{"id":{"repo_id":"uiuc","oai_identifier":"oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/127270"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uiuc/oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/127270","repository":{"repo_id":"uiuc","name":"University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign","base_url":"https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh"},"display":{"title":"BRACE: Building resiliency in academy firefighter candidates through exercise","abstract":"Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-03-28 without embargo terms","abstract_html":"Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled &#x27;Open Access&#x27;. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-03-28 without embargo terms","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Szamocki, Maddy R."],"institution":"University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign","degree_name":"M.S.","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Kinesiology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Petruzzello, Steven J"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-12-10","date_published":"2024-12-10","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:25:03Z","subjects":["Firefighting","Prior Military Service","Resilience","Fitness","Training Academy"],"languages":["en","eng"],"rights":["Copyright 2024 Maddy Szamocki"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127270","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Petruzzello, Steven J"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Szamocki, Maddy R."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2024-12-10","2024-12"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["text","Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Kinesiology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.S."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Firefighting","Prior Military Service","Resilience","Fitness","Training Academy"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en","eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2024 Maddy Szamocki"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127270"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-03-28 without embargo terms","The student, Maddy Szamocki, accepted the attached license on 2024-12-04 at 14:03.","The student, Maddy Szamocki, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2024-12-04 at 14:04.","This Thesis was approved for publication on 2024-12-10 at 17:06.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #21499 on 2025-03-28 at 14:28:19","Background: The transition from military service to civilian careers in high-intensity professions, such as firefighting, may influence both physical and psychological outcomes. The present study examines the effects of prior military service on firefighter candidates’ (FCs) physical fitness and dispositional resilience during a 7-week State Fire Academy. Specifically, the study aimed to compare fitness levels and psychological resilience between FCs with prior military service (FF-PMS) and FCs without military experience (FF), as well as to explore the relationship between physical fitness and dispositional resilience. Methods: Firefighter candidates (N = 122; n = 17, prior military service; M = 117, F = 5; 25.7 ±4.5 yrs; 27.7±4.1 kg/m2) physical fitness and dispositional resilience was assessed at Week 1 and Week 7 during a firefighter training academy. Physical fitness was assessed via push-ups, sit ups, hand grip strength, sit-and-reach flexibility, and a 1.5-mile timed run. Resilience was assessed via the Dispositional Resilience Scale (DRS-15). Results: FF and FF-PMS improved in measures of fitness and body composition over the course of the Academy, with no significant difference between FF and FF-PMS. However, at baseline, FF-PMS outperformed FF in sit-up repetitions [t(121)= 2.655, p= .009] and 1.5-mile run times [t(118)= -1.980, p= .050]. Regarding dispositional resilience, no significant differences were observed between groups at baseline. However, at the final assessment, FF-PMS demonstrated a significantly higher composite resilience score compared to FF [t(41)= 2.274, p= .028]. Resilience in FF decreased significantly over the course of the Academy in Composite Resilience [t(33)= 5.055, p= <.001], and subscales Commitment [t(33)= 2.921, p= .006], Control [t(33)= 4.666, p< .001], and Challenge [t(33)= 2.266, p= .030], while FF-PMS showed no change, indicating that prior military service may buffer against declines in resilience. Finally, no significant correlations were found between physical fitness and resilience outcomes at either baseline or final assessments, although handgrip strength was weakly correlated with composite Resilience (r= -.383, p= .012), and the subscales Commitment (r= -.404, p= .008) and Control (r= -.503, p= <.001). Conclusion: The findings suggest that prior military service confers both physical and psychological advantages during high-stress training environments such as firefighter academies. This study contributes new insights into the intersection of military training and firefighting, highlighting the potential benefits of military experience in shaping resilience and fitness outcomes."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["BRACE: Building resiliency in academy firefighter candidates through exercise"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Petruzzello, Steven J"],"dc:creator":["Szamocki, Maddy R."],"dc:date":["2024-12-10","2024-12"],"dc:description":["Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-03-28 without embargo terms","The student, Maddy Szamocki, accepted the attached license on 2024-12-04 at 14:03.","The student, Maddy Szamocki, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2024-12-04 at 14:04.","This Thesis was approved for publication on 2024-12-10 at 17:06.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #21499 on 2025-03-28 at 14:28:19","Background: The transition from military service to civilian careers in high-intensity professions, such as firefighting, may influence both physical and psychological outcomes. The present study examines the effects of prior military service on firefighter candidates’ (FCs) physical fitness and dispositional resilience during a 7-week State Fire Academy. Specifically, the study aimed to compare fitness levels and psychological resilience between FCs with prior military service (FF-PMS) and FCs without military experience (FF), as well as to explore the relationship between physical fitness and dispositional resilience. Methods: Firefighter candidates (N = 122; n = 17, prior military service; M = 117, F = 5; 25.7 ±4.5 yrs; 27.7±4.1 kg/m2) physical fitness and dispositional resilience was assessed at Week 1 and Week 7 during a firefighter training academy. Physical fitness was assessed via push-ups, sit ups, hand grip strength, sit-and-reach flexibility, and a 1.5-mile timed run. Resilience was assessed via the Dispositional Resilience Scale (DRS-15). Results: FF and FF-PMS improved in measures of fitness and body composition over the course of the Academy, with no significant difference between FF and FF-PMS. However, at baseline, FF-PMS outperformed FF in sit-up repetitions [t(121)= 2.655, p= .009] and 1.5-mile run times [t(118)= -1.980, p= .050]. Regarding dispositional resilience, no significant differences were observed between groups at baseline. However, at the final assessment, FF-PMS demonstrated a significantly higher composite resilience score compared to FF [t(41)= 2.274, p= .028]. Resilience in FF decreased significantly over the course of the Academy in Composite Resilience [t(33)= 5.055, p= <.001], and subscales Commitment [t(33)= 2.921, p= .006], Control [t(33)= 4.666, p< .001], and Challenge [t(33)= 2.266, p= .030], while FF-PMS showed no change, indicating that prior military service may buffer against declines in resilience. Finally, no significant correlations were found between physical fitness and resilience outcomes at either baseline or final assessments, although handgrip strength was weakly correlated with composite Resilience (r= -.383, p= .012), and the subscales Commitment (r= -.404, p= .008) and Control (r= -.503, p= <.001). Conclusion: The findings suggest that prior military service confers both physical and psychological advantages during high-stress training environments such as firefighter academies. This study contributes new insights into the intersection of military training and firefighting, highlighting the potential benefits of military experience in shaping resilience and fitness outcomes."],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127270"],"dc:language":["en","eng"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2024 Maddy Szamocki"],"dc:subject":["Firefighting","Prior Military Service","Resilience","Fitness","Training Academy"],"dc:title":["BRACE: Building resiliency in academy firefighter candidates through exercise"],"dc:type":["text","Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Kinesiology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.S."],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:25:03Z"}