# Physical Perils of Responders, Challenging



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

_This is for all first responders not just the FD_

*KYLE MARTIN *
_Hernando Today (Brooksville, Florida)_

Jul. 17--It's 3 a.m.
The station is dark when the fire engine roars into the bay.
The firefighter shucks his heavy coat, steps out of his boots and falls into bed. The dull throb in his arms from extricating a patient from a car wreck is only a promise of the ache coming tomorrow.
His eyeballs feel raw from exhaustion and the grit thrown up by the medical helicopter's prop wash.
Gradually, sleep crowds out the images of mangled metal flashing in his mind and the darkness takes over...
DOOOOOOOO go the ear-splitting tones.
"Rescue 1, Engine 1, respond medical emergency, shortness of breath, 8001 Sailboat Lane," booms the dispatcher.
Brooksville Firefighter Donald Lambert likens it to that feeling "when you get the crap scared out of you in the middle of the night."
"Your heart starts tripping in your chest, a cold rush comes over you," he said. "That's when the adrenaline hits."
Now repeat this scenario every three days for the next 15 years of your life.
Burning buildings and gun-wielding suspects are the obvious hazards in a first responder's line of work.
But there are hidden long-term effects that accompany an often physically punishing job.
Studies show the leading victim is the heart because the body drops into fight-or-flight mode when an emergency call is dispatched. In other instances, this is a lifesaving response, but the skyrocketing blood pressure wears down a heart over time.
For example, one study posited that the physical activity of climbing into a fire truck shouldn't raise the heart rate above 100 beats per minute. But researchers found the heart rate increased between 135-150 beats per minute, particularly among young firefighters.
As adrenaline courses through a person's veins, the arteries begin to constrict, which causes the heart to pump harder to get oxygen to the extremities. Over time, this leads to arthrosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, experts say.
In an effort to combat those risks, the chiefs at Spring Hill Fire Rescue have ordered a new tone system that will gradually awaken firefighters.
Assistant Chief Bill Davies said the system will be installed in all four stations at a cost of $44,600, which covers the cost of equipment and installation at the stations and two transmitters in dispatch.
The system the district buys today can be updated to tone out as many as 60 stations in the future. What's expected to go into the stations in the coming months is the basic version, which will deliver a message that gradually increases in volume. That eliminates the sudden fright that shocks firefighters out of bed, Davies said.
With all the bells and whistles, the system can turn on lights and open the bay doors to cut back on response time. But, "we're not going fullblown," Davies said.
Law enforcement work shorter shifts, but fight-or-flight presents itself in a different way: Car chases.
Writing for officer.com, retired officer and risk manager Steve Ashley calls it "pursuit fixation" when the body alarm kicks in and the officer's sole purpose is to nab the bad guy.
When the suspect peals off or ignores the siren, a common response on the officer's part is anger. They see it as a challenge to their authority or the officer gets upset because they have put themselves at risk to catch this person, according to Ashley.
"Anger colors judgment and, in a police pursuit, we cannot afford to have our judgment impaired by any extraneous emotion," he said.
Included in the "fixation" can be tunnel vision, meaning the officer disregards the safety of others because of their determination to place someone in custody.
The medical costs associated with recovering from heart attacks, strokes and even basic hypertension can be covered by Florida's Heart and Lung Bill.
"These people work hard for our safety," said attorney Tom Stathopoulos, whose Tarpon Springs office files claims under the bill. "They're constantly under pressure and stress."
Clients ranging in age from 22 to 62 came in with a variety of complaints, from high blood pressure to quadruple bypass surgery. A successful claim will provide the funds through workman's compensation for medication and surgeries needed to treat cardiovascular disease, provided the first responder entered the department with a clean bill of health.
Otherwise, coming up with the costs not covered by insurance can be "a financial disaster," Stathopoulos said.
Reporter Kyle Martin can be contacted at 352-544-5271.

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