Firefighters go
a step farther

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

Firefighters are a stereotypically hearty bunch. Sometimes, they’re called "smoke eaters" because of their propensity for rushing into burning buildings to save lives and property.
Even so, they have masks and oxygen tanks to protect their lungs from the billowing black smoke.
Sadly, regular folks don’t have the same equipment at their disposal. Often, it costs them their lives in an emergency situation.
"A lot of people think people die in the fire," said Northeast resident and Philadelphia firefighter Karl Bispels, "but the majority of (fire fatalities) inhale smoke first, then pass out."
With that in mind, it’s important for everyone to learn how to avoid the smoke in a fire emergency. Similarly, it’s important to protect your lungs from many other airborne threats, such as cigarette smoke and hazardous fumes.
Spreading the mission of healthy lungs is one reason that Bispels and about 20 of his fellow Philadelphia firefighters took part in the American Lung Association’s inaugural Climb the Tower event on Saturday.
That morning, the firefighters joined about 400 others in racing up 50 flights of stairs inside the Bell Atlantic Tower at 17th and Arch streets. In all, they labored up 1,088 steps.
And they did it not in jogging shoes, shorts and T-shirts, but in full firefighter bunker gear, including boots, pants, coat and helmet.
"That’s just an extra challenge," Bispels said.
And it’s the way they have to do it while on the job, anyway. Stair-climbing is nothing new to firefighters, particularly those who work downtown.
Bispels, 33, a former Marine who joined the department shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, is assigned to Pipeline 34, an engine company at 28th and Thompson streets. He used to work at 21st and Market streets.
"When the elevators go out, that’s the only way to get up those high-rises (in a fire)," Bispels said.
With bunker gear and equipment, such as the aforementioned air packs and rescue gear, it could take firefighters a half hour or more just to get to an upper-floor fire scene via the stairs.
Bispels was making no predictions for him and his colleagues on the eve of the 50-story race, which is similar to the 1,576-step event held for the last 30 years in New York’s Empire State Building.
"We’re not going to be running. We’re going to be pacing ourselves," Bispels said.
Because of their job demands, line-squad firefighters are encouraged to stay in decent shape all the time. That includes cardiovascular and strength health.
But unlike an endurance race, when a fire call comes in, "it’s a sprint," Bispels said. "It’s like you’re going from a sleep to one-hundred miles per hour.
Predictably, training among the stair-climb racers has been a different kind of challenge.
"I got into running again back in the fall," said Bispels, who would routinely run three miles three times a week while in the military.
He served four years of active duty and two more in the reserves.
"But I haven’t really done anything since early January because of the weather. I went out the other day and did three miles. It was bad," he said.
John Cancelliere, 39, a 12-year department veteran from Lexington Park, had been training for the race for about six weeks. But he and his colleagues in Ladder 10, at Castor and Kensington avenues, need to work out year-round, too.
Their ladder is 100 feet high. Though no buildings in their local area are taller than four or five stories, they always have to be ready to cover other neighborhoods as needed.
"We have weights here (at the firehouse) and a treadmill, so if we have some time, we squeeze in a workout," Cancelliere said.
That’s not usually a problem on their 10-hour day shifts and 14-hour night shifts.
For its part, the Lung Association wants to get the word out that lung health is vital for everyone, including those who might not work in a physically demanding environment. The organization’s Pennsylvania chapter is one of 14 across the nation conducting similar awareness events.
According to the organization, more than 38 million Americans suffer from chronic lung disease, which is America’s No. 3 killer. Meanwhile, lung cancer is the leading cancer killer for both men and women.
Everyone has friends and relatives who are at risk for lung disease.
"This is a good thing to do. It’s a great cause," Cancelliere said. ••
Call 1-800-LUNG-USA or visit www.lungusa.com for more information about the American Lung Association.
Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com