The HPSP Lab is intricately involved with the City of Milwaukee Fire Department and the Safety Academy in research and service projects focused on firefighters as occupational athletes. Our Lab is currently assisting in the development and validation of new measures and protocols for the integrated evaluation of health and fitness, and performance of new Recruits, Cadets, and current Active-Duty firefighters. Our primary objective is to determine the independent and inter-related physiological and psychological determinants of firefighting performance, and to ultimately use these determinants to guide the development of new training programs designed to meet the needs of firefighters. Our secondary objective is to examine the relationship between performance level and injury risk, as well as functional movement patterns and injury risk, among firefighters. This collaboration has also expanded to include the City of Madison Fire Department as well.
The City of Milwaukee Fire Department was presented a Community Partnership Award by UWM’s College of Health Sciences for being an ideal partner in the collaboration to improve performance and injury care for firefighters. Pictured are Milwaukee firefighters and staff (L to R) HEO Josh Lang, Lt. Jordan Ponder, Chief Mark Rohlfing, Jason Mims, Battalion Chief Erich Roden and Lab Director Kyle Ebersole.
