Is it Time to Reassess the Work Capacity Test?

By C. M. DeHart

[C. M. DeHart (NFPA Fire Instructor I) worked as a squad boss and fireline EMT with the U.S. Forest Service and currently serves as a Prevention Education Team Member and Public Information Officer.]

Since 1998, the Work Capacity Test (WCT or “Pack Test”), which is required to become a wildland firefighter, has resulted in numerous injuries and 18 documented deaths.

Some people thrive on this test. Others suffer, severely, for days or months afterwards. Some will die on it.

As a firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), I have taken the Arduous Duty, Moderate Duty and Light Duty Pack Test, or served as medical standby, during at least 36 tests. During every test, I have witnessed extraordinary levels of pain.

Veteran firefighters, sawyers, incident commanders, division supervisors, crew bosses, squad bosses and safety officers, have shown these medical symptoms during Pack Tests:

• Excruciating shin pain.
• Red, flushed skin, profuse sweating, difficulty breathing.
• Pale, ashen skin.
• Severe chest pain, dizziness, difficulty breathing, blurred vision.

Despite pain that screams for them to stop, firefighters push themselves, beyond what they know is healthy. If they stop, they fail the test. All fireline qualifications requiring the WCT are revoked until the test can be passed.

In addition to heart attacks and heat strokes, one of the most serious injuries which occurs during Pack Tests is rhabdomyolysis (rhabdo). Rhabdo may cause permanent disability or death when overexerted muscle tissue releases its proteins and electrolytes into the blood. No medical exam can predict who will get rhabdomyolysis.

Shown below is a compartment syndrome surgery wound, a potential complication of severe rhabdomyolysis, resulting from a Light Duty capacity test.

This photo is from the Light Duty Work Capacity Test Exertional Compartment Syndrome Incident FLA, available on the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center’s website.

A test should never risk a person’s health, and especially, never take a life. It is time to reassess how we determine a person’s ability to fight wildland fires.

Fatalities

Fatalities are documented in the NWCG’s annual “Fatality, Entrapment and Accident Safety Gram” reports, including training deaths, injuries and rhabdomyolysis casualties:

• 02/07/98. Heart Attack. Coos Bay, Oregon. Federal. NWCG Safety Gram 1998
  • Fire Fighter Close Calls Oregon WCT deaths

• 01/11/99. WCT, Heart Attack. Ozark/St. Francis NF. Federal. NWCG Safety Gram 1999

• 09/17/00. Test, Heart Attack. Elkins, WV. State. NWCG Safety Gram 2000

• 02/06/01. WCT, Heart Attack. Homochitto RD, MS. Federal. NWCG Safety Gram 2001

• 03/17/01. WCT, Heart Attack. Larkspur, CO. Volunteer. NWCG Safety Gram 2001

• 03/18/02. WCT, Brain Hemorrhage. Dillon, MT. State. NWCG Safety Gram 2002

• 03/20/02. WCT, Aneurism. Deary, ID. Contractor. NWCG Safety Gram 2002

• 05/31/02. WCT, Heart Attack. Sycuan, CA. Federal. NWCG Safety Gram 2002
  • NIOSH Fatality Report #200428

• 04/28/03. WCT, Heart Attack. Chapel Hill, NC. State. NWCG Safety Gram 2003

• 06/05/04. WCT, Heart Attack. The Dalles, OR. State. NWCG Safety Gram 2004

• 06/08/04. WCT, Heart Attack. Bridger, MT. Volunteer. NWCG Safety Gram 2004
  • NIOSH Fatality Report #200441

• 04/28/05. WCT, Heart Attack. Sweet, ID. Volunteer. NWCG Safety Gram 2007
  • NIOSH Fatality Report #200734

• 07/24/13. WCT, Heart Attack. Ohkay Owingeh, NM. BIA. NWCG Safety Gram 2013

• 03/08/14. WCT, Heart Attack. Star Valley, AZ. State. NWCG Safety Gram 2014
  • NIOSH Fatality Report #201412

• 05/17/14. WCT, Heart Attack. New Castle, WY. State. NWCG Safety Gram 2014
  • NIOSH Fatality Report #201413

• 04/06/15. WCT, Heart Attack. Merlin, OR. State. NWCG Safety Gram 2015

• 06/06/15. WCT, Heart Attack. Buenos Aires, AZ. SCA. NWCG Safety Gram 2015
  • NIOSH Fatality Report #201516

• 01/26/18. WCT, Medical. Puerto Rico. Local Govt. NWCG Safety Gram 2018