Assessing the Influence of Mental Workload and Stress on Firefighters in Manila Using the NASA TLX: Implications for Performance and Well-Being

In the Philippines, fire outbreaks increased during the dry season, which prevails from December to May. This period critically threatens firefighters’ psychological and physical abilities as emergencies increase in frequency and intensity. Firefighters in Manila battle a disturbingly high rate of fire incidents, particularly during the dry season spanning from December to May, which critically tests their cognitive and psychological resilience. The incessant exposure to traumatic incidents and high-stress environments increases their vulnerability to mental health problems, such as acute stress disorder, PTSD, depression, and anxiety, that would affect their operational functioning and well-being. The NASA TLX was used to measure the mental workload, and it was found that it depicted significant mental, physical, and temporal demands leading to stress and strain on firefighters. The study found that these demands strongly correlated with low performance and high frustration levels. With this in mind, the strategies should hence be holistic in nature, being designed and implemented considering the physical realities and psychological health of the firefighters to preserve the efficiency and safety of the firefighters under critical conditions. Some recommendations to fire departments will be solidifying support structures around mental health for firefighters. This includes structured debriefing sessions, resilience training programs, and routine mental health screenings to ensure early detection and management of stress-related conditions. This will further be augmented by strategies in modifying and upgrading cognitive workload management strategies, primarily through instruments like NASA TLX, to do better assessments of the cognitive strains that firefighters face, thus informing better intervention strategies.