An evidence­ based health evaluation of the FRNSW Tactical Athlete Resilience Program

Brief name: An evidence­based health evaluation of the FRNSW Tactical Athlete Resilience Program Why: There has been a call from researchers and fire agencies alike for increased action surrounding the potential benefit of health intervention and training programs which could benefit firefighters to maintain their health and fitness. There are several limitations of previous research into training health evaluations of firefighters including pooled measurement and lack of objective precision, lack of applicability to firefighter performance outcomes and limited holistic evaluation of the perceptions of key stakeholders within the process (Andrews et al., 2019). What, how and where and when: The tactical athlete resilience program (TARP) intervention will be a cohort design in one group of firefighters receiving the intervention (baseline versus post-test). Firefighters will complete baseline testing prior to the intervention (within 7 days prior to intervention). In the intervention condition, firefighters will complete 10 supervised fitness programme sessions delivered at SSFC Headquarters (SSFC HQ) over 10 weeks. Sessions will be approximately 2 h sessions that combine interactive learning of behaviour change techniques with graded group-based physical activity exercise prescription. The training content within the session will be at the discretion of the South Sydney Football Club coaches (conducted onsite at their facilities) and the participants but controlled within standardised guidelines set out by the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA, 2019). All SSFC coaches are accredited and bound by these guidelines. This exercise plan will be individually based program, with a 5 min warm-up circuit at 50% working weight, and dynamic stretching, followed by resistance and endurance training. These exercise types including gym-based exercises (resistance: weights including lunges, goblet squats, step ups and machine-based leg press and leg curl for the lower body, and machine-based chest press, shoulder press and cable pull down and cable row for the upper body and endurance: on treadmills, cycling and rowing ergometers), on-field conditioning (jogging) and flexibility training (indoors). SSFC coaches will teach participants to choose from a ‘toolbox’ of behaviour change techniques (including setting and reviewing goals for behaviours and outcomes, action planning, self-monitoring, and information about health and emotional consequences of change) and to emphasise personally relevant benefits of behaviour change (e.g., being better able to fulfil valued activities and roles). These behaviour-change techniques will be offered as tools for participants to use for however long they find them useful and to encourage others to develop internalised and self-relevant motivation for becoming more active, sitting less, and eating a healthier diet (Ryan et al., 2000). The participants will be familiarised with the protocols prior to commencing. Participants will also be encouraged to participate in on additional session per week (non-supervised/off-site). Who: Training sessions will be designed, supervised and prescribed by South Sydney Football Club coaches as mentioned prior. Participants will be full time FRNSW personnel. How well: Adherence to the intervention will be objectively measured via attendance sheets by the supervisor at each training session.