Abstract
Firefighter health is of utmost importance both to first responders and the individuals they serve daily. The impact of shift schedule on firefighter health remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in health and performance outcomes in firefighters across two different shift schedules. Firefighter (N = 1995) body composition, muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory endurance were assessed and described. A Mann-Whitney U test was conducted to compare differences between shift schedules (48/96 and 4's and 6's). There was a statistically significant difference in BMI (U = 70115, z=-1.988, p = .047), BF% (U = 67341, z=-2.779, p = .005), and trunk flexion score (U = 81362, z = 1.979, p = .048) favoring the 48/96 shift schedule. Firefighters following a 48/96 shift schedule exhibited improved body composition and fitness performance in comparison to peers who followed a 4's and 6's shift schedule. Findings may guide regional firefighter scheduling to optimize health and performance.
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