The Effect of Physical Fitness on Occupational Performance in Civil Defense and Firefighting Program Students

This research investigated the association between firefighting students’ physical fitness characteristics and the duration required to complete simulated occupational tasks. A total of 53 healthy male firefighting trainees voluntarily participated in the study (mean age: 19.81 ± 1.65 years; height: 1.78 ± 0.06 cm; body weight: 77.87 ± 12.09 kg). Fitness assessments included body mass index, handgrip strength, back–leg strength, and VO₂max evaluations. Occupational performance was evaluated through four simulation-based tasks: balance beam walking, forcible entry, hose pulling, and victim rescue. The distribution of the data was assessed for normality using the Shapiro–Wilk test. The relationship between variables was examined using Pearson correlation analysis.Results revealed a moderate, negative, and statistically significant correlation between VO₂max and task completion time (r = -0.397, p = 0.003). Students with higher aerobic capacity were able to complete tasks more quickly. No significant associations were observed between completion time and other fitness parameters. These findings emphasize that aerobic capacity plays a critical role in firefighting performance. Accordingly, the development of cardiorespiratory endurance should be a priority in training programs for firefighting students. Future research is needed to explore the contribution of muscle strength and other physiological factors to occupational performance in greater depth to establish reference standards.