As a Philadelphia firefighter, Steven Mesete often is required to spring into action at a moment's notice, abruptly sending his heart into rat-a-tat mode. "You can be sitting still, and then running at 100 miles an hour," he said.
One day last week, Mesete ramped up his cardiovascular system in a much more controlled fashion, walking on a treadmill with wires stuck to his chest and a cardiologist standing nearby. The 41-year-old firefighter with Engine 49 in South Philadelphia was among the first in the 2,200-member department to undergo what is now a mandatory physical exam every two years.
The Philadelphia Fire Department has long conducted medical exams for new hires and before promotions, but regular physicals have not been required for several decades, said deputy chief Ted Mueller, the department's health and safety officer.
That was a cause for concern among management and labor alike, given the extreme physical demands of the work. In addition to sudden stresses placed on the heart, firefighters contend with all manner of unknowns, such as exposure to blood-borne pathogens and the inhalation of smoke and other airborne contaminants.