National Firefighter Health Week - Day 3 - Strong at Heart

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For the middle of the National Volunteer Fire Council's (NVFC) National Firefighter Health Week, the day's theme is "Strong at Heart" with heart attacks being the number one cause of death among firefighters. That statistic can be changed with yearly checkups, good nutrition and proper exercise. 

"We have unique jobs we're in unique environments that put us at unique risk," said Dr. Franklin Pratt, Medical Director of the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD). 

One firefighter found that out firsthand. Battalion Chief Jeff Kaliher had been with LACoFD for 25 years and during that time, had gone through numerous physicals along with his morning workout routine without any cardiac issues. That changed one morning when he felt heart palpitations after exercising at work.

"I was transported to the hospital. They determined that I wasn't having a heart attack but there was something cardiac related," Kaliher said.

Only through a scan was he able to find out he had a congenital heart defect with one of his coronary arteries in the wrong place. His doctor explained that exercise both helped and hurt him.

"The fact that I was trying to stay in shape, actually identified the problem. So, I feel very lucky," explained Kaliher. 

He was exercising as part of LA County's Fitness For Life Program which requires firefighters on duty to participate in a mandatory fitness period of one and a half to two hours.

Kaliher explains what his doctor told him, "If I had not addressed it that I could have been on a fire, I could have been giving an assignment and they would have found me."  He went on to say, "typically, there's no symptoms. You just die. These are, according to the doctor are the leading cause of sudden death."

After the diagnosis came open heart surgery to repair the problem.

"The thing that I can say is after being through this procedure it was the same procedure that you would have if you had a bypass. If you have an opportunity to get scanned, get scanned. If you have an opportunity to change your diet, cause you don't want to go through this surgery," Kaliher said. 

"Exercise and diet are two of the most important components to look at to unhinge that issue of death and being a firefighter" Dr. Pratt explained about heart disease.

He also stressed that avoiding processed foods high in salt are important to keeping blood pressure down, which is important in preventing heart disease. 

Along with keeping saturated fats and calories down. "When we increase our intake of saturated fat and other simple sugars, simple grains, not complex grains, we increase our cardiovascular risk," Dr. Pratt said.

The amount of sugars and carbohydrates that are consumed should be watched because they can lead to an increased risk for Diabetes, which is also a link to heart disease.

An optimum weight for height is important as is exercise. "We know that if you work out more, if you sweat more, you increase the quality and duration of good heart health," said Dr. Pratt.

Which is important for firefighters because of the sudden, vigorous exercise that occurs at fire scenes that can cause problems. 

"A lot of what we're finding out in the latest research, it has to do with the catecholamine release for the fire. So they go from zero to hero in a short period of time. With that, comes this release of catecholamines that can cause blockages," said Capt. Kevin Klar, Wellness and Fitness Coordinator for the LACoFD.  

"What we eat, how we eat it, how much we exercise, workout and sweat are the most important determinants of being a firefighter who has a long, healthy, safe career and a firefighter who dies, regrettably, prematurely, from sudden cardiac death," said Dr. Pratt.

The NVFC has offered the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program to first responders since 2003 to combat the problem of heart disease in first responders.

"We offer a variety of resources on our website at www.healthy-firefighter.org," said Lillian Ricardo, Health and Safety Project Coordinator for the NVFC.

The website also includes links to other sites including  the American Heart Association. There is information on how to prevent heart disease along with risk assessment tools to help assess a person's risk of heart and other related diseases.

Contributors to this story:
Barbara Brooks - Video Reporter & Text
Ann Zevely - Video Editor

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Author:Barbara Brooks, Ann Zevely - FDNNTV.com