Sudden cardiac death is the number one cause of on-the-job deaths in firefighters. Fatal arrhythmia is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death.

Firefighter activities associated with sudden cardiac death are typical firefighter duties that cause elevated heart rates, higher blood pressures, and increased levels of sympathetic hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) such as fighting a fire, physical training, and responding to a loud alarm alerting the firefighter of a call to respond to.

In general, traditional risk factors such as coronary atherosclerosis, obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, age, and family history impact a firefighter’s risk for sudden cardiac death. Cardiac health is important to firefighters and fire departments. Fire departments often have established goals and programs to help improve firefighters health and wellness.

Two examples of efforts in the fire service to reduce smoking/ tobacco use among firefighters are in Massachusetts, where firefighters and police are not allowed to smoke, and in the Los Angeles Fire Department, where firefighters are prohibited from using tobacco.

References:

Kales SN, Soteriades ES, Christophi CA, Christiani DC. Emergency duties and deaths from heart disease among firefighters in the United States.N Engl J Med. 2007; 356:1207–1215. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa060357.

Smith DL, DeBlois JP, Kales SN, Horn GP. Cardiovascular strain of firefighting and the risk of sudden cardiac events.Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2016; 44:90–97. doi: 10.1249/JES.0000000000000081.

https://malegislature.gov/laws/generallaws/parti/titlevii/chapter41/section101a

https://www.joinlafd.org/index.cfm?section=qualifications

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sudden-cardiac-arrest/symptoms-causes/syc-20350634