Physical inactivity remains a major public health concern and is the 4th leading cause of cardiovascular death in the world. Behavioral health issues like stress, lack of resilience, and depression are also related to poor cardiac health. To combat this, fire stations need behavioral health/wellness programs. Yet, implementing a health-related wellness program, as it is outlined by NFPA 1583, can be overwhelming for command staff in the fire service.
This class will discuss how to implement a wellness and fitness program in your fire station. Topics will discuss why this is important. Data will be shown that explains the cardiovascular blood pressure risk of firefighting along with the benefits in blood pressure levels seen by exercise training in firefighters. We will also discuss how to conduct pre- and post-testing, how to design fitness programs, and how to document everything. A portion of the session will be hands-on so that the fitness testing and programming is learned.
Additional topics will include effects of gear weight on blood pressure, effects of pager alarm sounds on blood pressure, and the exercise training program benefits on blood pressure. This will give the attendees valuable support and proof to take home with them: proof that implementing a program will be beneficial to the health of their crew.