- Montgomery- Longest Standing WR Falls to Ryan Fitzgerald

Back in 2001, in an off-the-record, private conversation, Bob Russell of the Overland Park, KS FD remarked that he was going to put the World Record so far out there that no one could touch it. True to his word, that year at WCX on Mudd Island in Memphis, he posted an astonishing 1:19.2.

On Wednesday, October 21 in Montgomery, AL, Ryan Fitzgerald of IAFF Local 571/Lakeland (Minnesota) did what had been impossible for neigh on 14 years- a new WR to the delight of the thousands of spectators who were waiting for this day.

His 1:17.51 is the new standard that the hundreds of Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge Competitors will now chase.

Ryan Fitzgerald, Current World Record Holder at press conference with Mayor Todd Strange, Montogmery, Alabama

In this space, we’ll bring you more video, photos and a compelling interview of Ryan.

And, there were other WRs that were set on this day as well. The Website has been updated to reflect those accomplishments.

After 3 days, there’s only 10 seconds that separate the top 7 teams. Talk about close!

On a more mundane topic, the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge is the only public safety, or military sport that does testing for banned substances. We are rightfuly proud of this fact. We choose to do this, despite the complexities and costs because we believe that our sport deserves it.

Specimen collection station for testing of banned substances

WCXXIV Montgomery Day Two: Blink and You Missed It

Preceding this week’s event has been an enormous amount of preparation and publicity, not the least of which is the Sunday newspaper, the Montgomery Advertiser. You cannot purchase the front page, but we dominate it. 

Then, there’s been the daily feeds provided by the local NBC affiliate and Fox News’ coverage of what’s happening here in the deep South. 

Of course, much of the excitement stems from the interest in the hometown team. 

So today, all eyes were turned to the Blue course, where Montgomery was feeling the heat. The World Record (WR) for the Relay of the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge was set last year at the Sprint Cup NASCAR event held at the PIR (Phoenix International Raceway). 

Their time was 1:07.22. 

This year, the Team was on track for a new WR in Farmer’s Branch, Texas, site of the US Nationals two weeks ago, when the Anchor Leg, Jake Lanier went down with the Rescue Randy mannequin, a 175 pound, anatomically correct training dummy. Only 50 feet separated the team from glory when the proverbial “carpet snake” snatched the victory. You can view that run at [https://youtu.be/FNjH9a-f404].

Mike Mederios, veteran competitor from Horry County (SC), arguably the premier student of relay ergonomics had calculated after watching hundreds of game films, that 1:05 was the proverbial sound barrier. His unchallenged statistics were proven correct today, here in Montgomery when the clock stopped at 1:05.6. 

“In this business, 2 seconds is huge,” said Dr. Paul Davis, Challenge Creator. 

Lanier was vindicated and the entire squad lauded by the energized crowd of hundreds of firefighters from 14 nations, 29 states and 7 Canadian provinces. 

The live stream is being carried daily around the globe, through Thursday at http://live.xalive.co/sfcc.html in full HD. The video of the run is in production and will be uploaded this evening. 

We are working on editing the run as seen from both the drone as well as the land-based camera shots. The story, as carried by WSFA can be seen here. http://www.wsfa.com/story/30295842/world-firefighter-combat-challenge-underway-in-montgomery

Friday, and Saturday the Championship coverage will be provided by ESPN3- viewable with any of the smart phone apps.

The view of the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge course from the Embassy Suites

Wednesday, the competition continues with more “Wild Card trials” where teams and individuals vie for the slots that will be available on Friday and Saturday. 

WCXXIV- Montgomery, Day One

Welcome sign as seen in the Atrium of the Embassy Suites, our host hotel

Off the charts! This city has pulled out all the stops to make everyone feel welcome and provide all our athletes with the best possible experience.

It starts at the airport and it’s everywhere that you look, such as the atrium of the host hotel

Welcome signs abound. Before first light on Monday morning, local TV is on the scene doing a feature, promoting the event.

We’ll add more signs with each daily report.

While we typically don’t hold a formal Opening Ceremony until Relay Day, the honor guard from Maxwell Air Force Base presented the colors.

“Good Help is Hard to Find”

But, in Montgomery, it’s built into the program. There were 19 cadets in their all-red PT gear on the scene and looking fit. It’s great to see a workforce in training that looks the part- right from the Get-Go! They will get a shot at running the relay event later in the week.

These 19 Cadets are getting the ring-side view of the World-Class Athletes of the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge 

TV production under the able direction of Maria Prekeges, a regular feature at our World Challenge events started off right on time. We’re streaming world wide with an audience representative of the 13 countries present.

Of special note, the presentation of an impressive plaque from the Kuwait Oil Company’s first responders to the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge crew.

The Kuwaiti Contingent presents the Road Crew of the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge with a memorial plaque

We’ll provide more daily coverage, so keep checking in on the BlogSpot and look for our Newsletters in your email in-box.

How the Average American Man’s Body Compares to Others Around The World (Time on Line)

Laura Stampler @LauraStampler

Oct. 31, 2014
"When you look at the images side-by-side, you can really see the differences"


Pittsburgh-based digital artist Nickolay Lamm was on vacation in Catalonia, Spain, last year when he noticed something. “I think I’m being objective when I say that a lot of the people were just very fit,” he says. At least more fit than what he saw back home. And so Lamm decided to dive into body measurement statistics collected by organizations like the CDC to create models that represent the physique of the average man from different countries.


“Basically, I wanted to represent how we as a country are a little overweight when it comes to other countries,” he says. “Obesity is a huge issue, it costs our health care industry so much money, so I just wanted to create a simple way to illustrate something people probably know in the back of their minds, they just haven’t seen it all laid out so clearly.”










Nickolay Lamm




While the images first went public last year, they are making their rounds online again — right in time for Halloween. (A time when body image is at the back of people’s minds.)










Nickolay Lamm




“When you look at the images side-by-side, you can really see the differences,” Lamm says.










Nickolay LammNickolay LammNickolay Lamm




Lamm doesn’t know why exactly these images resonate with an audience, but people always seem surprised. “We see all these numbers and statistics,” he says, “but sometimes we just want to see it laid out.”










Nickolay Lamm

Response to Survey Comments- including Scheduling of Tandems

Thanks for all the great comments to our recent Survey. We’ll be moving the Tandems to Saturday morning as per the wishes of the majority. Our objective was to provide activity during the 8 hours on Friday before the Individual competition. And thanks to Cheri for bringing to our attention some of the concerns of the Competitors. We can’t respond to potential issues without input. We realize that we cannot please everyone.

I’d like to address every single comment, but the survey is anonymous; so this broadcast newsletter will have to suffice. 

The Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge is an amateur sport. We tried a box office and it didn’t work. The ability to generate revenue is directly related to the number of people who are willing to pay to watch. When an event is free, regrettably, that’s what people feel it’s worth. 

Virtually everything that you see on ESPN is a professional sport (or a collegiate sport with deep pockets). A time slot is $140,000 - way beyond our operating budget.

While we tout the fact that many of our standout athletes are world-class in their own right, this is not a sport that you can do for a living. However, we have costs not unlike those of professional sports. And for the income to support our operations, we humbly thank Scott Safety, without whom there would be no Firefighter Combat Challenge. There is nothing like this business model- anywhere: an industrial company, putting money back into a market as a way of saying thank you for all you do. 

Saying that, it’s important to understand that for us at On•Target, as a company, we must live within a budget. Sponsor-recruitment never stops. But sponsors will only contribute with an expectation of a return of their original investment and interest on that investment. Scott is a SBU (strategic business unit) of Tyco International, a publicly held company. The shareholders of that company expect a return on their investment. If we cannot demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between Scott’s sponsorship and the sales of Air-Paks, there would be little compelling reason to support the Challenge. 

We have been around long enough (25 years) to create a history. In this very small pond in which we exist, there are no secrets. Sponsors have come and gone; and they talk about their successes and failures. This is a niche that is uniquely filled by companies that make a market in the fire service. The fire service itself is a TLB (tiny little business). For example, Outback Steakhouse sells more product than the entire GNP of the fire service. 

Some sponsors (a very few) support the Challenge for altruistic reasons. But that has limitations. And even if they can’t track sales related to their support, they can measure thank-you’s. Regrettably, some of these companies have stated their reason for leaving is the absence of tangible recognition, including a single thank you.

So, the practical reality is that we will continue to press on, year round, with the selling of the event to hosts that recognize the family values and patriotic nature of this event. And while we would like to believe that our revenue generation would cover registration fees and more valuable prizes, the stark reality is that we have to charge our athletes, just like all the other amateur sports to help defray the costs of what is an expensive operation. The sum total of all the registration fees (which have not been increased for 10 years) for an entire year would not cover the cost for one regional event. 

There have been a significant number of international “knockoffs” and imitators of the Firefighter Combat Challenge®, with liberal “borrowing” of our Intellectual Property around the world. A few sites have formalized a relationship and executed a license agreement. I am proud to be an American and what we have accomplished these past couple of decades. But, this is a very big country- with a land mass bigger than all of the European countries put together. None of these other operators bear the cost of transporting all the equipment to multiple events or paying the salaries of a road crew. We try to accommodate and serve as many firefighters as we logistically can every year. Our transportation costs represent the lion’s share of our operating budget. Foreign sponsor’s support is limited to a single event and can therefore provide a lot of amenities. None of these foreign venues had to invent anything or invest in the years of research and development that we have. This is what our staff does for their primary employment for months out of each year. 

For those of you who expressed your heart-felt thanks and kudos, it does make the crew feel appreciated. I’m always receptive to any input and will respond personally to any email at anytime and I trust that the information above will provide you with a better understanding of the mechanics of running the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge. 

WHAT TEMPERS THE STEEL OF AN INFANTRY UNIT

LtGen Gregory Newbold, USMC (ret)

“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”  –Rudyard Kipling, The Law of the Jungle, The Jungle Book.

The current debate about women in the infantry takes place in an artificial context, because it nearly always self-limits the discussion to physical capabilities. Within these incomplete parameters, the argument is then set, and the preamble is that physical standards and performance are measurable and what is not measurable is subjective and probably unfair.

Once physical quantifications are set as the only requirement that matters, it then stands to reason that if you can define infantry requirements in terms of, for example, a number of pull-ups, a hike with 60 to 80 pounds of extra weight, or carrying a 180-pound simulated casualty to safety, then you can assess whether females are suited to infantry units.

Honest and informed observers will acknowledge that medical science indicates that, in the physical domain, the two genders are an unequal match. Even a very fit woman is not generally the equal of a fit man. The competition is no competition in aerobic capacity, load bearing, reach, body fat percentage, and other germane measures of combat fitness. But (the informed argument proceeds), even if it is only the top 5 percent of women who can replace the bottom 5 percent of men, why not allow the 5 percent to integrate and thereby improve the combat efficiency of the unit? For example, it has been argued Ronda Rousey — the accomplished and undoubtedly tough mixed martial artist — could be an excellent addition to an infantry unit.

The falsity of this debate is found in its restriction of analysis to its physical context (as most recently demonstrated in an article published yesterday at War on the Rocks). Why is the debate limited to physical capabilities? For two reasons. First, supporters of full integration will not accept what cannot be irrefutably proven (and sometimes not even then). Second, practitioners of infantry warfare have great difficulty describing the alchemy that produces an effective infantry unit, much as it is difficult for those of faith to explain their conviction to an atheist. Try that by quantitative analysis. But allow me a poor effort to explain what tempers the steel of an infantry unit and therefore serves as the basis of its combat power.

The public understands that individuals who have engaged in brutal combat seldom want to talk about their experiences, and it is broadly thought that this is because of the horrors evoked by these memories. More generally, though, this reticence is due to an inability for one side to convey, and the other to understand, not only horrors, but the context of the fight.   Saying that “It was hot” is a futile way to describe the 23rd consecutive day of temperatures over 100 degrees and flesh-soaking humidity, but the description does an even poorer job of conveying the exacerbating details — the burden of 30 to 80 pounds of personal equipment, mind-bending physical exertion, energy-sapping adrenaline highs, or the fact that the threadbare clothes you wore were unchanged for over three weeks and may have been “scented” by everything from food, to blood, dysentery, and whatever was in the dirt that constituted your bed. And don’t forget insects of legendary proportion and number. More importantly, a story thus told cannot explain that the fellow soldier or Marine who you tried desperately to put back together was the same one who shared the duties of clearing the urinals, the pleasures of a several nights of hilarious debauchery, and multiple near-death experiences — a comrade in arms who has heard more about your personal thoughts than your most intimate friends or family. So veterans of the true horrors of combat don’t talk about it. Please understand, then, that it is equally difficult to describe the ingredients of an efficient ground fighting machine, because the ingredients are intangible, decidedly not quantitative, and proudly subjective.

An infantryman’s lot is to endure what we think is unendurable, to participate in the inhumane, and to thrive in misery. Normal humans do not deliberately expose themselves to confront a machine gun that is firing at them over 10 rounds a second. “Smart” humans do not run toward the sound of gunfire. Logic does not tell you to lay down your life in the hope that you can recover an already dead comrade. And normal organizations do not strive, as their first priority, to evoke fear. For you see, the characteristics that produce uncommon valor as a common virtue are not physical at all, but are derived from the mysterious chemistry that forms in an infantry unit that revels in the most crude and profane existence so that they may be more effective killers than their foe. Members of such units deliberately reduce the individual and collective level of humanity and avoid all distractions so that its actions are fundamental, instinctive, and coldly efficient. Polite company, private hygiene, and weakness all step aside. These are the men who can confront the Islamic State, North Korean automatons, or Putin’s Spetsnaz and win every time. Believe me, you will need them, and we don’t get to choose when that will be.

In this direct ground combat environment, you do not fight for an ideal, a just cause, America, or Mom and apple pie. You endure the inhumanity and sacrifices of direct ground combat because, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” This selflessness is derived from bonding, and bonding from shared events and the unquestioning subordination of self for the good of the team. But what destroys this alchemy — and, therefore, combat effectiveness — are pettiness, rumor-mongering, suspicion, and jealousy. And when fighting spirit is lessoned, death is the outcome.   So “fairness” is an obscenity. Fairness is about individuals. It’s selfish. And selfishness can kill.

Nineteen-year-old males everywhere are from Mars. They, and their early twenty-something brethren, are overloaded with testosterone, supremely confident about their invincibility, and prone to illogical antics. This sometimes produces intemperate behavior in everyday America, but the same traits are, by the way, nearly ideal for direct ground combat.  The same youthful ingredients produce unacceptable behavior in the pristine and low pressure environments of boarding schools, academic institutions, and cubicle farms. Truth be told, in later stages of life these traits also lead to humiliating interactions on Capitol Hill or in the White House. Why, then, do we suppose that sexual dynamics — or mere perceptions thereof — among the most libido laden age cohort in humans, in the basest of environs, will not degrade the nearly spiritual glue that enables the infantry to achieve the illogical and endure the unendurable?

Two women just graduated from the Army’s very, very difficult Ranger School. The surprise of that is that it surprised anyone. There unquestionably are women who can pass any physical challenge the military may require. We should celebrate those who succeed and encourage others. They are worthy role models, and certainly not just to women. But the issue we’re now debating has to include a recognition of cohesion and the cost of sexual dynamics in a bare-knuckled brawl, amidst primeival mayhem, in which we expect the collective entity to persevere because it has a greater will and fighting spirit, and not because it is bigger, faster, or more agile. The championship team in virtually any professional sport may only coincidentally be the most physically talented, but it most assuredly will be the most cohesive. Why not appreciate the same ingredients in infantry units?

Finally, you may bet your future earnings that the current effort to integrate the infantry will not cease with a few extraordinary females, but will eventually accommodate a social engineering goal by changing standards. Think I am wrong? It’s already happening. Read the words and understand the goals of the current Secretary of the Navy (an arsonist in the fire department) and the Secretary of the Air Force, and examine what we now call “the Dempsey Rule.”

If I’m wrong, the cost may be denied opportunity to strong and impressive young women. If you’re wrong, our national security is shaken and there is a butcher’s bill to pay. Make your choice. The line forms on the left.

Lieutenant General Gregory Newbold (U.S. Marine Corps, ret.) is a former infantryman, having commanded units from the platoon through the 1st Marine Division. His last assignment was as Director of Operations, the Joint Staff.

This story will likely get your blood boiling: from the Washington Post Outlook section

You can express your thoughts directly to the author at fmcchnesney@law.miami.edu

As fires have declined in the U.S., the number of paid firefighters has soared. (Micah Young/Getty Images)

By Fred S. McChesney September 4 

Fred S. McChesney is a professor of law and economics at the University of Miami who studies the intersection of economics and public institutions.

If you want to chat with a firefighter or see a fire truck up close, you can go down to the local firehouse at any time of day. The crew will probably be there, lifting weights or washing down the already gleaming red engines. Career firefighters usually live at the firehouse for a day or two, then take as many as three days off. Between eating and sleeping at the station, they mop floors, clean toilets and landscape the yard — with a few hours set aside daily for training and drills. Mid-morning, you’ll find several of them at the local supermarket doing the day’s grocery shopping.

In other words, being a firefighter these days doesn’t involve a lot of fighting fire.

Rapid improvements in fire safety have caused a dramatic drop in the number of blazes, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Buildings are constructed with fire-resistant materials; clothing and curtains are made of flame-retardant fabrics; and municipal laws mandate sprinkler systems and smoke detectors. The striking results: On highways, vehicle fires declined 64 percent from 1980 to 2013. Building fires fell 54 percent during that time. When they break out, sprinkler systems almost always extinguish the flames before firefighters can turn on a hose.

But oddly, as the number of fires has dropped, the ranks of firefighters have continued to grow — significantly. There are half as many fires as there were 30 years ago, but about 50 percent more people are paid to fight them.

This is no secret. Across the country, cities and towns have been trying to bring firefighting operations in line with the plummeting demand for their services. Many solutions have been attempted: reducing the length of firefighters’ shifts; merging services with neighboring towns; and instituting brownouts, which temporarily take an engine out of service. But often, these efforts have failed against obstinate unions and haven’t reversed the national increase in fire department payrolls.

Instead of addressing this municipal waste with patchwork plans to cut overtime and shrink staffs, many cities and towns should consider throwing out the very concept of the career firefighter and return to the tradition of volunteers. 

Volunteer companies have always been the primary model for firefighting in the United States. Many of the American revolutionary patriots were volunteers, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Paul Revere. It wasn’t until the mid-19th century that cities began establishing fire departments with full-time staffs, as the cost of firefighting grew and more training was needed to operate new steam engines. The size and complexity of structure fires during the era also demanded more professionalism. Almost all of the nation’s deadliest fires occurred between 1850 and 1950.

But the era of massive fires that claim hundreds of lives is over. Large-scale disasters, such as the 1942 Cocoanut Grove inferno in Boston that killed 492 people, and the 1903 Iroquois Theatre conflagration in Chicago, which killed 602, are largely forgotten. As recently as the early 1980s, it wasn’t unusual to have a couple of home fires a year that resulted in 10 or more deaths each, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Today, that kind of fire-related tragedy is almost unheard of. There wasn’t a single one between 2008 and 2013 (the most recent year recorded). 

For fire departments, building blazes — catastrophic or not — have become infrequent. Firefighters responded to 487,500 structure fires across the United States in 2013, which means each of the nation’s 30,000 fire departments saw just one every 22 days, on average. And yet, taxpayers are paying more people to staff these departments 24-7. As a result, the amount of money shelled out for local fire services more than doubled from 1987 to 2011, to $44.8 billion, accounting for inflation.

To be fair, fire departments have shouldered additional responsibility since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and are expected to have the training and equipment necessary to respond to various types of terrorism, including biological and chemical attacks. Still, in a November report, the National Fire Protection Association blamed the surge in fire department funding on ballooning staffs, overtime pay and retirement and health benefits — things that have nothing to do with the threat of terrorism.

Local firefighter unions have fought hard to grow their ranks as fires decline. Although private-sector unions have been diminishing, representation of government employees has remained strong, and firefighters have been among the beneficiaries. Labor contracts have allowed them to maintain healthy incomes: Firefighters earned a median salary of $45,250 in 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, but overtime can more than double that. In Los Angeles, for example, the average firefighter was paid more than $142,000 in 2013, including overtime and bonuses, the Los Angeles Times reported. Exorbitant overtime costs are fueled by union-negotiated minimum-staffing levels that often mandate four firefighters per engine be on duty at all times, regardless of the cost or workload.

At the national level, the International Association of Fire Fighters has an annual budget of nearly $60 million, most of it derived from its 278,000 members. IAFF calls itself “one of the most active lobbying organizations in Washington,” advocating for pension, safety and overtime laws. Its political action committee, FIREPAC, spent nearly $6.4 million in 2014, according to OpenSecrets.org. The union’s constitution forbids members from serving as volunteer firefighters, under penalty of fines or expulsion.

Union leaders and fire department chiefs have found new ways to justify their growing budgets and payrolls. In a February 2001 report, the Wall Street Journal noted that 90 percent of firehouse calls in Los Angeles, Chicago and certain other cities were to accompany ambulances to medical emergencies. “Elsewhere, to keep their employees busy, fire departments have expanded into neighborhood beautification, gang intervention, substitute-teaching and other downtime pursuits,” the newspaper added.

Not much has changed. Today, fewer than 4 percent of fire department calls are for fires. Meanwhile, requests for medical aid more than quadrupled between 1980 and 2013, to more than 21 million, according to the National Fire Prevention Association. In other words, for every structure fire a fire department responds to, it receives 44 medical calls, on average.

So “fire” department has become a misnomer. In practice, these agencies have become emergency medical responders. The problem with that? Most communities already have ambulance services, whose staffs are less expensive and more highly trained in medical aid. Many cities mandate that their firefighters be certified EMTs, which requires about 120 to 150 hours of training in basic emergency medical care. That’s far less than the up to 1,800 hours of training for the paramedics who staff emergency medical services. Yet paramedics are cheaper than firefighters, earning a median of $31,020 in 2012. 

Still, you’ll often see a large ladder truck respond to medical calls along with an ambulance, resulting in multiple uniformed cadres when just one person needs attention. To justify this, firefighters have touted themselves as “first responders” who can answer a medical emergency faster than paramedics in an ambulance. But when they arrive without the training and equipment to deal with severe medical emergencies, they are of little use.

Recognizing the overlap, some cities have merged their fire and EMS services, over union objections. Some require that all members of the newly combined agency be certified to respond to both types of crisis, which improves efficiency and lowers costs. But other cities have struggled to merge the cultures and operations of the departments.

Municipalities that have stuck with the volunteer model got it right — and that is most of them. About 69 percent of all firefighters in the country are volunteers. It is mainly larger cities and towns that have been burdened by union staffing and salary demands that are incompatible with their declining firefighting needs. The number of volunteer firefighters fell by 3 percent in the time paid firefighters grew by nearly 50 percent.

Protecting a sizable city with a volunteer force is possible. Since 1930, the city of Pasadena, Tex., has used 200 active and 50 semi-active volunteer firefighters to protect its now more than 150,000 residents. If all towns up to that size moved to all-volunteer forces, the national payroll of career firefighters would be reduced by more than half. Using the median firefighter salary, municipalities would save more than $8.8 billion a year in base pay. 

This is not to say that our largest cities could operate with volunteer firefighters alone. Sheer population size may necessitate a core group of full-timers. But payrolls certainly shouldn’t be growing as fires are decreasing.

Nor is this to say that professional firefighters are not heroic. They are and have repeatedly proved as much, most notably during the Sept. 11 attacks. But volunteers also are capable of such bravery. When we entrusted them with protecting our largest cities from blazes, they showed up and courageously put their lives on the line. In 1835, New York’s volunteer firefighters faced freezing conditions to battle the conflagration that destroyed Lower Manhattan but killed just two people.

Today, heroism isn’t what our firefighting services need most. As the risk of massive infernos declines, what we really need is to rethink our entire firefighting model — and how much we should be paying for it.

fmcchesney@law.miami.edu

Read more from Outlook and follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter. 

+49.3%

Increase in the number of paid firefighters in the United States since 1986.

i	i	i	i
’86	’91	’01	’13
238	262	294	355
(in thousands)

-58.5%

Decrease in the number of fires in the United States since 1980.

i	i	i	i
’80	’88	’01	’13
3.0	2.4	1.7	1.2
(in millions)

Fred S. McChesney is a professor of law and economics at the University of Miami who studies the intersection economics and public institutions.