Physiologic strain of SCBA confidence course training compared to circuit training and live-fire training

Abstract Firefighting is a dangerous occupation and even training carries substantial risks. Self-contained breathing apparatus confidence courses (SCBACC) are a common type of training. Purpose Compare the physiological strain of SCBACC to live-fire training (LFT) and circuit training (CT) among academy cadets. Methods Cadets wore physiologic status monitors to assess heart rate (HR) and estimated core temperature (ECT) during CT, LFT, and SCBACC of similar duration (33–38 min). Results Data from 52 cadet firefighters (28 ± 4 yrs old) were analyzed. ECT (38.6 ± 0.4 vs 39.3 ± 0.7 vs. 39.3 ± 0.6ᵒC), peak HR (182.6 ± 9.1 vs. 192.7 ± 9.5 vs 195.9 ± 9.6 bpm), and age-predicted maximal HR (APMHR%; 94.6 ± 4.6 vs 99.9 ± 4.9 vs. 101.5 ± 4.8%) were significantly (p  Conclusions SCBACC produced physiological strain greater than CT and similar to LFT. SCBACC resulted in sustained HR at 100% of age-predicted maximal values, a peak ECT of 39.3 °C, and should be considered as physiologically stressful as LFT.