Recruitment of firefighters is, in part, hindered due to attrition from fire academies. This study explored initial fitness differences between those who graduated (GRAD) or were released (REL) from the academy. During the first week of the academy, recruits (N = 407; GRAD = 354, REL = 53; 26.6 ± 7.2 yrs; 177.6 ± 8.6 cm; 87.9 ± 17.2 kg) completed an assessment battery including: body composition using skinfold calipers to estimate percent body fat (BF) and fat-free mass (FFM); shoulder mobility via Apley’s scratch test (APLEY); aerobic fitness (VO2peak) and heart rate recovery (HRR1min) estimated from the five-minute Forestry step test; muscular strength via the sum of right and left handgrip (SHG); and muscular endurance via a paced two-minute push-up test (PU). A t-test identified age differences between GRAD and REL, followed by separate ANCOVAs for each fitness measure, and logistic regression to identify the ability of fitness measures to predict academy outcome. GRAD had a lower age and BF and a higher FFM, VO2peak, SHG, and PU, but did not differ in APLEY or HRR1min. The full model predicting release was significant; age, BF, and FFM were significant predictors. These results provide pre-fire academy preparation guidance for optimizing the potential for successful academy completion.
Brau et al. (2026) studied this question.