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DAOD 4007-4, Fire Fighter Physical Fitness Maintenance Program

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Program Administration
  3. Participation
  4. Medical Considerations
  5. Remedial Actions
  6. References

1. Introduction

Date of Issue: 2002-06-18

Date of Modification: 2003-05-30

Application: This is an order that applies to officers and non-commissioned members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF members) and a directive that applies to employees of the Department of National Defence (DND).

Supersession:

Approval Authorities: This DAOD is issued under the authority of the Chief of Military Personnel (CMP) and the Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources - Civilian) (ADM[HR-Civ]).

Enquiries:

2. Program Administration

Aim

2.1 The Fire Fighters Physical Fitness Maintenance Program (FF PFMP) is a wellness program designed to promote physical fitness and a physically active lifestyle that will ensure that DND employees of the fire fighter classification and CAF members of the fire fighter military occupation (hereinafter "DND/CF fire fighters") possess the physical ability and capacity to complete demanding tasks at irregular intervals.

Components

2.2 The FF PFMP consists of:

Delivery of the FF PFMP

2.3 The Directorate of Physical Education (DPE) of the Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency (CFPSA) is responsible for the delivery of the FF PFMP. CFPSA physical fitness staff members are responsible to their respective commanding officers (COs) for planning, organizing, conducting, instructing and evaluating the FF PFMP.

Annual Evaluation

2.4 All DND/CAF fire fighters who are required to participate in the FF PFMP shall be evaluated annually. The evaluation shall be conducted during the last four months of the calendar year.

2.5 If the CO or manager of a DND/CAF fire fighter considers that exigencies of the service or other circumstances may not permit evaluation of the fire fighter during the last four months of the calendar year, the CO or manager may direct that the fire fighter participate in the annual evaluation prior to the last four months.

2.6 If a fire fighter cannot complete the annual evaluation due to absence from fire fighter duties during the last four months of the calendar year, the fire fighter shall be evaluated within 30 days upon return to duty.

(amended 2003-05-30)

2.7 Prior to attempting the annual evaluation, all DND/CAF fire fighters shall complete the Health Appraisal Questionnaire at Section B of form DND 2205, CF/DND Firefighter Physical Fitness Maintenance Program.

2.8 Evaluations shall be conducted in accordance with A-PD-050-000/PT-001, An Operations Manual for the Canadian Forces Department of National Defence Fire Fighter Physical Fitness Maintenance Program and the results shall be recorded on form DND 2205.

2.9 To ensure that the right to privacy of a DND/CAF fire fighter being tested is respected during the administration of the evaluation, the CO or manager of the fire fighter shall ensure that, where possible, all persons not being evaluated, or otherwise involved in the testing, leave the evaluation area and not observe the evaluation process.

Career and other Limitations

2.10 A successful FF PFMP annual evaluation in the previous 12 months is mandatory prior to promotion, attendance on a career course, posting to an isolated area or a Her Majesty's Canadian Ship, or participation in an operational deployment, for all CAF fire fighters who are required to participate in the FF PFMP.

2.11 CAF fire fighters participating in the FF PFMP are exempt from evaluation under the CAF EXPRES Program.

2.12 A successful FF PFMP annual evaluation is a condition of employment for all DND fire fighters who are required to participate.

Reporting

2.13 All units with DND/CAF fire fighters shall forward an annual summary report after December to the CFPSA at NDHQ on the evaluation results, indicating the participant's age, sex and evaluation time.

2.14 The Personnel Evaluation Report (PER) of a CAF member who has successfully completed the FF PFMP annual evaluation in the previous 12 months is to be annotated to show that the CAF member is exempt from evaluation under the CAF EXPRES Program.

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3. Participation

Mandatory Participation

3.1 All DND/CAF fire fighters, other than those identified in the "Voluntary Participation" block, shall participate in the FP PFMP, including the annual evaluation. A CO shall ensure that all DND/CAF fire fighters under the CO's command who are required to participate take an active part in the FF PFMP, and shall allocate at least one hour per shift for their physical fitness training or participation in other programs approved by the CO.

Voluntary Participation

3.2 Participation in the FF PFMP is voluntary for:

  1. DND/CF fire chiefs; and
  2. DND fire fighters in any administrative or other position whose duties do not and are not likely to include:
    1. general fire fighter duties related to providing emergency operational response services to combat structural, aircraft, ship, vehicle, special hazard and natural cover fires;
    2. driving and operating general and special fire fighting vehicles;
    3. using self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) or ladders; or
    4. carrying out rescue functions.

3.3 A DND/CAF fire fighter who is not required to participate in the FF PFMP and does not voluntarily participate shall:

  1. be required to pass the FF PFMP annual evaluation before assuming an operational fire fighter position, including an acting position;
  2. in the case of a CAF member, complete the physical fitness evaluation under the CAF EXPRES Program; and
  3. not participate, act as backup or count as a minimum manning requirement, in any exercise, evolution or emergency in which the fire fighter would be required to act as an operational fire fighter.

Fire Inspectors

3.4 A DND employee or CAF member who acts as a fire inspector, or a similar function in an operationally equipped fire department whose mandate includes the requirement to respond to emergencies, shall participate in the FF PFMP, including the annual evaluation.

Contract Fire Fighters

3.5 No person shall be hired as a fire fighter on a casual, term or indeterminate basis unless the person successfully completes the FF PFMP evaluation circuit in eight minutes or less prior to the commencement of employment.

3.6 All new contracts for the provision of fire services by a contractor on a defence establishment shall include a condition that any person employed as a fire fighter by the contractor, or any subcontractor working as a fire fighter, shall complete the FF PFMP evaluation circuit in eight minutes or less prior to the commencement of employment or work as a subcontractor.

4. Medical Considerations

Medical Referral

4.1 A CAF fire fighter shall be medically referred to a CAF Medical Officer (MO), and a DND fire fighter to an approved Health Canada civilian medical doctor, utilizing form DND 2206, FF PFMP - Medical Referral, prior to an annual evaluation and physical fitness training if any of the following apply:

  1. the annual evaluation is the initial evaluation under the FF PFMP;
  2. a YES response is made to any of the items on the Health Appraisal Questionnaire at Section B of form DND 2205, CF/DND Firefighter Physical Fitness Maintenance Program, other than question 8;
  3. a YES response is made to question 8 on the Health Appraisal Questionnaire and the drug the fire fighter is taking appears on the List of Medications at Annex C of A-PD-050-000/PT-001;
  4. the fire fighter's resting heart rate exceeds 100 beats/minute after two measurements;
  5. the fire fighter's resting systolic blood pressure exceeds 140 mmHg or the resting diastolic blood pressure exceeds 90 mmHg;
  6. there is any concern for the well-being of the fire fighter; or
  7. there is any other doubt as to the fire fighter's suitability to take the evaluation.

Medical Recommendations

4.2 The MO or civilian doctor, as applicable, based on their assessment of the referred fire fighter, will make one or more of the following recommendations on form DND 2206, FF PFMP Medical Referral:

  1. the fire fighter is medically fit for the physical fitness annual evaluation under the FF PFMP and subsequent training:
    1. without limitations; or
    2. with limitations as noted; or
  2. the fire fighter is medically unfit for the physical fitness annual evaluation under the FF PFMP and subsequent training:
    1. permanently; or
    2. temporarily.

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5. Remedial Actions

Failure to Participate

5.1 A DND/CAF fire fighter, who is required to participate in the FF PFMP and does not do so for other than a medical reason or exigencies of the service, may be subject to administrative and disciplinary action.

Medical

5.2 If a DND/CAF fire fighter is required to participate in the FF PFMP and cannot participate or complete the annual evaluation for a medical reason, the CO or manager of the fire fighter shall consult the applicable human resources officer for advice.

5.3 A DND/CAF fire fighter, who cannot complete the annual evaluation for medical reasons and is subsequently found medically fit for fire fighter duties and the annual evaluation, shall be evaluated within 90 days.

Action Table

5.4 The following table outlines the remedial actions to be taken in the event of one or more evaluation failures of a DND/CAF fire fighter who is required to participate in the FF PFMP. A failure is any completion of the FF PFMP evaluation circuit in over eight minutes.

Event Action FF PFMP Re-Evaluation
DND Employee CAF Member

First Circuit Failure

Given recorded counselling and placed on a supervised exercise program.

Placed on Recorded Warning and a supervised exercise program.

To be completed by the fire fighter within 90 days of the first circuit failure.

Second Consecutive Circuit Failure

Given recorded counselling and placed on a supervised exercise program.

Placed on Counselling and Probation, and a supervised exercise program.

To be completed by the fire fighter within 90 days of the second circuit failure.

Third Consecutive Circuit Failure

Recommendations for career action to be forwarded by the manager through the Civilian Human Resources Officer to the CO.

Recommendations to be forwarded by the CO to NDHQ/Director General Military Careers (DGMC) where career action will be taken to occupational transfer or release the CAF member as appropriate.

None.

6. References

Acts, Regulations, Central Agency Policies and Policy DAOD

Other References

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