Dr.Sc.Psych., Professor A.V. Shlenkov¹
Dr.Hab., Professor, Honorary Figure of Russian Higher Education M.T. Lobzha¹
R.G. Zaykin^1
1St. Petersburg University of the State Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, St. Petersburg

Keywords: rescue service personnel training, professional applied physical training technology for rescuers, professionally important physical qualities, competency for professional career, professional requirements.

Introduction. The scientific and methodological literature on the organization of professional applied physical training process (PAPTP) of fire department specialists in the educational institutions of the Russian Emergency Ministry poorly covers the structural features of the professional applied physical training of rescuers, lacks the technology geared to develop special physical qualities or improve special professional skills and abilities of rescuers, does not reveal the correlation between the indicators of physical and special technical fitness.

The relevance of the current study is in the fact that physical training of rescue service personnel is an obligatory part of their professional training for them to acquire skills and abilities, physical and mental qualities for successful performance of daily functions, maintenance of high working capacity; it includes conditioning exercises (speed, strength, agility and endurance) and professional applied exercises (obstacle course) [1, 2, 3, 4].

It is necessary to solve the detected issues within the technological process paradigm. Pedagogical literature contains a set of definitions of this process. Summarizing the references we can conclude that technology is a combination of means, forms, methods and educational conditions needed for organization of the PAPTP [5, 6, 7].

Objective of the study was to develop a professional applied physical training technology for rescuers as a basis of their professional competency.

Methods and structure of the study. The development of the professional applied physical training technology for rescuers resulted in the following: we analyzed the work programs within the High Risk Rescue Operation Management Specialty; set professional requirements to rescuers’ physical fitness; analyzed the intermediate check results on future rescuers’ physical fitness and final check up physical fitness results of rescue specialists. In the light of the revealed indicators, a professional applied physical training program for rescuers (PAPTP) with more relevant topics related with their future activity included was developed. The given training program includes four sections:

Section I – primary check up of physical fitness (correspondence of first-year students’ physical qualities to professional requirements),

Section II – body conditioning,

Section III – special physical training of rescuers,

Section IV – final check up of the PAPTP (as a process and a result).

Of great importance here are the forms of control that are used to determine the level of formation of special qualities and skills, development of special physical and psychological qualities ensuring effective fulfillment of assigned job tasks. For this purpose, we conducted an educational experiment geared to develop professionally important physical qualities.

When choosing professional applied physical training tools, it is customary to use both general and special means of physical training and training session design forms that mobilize specific professionally important qualities of a rescuer, and those motor abilities crucial for effective fulfilment of specific professional commitments [2, 5, 8]. Special exercises and simulators are used in the special physical training process.

In the experimental study we designed a technology to improve the professional applied physical training process for rescue service personnel providing:

- high-level monitoring of development of physical qualities customized to practical job responsibilities to achieve maximum structural diversity of physical activities of future rescuers;

- considering the features of personal development in the professional applied physical training process with increasing volume of physical and psychological loads;

- organization of classes simulating close-to-real situations of rescuers’ professional activity;

- motivating for physical self-improvement through the whole professional activity;

- periodic monitoring of professional applied physical fitness level of future rescuers studying in the educational institutions of the Russian Emergency Ministry.

Separately, we can dwell on the situations simulating rescuers’ professional activity. When simulating professional activity in the physical training process, the subject structure of the rescue service specialist profession is built. Under such conditions, a complete structure of professional activity is understood as a set of professional challenges and tasks in real life setting [3, 5, 6].

Results and discussion. The efficiency of the PAPTP was estimated by analyzing the differences in the test characteristics of the fifth-year cadets from the study and reference groups.

The results included in Table 1 reveal the changes occurring during exercising that are most fully implemented in the emergency rescue sport and experimental physical training program for rescuers (the differences between the study and reference groups). These exercises form the basis for development of professionally important physical qualities (explosive strength, strength endurance, static force, speed qualities - sprint).

Table 1.  Arithmetic mean values (M) and standard deviations (S) in the characteristics (exercises in number of reps and seconds) in the fifth-year cadets from the study and reference groups

The statistically significant differences in the mean values of the characteristics for study and reference groups were determined using Student's t-test:

* - at the significance level of 0.01 < a ≤ 0.05; ** - at the significance level of 0.001 < a ≤ 0.01; *** - at the significance level of a ≤ 0.001.

In contrast to the traditional program, the experimental training program also suggested that cadets would reach a qualifying standard in "100 m race for rescuers", being a part of the emergency rescue sport. The arithmetic mean values of the third-year students - 34.01 sec (standard deviation - 2.80) and those of the fifth-year ones - 24.67 sec (standard deviation - 2.63). The statistically significant differences in the mean time values ​​for different distances between the study and reference groups were determined by the Student's t-test for unrelated samples at the significance level of a ≤ 0.001.

The results in the "100 m race for rescuers" test improved statistically significantly owing to the purposeful training of future rescuers according to the "Experimental physical training program for rescuers".

In the 100 m dash, the rescuer clears the tunnel (1 m diameter pipe) and "destroyed" staircase, climbs the "house", from where he takes a 15 kg mannequin, puts it on his shoulders and runs for the finish line.

Conclusions:

1. The goal of the given technology of improvement of the PAPTP for rescuers is to develop professionally important physical qualities necessary to effectively fulfil their professional commitments. The technology relies on building professional applied qualities and skills needed to carry out emergency rescue operations; enhancement of the body resistance to adverse environmental factors in emergency recovery.

2. The designed professional applied physical training technology for rescuers includes the principles applied to build the sports training process with due regard to the specific professional job responsibilities. The interrelated forms and methods of organization of the professional training process serve the common goal and tasks of formation of professionally important physical qualities. The set of conditions created is geared to develop professionally important qualities required for rescuers to fulfil their professional commitments.

References

1. Aganov S.S. Razvitie fizicheskoy kultury v vuzakh GPS MChS Rossii [Development of physical education in universities of the State Fire Service of EMERCOM of Russia]. Vestnik SPb instituta GPS, 2006, no. 1 (12)-2(13), pp. 205-210.
2. Gorelov A.A. Nauchno-issledovatelskaya rabota po fizicheskoy podgotovke v vooruzhennykh silakh Rossiyskoy Federatsii i perspektivy ee sovershenstvovaniya [Research work on physical training in the armed forces of the Russian Federation and prospects for its improvement]. Teoriya i metodika fizicheskoy podgotovki, 1994, no. 1, pp. 18-24.
3. Greshnykh A.A. Pedagogicheskaya tekhnologiya upravleniya podgotovkoy spetsialistov pozharno-spasatelnogo profilya v vuzakh MChS Rossii. Dis. dokt. ped. nauk [Pedagogical technology of fire and rescue specialists training management in the universities of EMERCOM of Russia. Doct. diss. (Hab.)]. St. Petersburg, 2006, 364 p.
4. Kuramshin Y.F. Sovremennye podkhody k strukture fizicheskoy kultury lichnosti [Modern approaches to structure of personal physical culture]. Mezhvuz. sb. "Aktualnye problemy teorii i praktiki fizicheskoy kultury" [Inter-univer. col. works "Actual problems of theory and practice of physical culture"]. St. Petersburg: SPbSUEF publ., 2004, pp. 68-73.
5. Lobzha M.T., Zhernakov D.V. Strukturno-komponentnye aspekty emotsionalno-volevoy ustoychivosti [Structural component aspects of affective-volitional tolerance]. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo universiteta GPS MChS Rossii [Bulletin of St. Petersburg State Fire Service University of EMERCOM of Russia], 2012, 28 p.
6. Prikaz MChS RF ot 30 marta 2011 g. # 153 «Ob utverzhdenii Nastavleniya po fizicheskoy podgotovke lichnogo sostava federalnoy protivopozharnoy sluzhby! [Order of MES RF March, 30, 2011 No. 153 "On Approval of Physical Training Manual for Federal Fire Service Personnel!].
7. Shlenkov A.V. Psikhologicheskaya ustoychivost spetsialista-spasatelya MChS Rossii v protsesse vypolneniya avariyno-spasatelnykh rabot [Mental strength of professional rescuer of MES of Russia during salvage and rescue operations]. Mater. Vseros. nauch.-prakt. konf. Psikhologicheskie aspekty povedencheskikh reaktsiy cheloveka v ChS i ikh korrektirovka". [Proc. All-Rus. res.-pract. conf. "Psychological aspects of behavioral reactions of person in emergencies and their correction"]. Academy of Theater Arts publ., St. Petersburg, 2004, p. 25.
8. Shlenkov A.V. Sootvetstve lichnostnykh osobennostey vypusknikov vuzov Gosudarstvennoy protivopozharnoy sluzhby MChS Rossii professiogrammam osnovnykh dolzhnostey pozharnoy okhrany [Conformity of personal characteristics of graduates of State Fire Service of EMERCOM of Russia universities with job profile diagrams of main fire department positions]. Uchenye zapiski un-ta im. P.F. Lesgafta, 2009, no. 2 (48), pp. 101-106.

Corresponding author: 33366610@mail.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to develop and theoretically substantiate a professional applied physical training technology for rescuers as a basis of their professional physical fitness. In the model technology design process, we analyzed the existing training programs in the High Risk Rescue Operation Management Specialty. As a result, we came up with a set of the rescuers’ physical fitness requirements; obtained and analyzed the interim physical fitness test data of the future rescuers; and performed the final physical fitness tests of the rescue service specialists. The study data and analyses made it possible to develop a Professional Applied Physical Training Program for Rescuers (PAPTP) better customized to their practical job responsibilities. The article shows benefits of the proposed technology for the rescue service specialist training process with a special emphasis on the technology to develop and perfect the professionally important physical qualities and skills. The technology gives a top priority to the applied professional skills and abilities of highest demand in the emergency rescue operations; and improves the bodily tolerance to a variety of environmental conditions in emergency situations.

The proposed technology and the relevant education program are designed to build up due physical fitness, professional knowledge and skills in the rescue service personnel.