Firefighter Oxygen and Physical Exertion Based on Fitness Attributes (Research)

Oxygen is a precious commodity when fighting fires and there is only so much a truck can carry at once. Oxygen usage can be a sign of physical exertion and different types of physical attributes will determine how much oxygen a firefighter would use. A study of 6 firefighters helped determine how much oxygen is used based on fitness attributes that can be used for planning operations.

Oxygen-Physical Exertion Study Results

-Strong firefighters should be used for upstairs operations. 

-Fast firefighters should be used for ground operations.

-Medium to large loads should use a shoulder strap. 

-Small loads should be hand carried up and down the stairs.

You may read the study at Research on optimal strategy of different fire rescue tasks based on oxygen consumption

While the study doesn't necessarily say this we might consider that conditioning includes weight and speed training for stronger utilization. 

Tang J, Zhang X, Wang Z, Liang T, Liu W. Research on optimal strategy of different fire rescue tasks based on oxygen consumption. Front Physiol. 2025 Mar 24;16:1548031. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1548031. PMID: 40196719; PMCID: PMC11973316. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11973316/

Note: Continuing to work on a project to help volunteer and full-time firefighters with a website that hosts firefighter research, strategies, training videos and information. It will hopefully also be used to support fundraising efforts, but we will wait to see.