Firefighters from National Parks & Wildlife Service and Forests NSW put their fitness to the test at Blacktown Olympic Park Athletics track on Tuesday 29^th November as part of their preparation for the fire season.

Dressed in their protective gear and carrying their equipment packs over 40 National Parks firefighters put their aerobic fitness, muscular strength and stamina to the test during their Physical Fitness Assessments.

The assessments, administered by the University of Wollongong's Health Science and Rehabilitation Centre are designed to ensure that firefighters are medically and physically able to undertake firefighting tasks.

Firefighters were required to cover up to 4.8 kilometres of the track within 45 minutes depending on their role within the firefighting team.

NPWS head Dr Tony Fleming said fighting bushfires is a strenuous and demanding activity, often carried out in extreme weather conditions, over long periods of time in very difficult country.

"Firefighters often work on fire lines where the heat can be intense," Dr Fleming said.

"This program is an important safety initiative to ensure that our firefighters are medically and physically able to carry out firefighting tasks".

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Media Contact :
Rosalyn Nicholas - Media and Marketing Officer - Blacktown Olympic Park - 9839 6595