Abstract
Background: The life-or-death nature of firefighting exposes those who respond to calls to an increased number of stressors that can impact performance and overall well-being. To combat this, the mental element of firefighting can be optimized through psychological skills training programs and mindfulness training. Other tactical populations, such as the police force, military, and emergency medicine units have found success in implementing these interventions, Literature suggests a similar effect may be observed in firefighters because of their similar demands; although, little research exists regarding the effects of mental performance programs on firefighter populations specifically.
Methods: A review of existing literature was conducted using the search words: “mental performance,” “tactical,” “attention,” “firefighter,” and “mindfulness”. The results were narrowed by excluding articles that were not peer reviewed, scholarly, or published between 2000-2022. The sources used in this review were extracted from the remaining results based on relevancy.
Summary: The demands of firefighting require both physical and psychological proficiency; however, most training programs have neglected the mental aspect. To enhance overall performance, mindfulness training, psychological skills training, relaxation training, and mindfulness-based attention training programs can be implemented to better prepare firefighters for the stress endured during calls. Interventions focused on adaptability and resilience rather than automaticity by strengthening core executive functions, filtering through cues and departing from previous mental frameworks. To measure the impact of programs on performance, studies have mostly utilized questionnaires following the intervention. Results showed that greater emotional control and improved focus can be achieved through training the cognitive mind and thus enhancing overall performance.
Recommendations: Future studies should investigate methods to measure values prior to intervention to further gauge the efficacy of various mental trainings. Additionally, other firefighter specific physical assessments under the presence of stress should be introduced.
Publication Date
1-20-2025
Document Type
Master's Project
Student Type
Graduate
Degree Name
Health and Well-being Management (MS)
Department, Program, or Center
Wegmans School of Health and Nutrition
College
College of Health Sciences and Technology
Advisor
Jason Rich
Recommended Citation
Ness, Nicole A., "Enhancement of Firefighter Mental Performance: A Review" (2025). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from
https://repository.rit.edu/theses/12061
Campus
RIT – Main Campus
