Predicting performance on a firefighter's ability test from fitness parameters

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to identify the relationships between various fitness parameters such as upper body muscular endurance, upper and lower body strength, flexibility, body composition and performance on an ability test (AT) that included simulated firefighting tasks. A second intent was to create a regression model that would predict firefighter performance on the test. Thirty-eight experienced firefighters performed the AT and underwent assessments for the fitness parameters. Multiple regression analyses indicated that variation in the fitness parameters explained a significant, F(6, 36) = 6.31, p < .001, proportion (55%) of the variation observed in the AT. The results demonstrated that upper muscular strength and endurance as well as low body composition were significantly related (p < .01) to better performances on the simulated firefighting tasks. Variables such as low back and hamstring flexibility, upper and lower body strength, and body composition may contribute significantly to the model's predictive power.