Ala. Firefighters Take to the Water for Weigh-ins

April 11--Ten Montgomery Fire/Rescue Department recruits on Thursday underwent hydrostatic weigh-ins as part of testing for weight requirements to become a firefighter.

At Auburn Montgomery's Human Performance Lab, the "endless pool" at the university's Wellness Center is used for hydrostatic -- or underwater -- weigh-ins, considered the gold standard in equipment used to measure body composition. This was the first test the newest recruits faced.

"We're very proactive as far as physical fitness," said District Chief J.K. Petrey of Montgomery Fire Rescue. "They have to meet a certain percentage of body fat. It's all for the health of the firefighter. It is a very strenuous job."

Petrey said men younger than 30 are required to have a body fat percentage of less than 20 percent. For men 30 and older, the requirement is 24 percent.

Todd Jenkins, a graduate assistant at AUM who assisted with the tests Thursday, said hydrostatic weighing shows how much water displacement takes place when a person goes underwater.

"We all hear that muscle is much more dense than fat," he said. "So the more muscle you have, the heavier you're going to be underneath the water. So you can see, they are attaching a scale here, and the higher the number, the more muscle you have, and the better body composition you have in reference to body fat."

Years ago, the Montgomery Fire Department initiated several studies to evaluate the health and performance status of Montgomery firefighters, said Hank Williford, head of AUM's kinesiology department and the man who developed the Human Performance Lab. They were concerned that if a firefighter became unfit physically, the firefighter would then be at a disadvantage in terms of performing duties, Williford said.

Several physical performance research studies were initiated to investigate the relationship between physical fitness and performance. The research projects were conducted in cooperation with the Human Performance Laboratory at AUM. The lab routinely conducts research related to health, fitness and performance.

"We have a very low occurrence of injuries, "And that is partially due to the physical fitness requirements," Petrey said.

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