The death rate of firefighters while on duty is increasing each year. Of these, nearly half of the deaths are due to heart disease. According to a massive research conducted in US, firefighters face a greater risk of dying from heart disease while fighting fire than while engaged in other works.

 For a firefighter, only 5 percent of their working hours are spent in firefighting. This activity demands a lot of physical pressure and they are also exposed to toxins. The rest of the time is spent doing administrative work. So these people usually lack regular physical activity and medical examinations are also not conducted regularly in the firehouses. The cardiac arrest faced by the firefighters is due to stress or exertion.

According to the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), firefighters need health and fitness programs regularly. Diet and nutritional guidelines must be given and a change in lifestyle should be encouraged. Another suggestion is that, before being recruited as firefighters, they must meet certain health and fitness standards. They also need to be evaluated annually to check if they are suffering from any health related problems. There has to be an increasing awareness among firefighters and the other population as well about the serious health problem that is facing the fire services.