In case you forgot how to do the job.

Exercises to Improve Firefighter Ankle Mobility

Regardless of what kind of fire boot you wear, (I wear the Warrington Pro's and have so for 15 years) being on a working fire can make your feet hurt and your ankles feel stiff. You already know it's an area that we injure a lot in the fire service.


Bill Hartman gives us some excellent tips regarding ankle mobility.

What are the Most Common Firefighter Injuries?

Recent numbers released by the Calgary Fire Department don't paint a pretty picture when it comes to firefighter injuries and the numbers back up my previous post,'It's a Tough Job/Dec 9th".

According to them: These are the reasons Firefighters came to their Wellness Center:
33% knee/ankle problems
33% back problems
18% others things
16% shoulder problems

So remember to include an injury prevention component in your workouts for the knee/ankle, the lower back and the shoulders.

Be Safe!

Station Workout

Q: How can I do a workout at the station that's not too draining, but effective?

A: I think bodyweight circuits work well for on-duty training. You can cover the entire body, and it's very effective.

Here's one that I do sometimes.

Dynamic mobility warm up 5-7 mins.

Round one: Pushups for 30 sec
Round two: Prisoner Squats x 30 sec
Round three: Front Plank x 30sec

2 circuits / 30s rest between rounds

Round four: Glute bridge x15 reps
Round five: Band Pulls or Chins x10 reps
Round six: Prone Cobra's x10 reps

2 circuits / 30s rest between rounds

Then finish with some metabolic work : Jump Rope for 6 minutes

Top 7 snacks for Firefighters

Snacking is an art form. Choose wisely and you’ll be covered. Choose wrong and your stomach and body will remind you of the bad choice. It never fails!
You can keep a small cooler with some stuff, that’s always available.

— A truck snack, like apples.
— Oat meal packets that can be nuked in a cup of water in two minutes flat for breakfast—and cooled in 30 seconds with frozen berries before adding protein powder. Take it with you on the way to the,"I've fallen and I can't get up", call.
— Canned tuna or salmon (which is pre-cooked of course), and throw in a sliced lime. Note to self: Bring fork!
— Meal Replacement Packets, kept dry in a shaker container, just add water .
— A box of low-fat Triscuits (goes great with the aforementioned tuna and a little low-fat mayo. Relish optional).
— A can of mixed nuts kept on the truck (zero prep time and better than junk food for snacking on 2nd alarms). Almonds are the best choice here.
-Protein/MRP bars. I'm not into bars but on this job I have been very, very thankful at times...for a protein bar, cause it was the only thing I was able to eat for hours.