The First 20 Fire Academy Recruits Exercise Training Program

October 19, 2017 updated by: Katie M. Heinrich, Kansas State University

The First Twenty Exercise Training Program and Fire Academy Recruits' Fitness and Health

"The First Twenty (TF20) Exercise Training Program and Fire Academy Recruits' Fitness and Health" was thesis research completed in the Functional Intensity Training Laboratory (FIT Lab) at Kansas State University. The purpose was to assess the performance outcomes, acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of an innovative 14-week Firefighter Fitness and Wellness Program. This study explored if TF20 program was a valid preparatory program for fire academy recruits training for the physical job of a firefighter compared to standard care of taking a college fitness class. It was hypothesized that TF20 group would see greater fitness improvements than the comparison group, the training program would be acceptable and feasible, and that TF20 group would report higher levels of group cohesion.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The First Twenty (TF20) is an innovative computer based firefighter training program that provides foundational educational principles around firefighter physical fitness, mental wellness, and nutrition and is much more cost effective than other fitness program options. The current Fire Academy at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) does little to address the physical fitness of its firefighter recruits other than the physical skills taught in class. The recruits are required to either have previously taken or be concurrently enrolled in a 1 credit hour fitness class offered through the community college. HPER 240, Lifetime Fitness, introduces the student to basic fitness principles, physical activity and the relationship to a healthy lifestyle. The course is graded based on an initial assessment/orientation and participation; the student must log so many hours at the JCCC Gym (JCCC, 2015). This course may be waived at the discretion of the Fire Academy Director if the student can prove they have an active gym membership at a local gym facility. The recruits participate in highly physically demanding tasks as they learn the job of a firefighter. Part of the class is spent indoors for lecture. The remainder of the class is spent on the drill ground learning basic firefighter skills such as donning bunker gear (personal protective equipment) and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), navigating through dark search quarters, searching and removing a victim in a fire room, climbing ladders, cutting ventilation holes on flat and pitched roofs, and fighting live fire in a propane burn facility. The recruits are also required to take the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) during the Fire Academy. The CPAT is a timed physical ability test designed to assess the fitness of firefighter candidates and is used as a screening tool for hiring new firefighters. In addition to completing the current requirements for the Fire Academy, this study included a baseline assessment, 14- weeks of group exercise training, and a post-test assessment. Fire Academy recruits were required to have taken or be concurrently enrolled in a one credit hour gym class; this study took the place of that one credit hour physical requirement. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two exercise groups: TF20 or the Comparison Group (CG). TF20 group exercised five days per week for 14 weeks, similar to the requirements of the Lifetime Fitness (HPER 240) course; the Comparison Group were asked to continue their current exercise regimen (ie: HPER 240 course). Travel workout options were available for TF20 group. It was hypothesized that TF20 group would see greater fitness improvements than the comparison group, TF20 group would find the training program acceptable and feasible, and TF20 group would report higher levels of group cohesion than the comparison/control group.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
13

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Kansas
      • Manhattan, Kansas, United States, 66506
        • Kansas State University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Accepted for admission into spring 2016 Johnson County Community College Fire Academy; did not answer "YES" to any of the PAR-Q questions.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Answering "YES" to any of the PAR-Q questions will require physician's clearance for participation in the study; known cardiovascular, metabolic, or respiratory disease, or having an internal pacemaker are all exclusionary criteria.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: The First Twenty
TF20 group completed a structured exercise program. Once a week a trained firefighter with current CPR and First Aid certifications met with the group to assess progress and answer questions about the workouts or the program. The rest of the time, the participants completed the workouts on their own time. Workouts contained a combination of aerobic (e.g., running, rowing, jumping), body weight (e.g., air squats, pushups, situps), and weight lifting (e.g., presses, back squats, lunges) exercises with workouts designed to use equipment available in an exercise/gym facility (e.g., weight racks, benches). Sixty-minute TF20 sessions included a warm-up, workout and cool down. All sessions were able to be logged online in TF20 program.
Behavioral: The First Twenty
The First Twenty workouts were part of an online training program that provided resistance and endurance exercises, nutritional information, and mental performance guidance. The intervention, created by firefighters for firefighters, was a 10-week periodized program with workouts increasing in frequency and intensity each week.
Active Comparator: Comparison
The Comparison Group followed and documented their regular workout routine for 14 weeks. Once a week, a trained firefighter with current CPR and First Aid certifications met with the group to discuss questions. Participants were able to choose when to complete their workouts.
Behavioral: Comparison
Documentation of having previously taken or concurrent enrollment in a 1 credit hour fitness class offered through the community college. HPER 240, Lifetime Fitness, introduced the student to basic fitness principles, physical activity and the relationship to a healthy lifestyle. The course was graded based on an initial assessment/orientation and participation; the student was required to log hours at the community college gym. This course was waived at the discretion of the Fire Academy Director if the student proved they had an active gym membership at a local gym facility.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change Candidate Physical Ability Test Time
Time Frame: Week 0 and Week 11
The CPAT consists of eight separate events. This test is a sequence of events that requires the candidate to progress along a predetermined path from event to event in a continuous manner. This is a pass/fail test based on a maximum total time of 10 minutes and 20 seconds.
Week 0 and Week 11

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Body Mass Index (BMI)
Time Frame: Week 0 and Week 11
Measured height in meters and measured weight in kilograms were used to calculate BMI as kg/m2
Week 0 and Week 11
Change in Body Composition
Time Frame: Week 0 and Week 11
A Tanita TBF-300 scale was used to measure changes in body fat percentage, fat mass, and fat free mass.
Week 0 and Week 11
Change in Post Exercise Heart Rate
Time Frame: Week 0 and Week 11
Heart Rate in beats per minute was assessed via a heart rate monitor immediately post-exercise
Week 0 and Week 11
Change in Blood Pressure
Time Frame: Week 0 and Week 11
An Omron BP785 10 series monitor will be used to assess blood pressure after the participant has been seated comfortably for at least 5 minutes.
Week 0 and Week 11
Change in Estimated VO2Max
Time Frame: Week 0 and Week 11
Sub-Maximal Graded Exercise Test using a StairMaster 7000pt
Week 0 and Week 11
Change in Hand Grip Strength
Time Frame: Week 0 and Week 11
A Hand Grip Dynamometer will be used to assess hand grip strength in kg
Week 0 and Week 11
Change in Vertical Jump Height
Time Frame: Week 0 and Week 11
A Vertec vertical jump tester will be used to measure jump height in cm
Week 0 and Week 11
Change in Push-ups
Time Frame: Week 0 and Week 11
Participants will complete as many push-ups repetitions as possible in 2 minutes
Week 0 and Week 11
Change in Curl-ups
Time Frame: Week 0 and Week 11
Participants will complete the American College of Sports Medicine curl-up 12-inch test
Week 0 and Week 11
Change in Agility
Time Frame: Week 0 and Week 11
Participants will complete the Agility T-Test
Week 0 and Week 11
Change in Flexibility
Time Frame: Week 0 and Week 11
Participants will complete the sit-and-reach test using a Flexometer
Week 0 and Week 11

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Kansas State University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Development and Research Institutes, Inc.

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Katie M Heinrich, PhD, Kansas State University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 15, 2016

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 16, 2016

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 16, 2016

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 13, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 19, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 24, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 24, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 19, 2017

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 8063

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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