It's time to insist that all firefighters are cleared medically with yearly checkups.

The loss of West Milford firefighter Raymond Barrett on Sunday underscores the risks. The 62-year-old volunteer, a 31-year veteran of the department, collapsed while fighting a house fire and died. A heart attack is suspected.

West Milford, like many towns, does not require annual physicals of its firefighters.

Fire Chief Tim Struble told The Record's Richard Cowen: "We're like a family here. If a guy can't do the job physically, you'd expect him to say something."

But a firefighter may not know he can't do the job physically, until it's too late. Many people who suffer heart attacks have no warning. That's why an annual physical is necessary, along with further screenings, such as stress tests, if a doctor believes they are warranted. Dangerous conditions related to heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, can be treated and the risks reduced.

Experts point out that firefighting, and the adrenaline rush that goes with it, can take a huge toll on the body. Firefighters are up to 136 times more likely to die of cardiac arrest during or shortly after a fire than during their other duties, according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The urgency becomes even more evident considering that at least half of this state's firefighters are over age 40. If younger recruits are scarce, as they often are, then older firefighters pick up the slack.

But even being young is no guarantee. Last summer, Stephen Dembski, a Ridgefield Park firefighter, died of a heart attack hours after fighting a three-alarm fire in Bogota. He was 41.

The National Fire Protection Association has concluded that fire departments could prevent many cardiac deaths through more aggressive screening.

Unfortunately, many volunteers resist the idea of required physicals. They may be afraid to hear worrisome news. They may be afraid they will not be able to continue fighting fires. A department may not want to scare away needed recruits at a time when it's hard to attract volunteers.

This attitude makes no sense. Firefighters are in the business of saving lives. So why be so careless when it comes to their own health?

No firefighter would want any of his partners to be exposed to danger unnecessarily. But that's exactly what not requiring annual physicals does.

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Written by The Record