FROSTBURG — Frostburg State University’s department of kinesiology has collaborated with local volunteer firefighters on two projects that allow graduate students in the athletic training program to conduct original research while simultaneously providing beneficial services to the community.
In 2022, Lauren Pacinelli, coordinator of clinical education in the graduate athletic training program, and Jackie Durst, associate professor of kinesiology, developed the Rural Firefighter Resiliency Project. “The purpose of this project was to investigate rural, volunteer firefighter mobility, strength and power and present a corrective intervention that would improve target areas of deficits,” said Pacinelli.
According to statistics, volunteer firefighters have a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal injury and cardiovascular complications compared to their career counterparts. Research shows that more than 60% of national fire rescue units are volunteers, which only emphasizes the importance of the work FSU’s graduate students are conducting.
The pilot program had 12 local volunteer firefighters participate. Graduate students used the results from their assessments to build individualized exercise programs to correct mobility and performance deficits and improve overall function.
According to Pacinelli and Durst, students gained valuable and unique research experience, all 12 participants reported improvements in one or more of the assessed areas and the department of kinesiology now has the foundation to move forward on more collaborations with the local volunteer firefighter network.
The department also launched a second project titled “Influence of Gear on Firefighter Postural Stability and Strength.” Volunteer and career firefighters from the rural Western Maryland region are encouraged to participate.
“Graduate students are completing three data collection sessions on volunteer participants to assess postural stability, anaerobic capacity/fitness and lower body strength,” said Pacinelli. “Participants are assessed with and without their thermal protective gear.”
The goal of both initiatives is to evaluate and improve volunteer firefighter performance to decrease injury to them. “The more physically prepared volunteer firefighters are, the safer they will be during an active rescue, which then improves the outcomes of the emergency incident that required rescuers,” said Pacinelli.
For more information on how to participate, contact Pacinelli at lepacinelli@frostburg.edu or 301-687-4497.