Eight of Frederick County Fire and Rescue’s newest recruits shed a combined 180 pounds during a six-month training program through Onelife Fitness of Winchester.
The program, which is part of the department’s heightened emphasis on health, aims to help quicken response times to emergencies and promote a healthier unit. Recruits underwent training that included external strength and agility programs.
Becca Toler, Onelife’s explosive performance training director, said she studied the rhythms of the firefighter’ routines while planning workout programs relevant to the career. She said she observed, and even participated in, some of the drills that firefighters do to prepare for emergency calls.
“We have a very specific kind of programming tailored to what they do in their field. I have so much respect for what firefighters do to keep us safe,” Toler said.
Recruits found the training beneficial in terms of personal fitness and team-building.
Christian Bomgardner, now with Greenwood Fire and Rescue Company, was one of the original eight recruits to participate in the training program. He said the experience — training alongside other recruits — taught him to push himself.
“I also feel I am a lot better on the fire ground, and I have noticed I do not use as much air when using a SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus),” Bomgardner said.
Cardiovascular strength — central to the firefighting profession — is something Onelife staff emphasizes in the performance enhancement drills. Bilateral and unilateral exercises were also included, bolstering the squad’s mobility while engaging a range of muscle groups.
The eight recruits, part of Class 11, have now graduated to become members of the force.
Now, its Class 12’s turn to train at Onelife, and they have been doing so for the last two months.
Training Division Lt. Kyle Ritter, who oversees training for the academy’s recruits, first reached out to Onelife Fitness in 2021.
“Late 2021, early 2022, Fire and Rescue Systems Chief Steven Majchrzak decided it was time for a change to our physical fitness program with the main goal of reducing injury during physical fitness training. Facilities were limited before partnering with Onelife Fitness,” Ritter explained.
Limitations on space in the workout room at fire and rescue headquarters often led the recruits outside for training. The 10-15 recruits in each class had to squeeze to fit into the workout room. Once outside, the potential for injury increased because the trainees were running on harder surfaces and using sandbags, according to Ritter.
The attempt to reduce training injuries has so far been successful. Recruit Class 10, which was the last to train at department headquarters, logged 23 injuries over seven months. That compares to just two injuries over the course of Class 11’s seven-month training stint.
The results of a mobility test done by Onelife, called functional movement screening, revealed the recruits improved from an average score of 14.7 to 16.33 in the course of the training period — a marked improvement in collective athletic growth. Class 11’s time for the 1.5-mile run also dropped 1 minute and 20 seconds.
“Mobility for firefighters is super important because they have to get into really tight spaces. They have to be on their hands and knees,” Toler said.
It’s no secret that firefighters face numerous hazards.
“That’s a huge thing: reducing injuries and being healthier. In the firefighter occupation, the risks of heart attacks and strokes are very high,” Toler said.
Frederick County Fire and Rescue has 139 career employees and 11 fire and rescue stations. The department answered 12,000 service-related calls last year.
