Firefighter- and Fire Department-Level Barriers and Promoters of Physical Activity and Fitness Among Volunteer Firefighters: A Qualitative Study Using Semistructured Interviews.

Objective: To describe volunteer firefighters' perspectives on how firefighter- and fire department-level factors influence their physical activity and fitness.

Methods: Firefighters (n = 28) were interviewed, stratified by their years of firefighting, using an interview guide. Thematic analysis and systematic coding were used to analyze the interview transcripts.

Results: Five themes were identified: (1) health and firefighting performance, (2) firefighter time and availability, (3) responsibility of the fire department to support volunteer members' physical fitness, (4) fire training drills as a form of functional physical activity, and (5) fitness initiatives at the department. Interviewing by years of experience showed varied perspectives that converged toward similar conclusions.

Conclusions: Incorporating fitness discussions into department meetings and trainings and identifying fitness advocates within the department may contribute to overcoming barriers to physical fitness among volunteer firefighters.