Firefighter Rehab: The Importance of Keeping Hydrated and Ready

Whether in EMS, law enforcement or the fire service, our main goal and objective is to return home or to the station to resume normal duties at the end of a large incident. In terms of rehab, we need to understand when our personnel need a break on any incident scene or training event. The NFPA standard is useful in explaining what rehab is for us. They say rehab is “an intervention designed to mitigate against physical, psychological and emotional stress… in order to sustain a member’s energy, improve performance, and decrease the likelihood of injury and death.” Basically, the expectation is that every member at the scene or at a training activity is thought about with respect to their health, and their welfare is looked after.  

Heat stress has been attributed to many fire service deaths and injuries. Cardiac events during or after operations have been attributed to firefighting work and activities. About half or so of our line of duty deaths are attributed to some form of cardiac or medical issue involving the cardiovascular system. This has a lot to do with the work we do as firefighters; it’s hard work. Along with other stressors, including those that are physical, emotional and psychological, it sets a firefighter up for failure.  

Preparation is the best prevention. The nature of our work means everyone must be ready to go at a moment’s notice. Some key things we need to do are to keep ourselves in good physical condition and be mentally prepared. We need to accept the responsibility of having our members in as good physical condition as possible for their specific situation. With the changes in the season come changes in our environment. Our bodies constantly give off heat and moisture, so we need to become acclimated to the environment around us. Through the cold months, and especially the hotter months, we must keep ourselves properly nourished and hydrated.  

Rehab is our safe break. While many of us may be willing to power through, we need rehab. We need to get out of the heat or cold to allow our bodies to regulate and normalize. Physical rest, hydration and refueling are key to rehab. The most important part is that it provides us an opportunity to step away from the event and focus. When we are in the heat of the moment, we may develop a form of tunnel vision. While stepping away, you can reflect or regroup your thoughts and see what tactics went well or not so well to prepare for the next round. Also, rehab gives you a pause from the sights you just witnessed. Let’s be honest: we see things that others should never see. Rehab allows us to talk about what just happened amongst our peers and gives us the first step in the hot-wash process. The sidebar talks about the incident or training event can help us mentally and emotionally.  

Rehab is saving our lives. We all must own it and acknowledge when we need a break. There must be no more “tough guys” that refuse rehab. No one person is so important that the incident or training activity won’t proceed without them there. Every person should prepare and be ready when the bell rings. As we say in my own fire department, hydrate, eat well and dress properly for the weather conditions. Just as we pre-plan our tactics and strategies for the next big one, we must pre-plan our bodies for the next alarm or week of hands-on training. Having a personal rehab prep kit in your station locker is also helpful when you return to your quarters after an incident or training activity. This could include items such as a water bottle, dry fit shirts, extra socks, and a towel. 

Rehab is a critical aspect of job performance that should not be undervalued.