How firefighters, these almost top-level athletes, prepare

As we know, the giant fire that ravaged the Aude this week (17,000 hectares burned in three days), the largest this year in France, provided further proof: in summer, due to drought, vegetation ignites in a fraction of a second. The strong wind fans the flames, and thousands of hectares go up in smoke in a few hours. Faced with danger, helmeted figures advance methodically. For firefighters, endurance is more important than speed. Sometimes it means holding out for several dozen hours on the front line. "It's a war that we wage in small pieces of ground gained. We need guys who are physically prepared to guarantee the safety of the intervention," summarizes Régis Serra, chief warrant officer in Martigues.

Before the danger, too, there's a lot of talk about method and precision. In Bouches-du-Rhône, the physical fitness assessment of firefighters, whether professional or volunteer, is mandatory every year before April 30. "We want to be sure that our guys will be ready for the fire season ," explains Régis Serra. " The exam consists of a Luc Léger test to assess cardiopulmonary capacity, supplemented by core strengthening, push-ups, and a flexibility test."

In their shift schedule - which generally lasts 24 hours - 1 hour 30 minutes is dedicated to physical activity. "We work a lot in intervals of 30 seconds of effort, 30 seconds of recovery, because on a mission we are not on a long and continuous exercise but rather on interval training. We will, for example, pull our hose while running for 40 m up a hill, then take a break while the water arrives and pull the hose filled with water again," explains Régis Serra, one of the physical activity referents of SDIS13, the Bouches-du-Rhône Fire and Rescue Service.

Pascal Louvrier, an expert on the sports committee of the French National Federation of Firefighters, compares the effort in the face of fire to a half-marathon-type activity: "We are really dealing with fundamental endurance activities. The drowning activity, for example, which consists of dousing the fumaroles with large buckets of water, can last for hours." Just like a long-distance race, refueling is fundamental.

A firefighter can lose up to 1.5 liters of water per hour while on duty. "Some people regularly suffer from heatstroke," explains Laurent Savath, chief medical officer in Hérault. (Adobe Stock)

In the heat and wearing protective suits, firefighters can lose up to 1.5 liters of water per hour. "Some people regularly suffer from heatstroke. On major operations, we have a whole logistics system that allows us to have water and simple nutrition available: cakes, compotes, etc. Because an intervention can last up to 6 to 8 hours of intense effort, without us being able to remove our teams from the field," explains Laurent Savath, chief doctor in Hérault.

But the hours of sports scheduled at the fire station are not enough to guarantee optimal physical preparation. "That's the real difference between firefighters and high-level athletes ," emphasizes Régis Serra: "we can't push ourselves to the limit in training, because we don't know what awaits us behind. The athlete knows he'll be able to recover; a firefighter can be called at any time to intervene in a ten-story building. His priority is to be physically fresh, not to perform in competition."

As a result, firefighters are encouraged to exercise outside of the fire station, in their free time. To help them, the SDIS are increasingly drawing inspiration from the world of sport. The Nièvre department, where Pascal Louvrier works, is one of the first to have tested personalized programs on professionals: "We send tailor-made training plans directly to their phones. We use the Vald [effort] platform, used at Insep and in all the Creps in France." The objective is to move away from initially very military preparation towards more targeted training.

Even the medical staff is becoming more specialized. "Today, we really work with experts, like physiotherapist Julien Przybyla, one of the referents for all the sports federations during the Olympic Games." It's about adapting physical preparation to the reality of the effort required on the field. "Before, the cult of the body was very present among firefighters. Little by little, we shifted towards a notion of robustness, more in line with our missions," summarizes Régis Serra.

Initially very military, firefighter training is increasingly inspired by the world of sport, particularly through the use of personalized programs. (Adobe Stock)

Large fires mobilize several hundred or even several thousand firefighters. More than 2,000 of them fought the flames in the Aude. In the field, maneuvers are systematically carried out in pairs. During the annual medical examination that validates the ability to go into the field, Laurent Savath ensures that no one can put the others in danger: "I make sure that the firefighter is not at risk of collapsing and endangering the life of his colleague. I also want to be sure that he will be able to get an injured comrade off the path and evacuate him to a treatment area."

A former footballer, Régis Serra is very sensitive to the idea of maintaining team spirit within his troops, particularly through sports: "In the South, we love football, but as this sport is prone to accidents, we adapt the rules. We also play ultimate [a team sport involving the use of a frisbee] and touch rugby."

Essential cohesion, including to better manage pressure. "We are increasingly using cardiac coherence tools, as in rugby for example, to gain serenity before exercise," continues Laurent Savath. Mental preparation is still in its infancy among firefighters, but is set to develop to gain lucidity on the ground.