IAFF/IAFC Wellness /Fitness Initiative

Goals of the Wellness and Fitness Initiative

Improve the quality of life for uniformed personnel

Create a working environment conducive to maintaining healthy and physically fit fire fighters

Reduce workers compensation costs and lost workdays

Create a nationwide database to analyze the health profiles and risks common to fire fighters

W/F overall Mission/Provisions

Joint Labor/Management support (IAFF/IAFC)All or none acceptance of entire InitiativeMandatory and non-punitiveConfidentialityPositive & proactive wellness program

Components of W/F Initiative

•Medical

•Fitness (field personnel, recruit firefighters, firefighter candidates)

•Behavioral

•Rehabilitation (medical, fitness, behavioral, injury)

•Data Collection

Components of LACOFD Wellness and Fitness Program

Annual medical exams Fitness Components

Exercise Physiologist Exercise Equipment Peer Fitness Advisors/Trainers

Exercise Program Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) Recruit Fitness Field Personnel (Implementation/Education) Exercise Manual

Components of LACOFD Wellness and Fitness Program

•Behavioral/Mental Health–Contracted Mental Health Professional–Program implementation provided by Health Program Coordinator at future Captains’ meetings

•Nutritional Counseling (2002-2003 grant)•Rehabilitation (medical, fitness, behavioral, injury)

•Data collection

Annual Medical Exams

Re-instituted May 2000 at 6 contract facilities Approx. 6000 medical exams performed Screen for underlying health problems Potentially catastrophic conditions diagnosed

at an earlier, treatable stage

Medical Exam Components

Physical Exam- vision, hearing, height, weight Blood testChest X-ray Pulmonary functionResting ECG and BPMaximal effort Exercise Tolerance Test-Treadmill W/F Initiative fitness tests Counseling

Medical Exam Future Proposals

Cardiac Consultation and Evaluation program- Harbor- UCLA Medical Center

Fitness Consultation-Exercise Physiologist and Peer Fitness Trainers

Nutritional Consultation (Grant Proposal)

Fitness Components

Exercise Equipment162 work sites supplied with recumbent bikes,

dumbbells, bench and matsHQTC gymCPAT equipmentSupply new fire stations ECTC gym2nd cardiovascular item for large stationsEvaluate appropriate equipment for future consideration

Exercise Manual

Guide to be distributed to all work sites Cardiovascular, strength, flexibility training

components Focus on improved job performance and injury risk

reduction Demonstrates effective and safe exercise techniques Peer Fitness Advisors/Trainers Currently in final editing process

Peer Fitness Advisors/TrainersPeer Fitness Advisor

Level I - CPAT proctorLevel II - CPAT mentor, recruit training,

Battalion drills

Peer Fitness TrainerLevel III - Individualized training PFT Certification licensed by IAFF/IAFC/ACE Certification program developed with the American

Counsel on Exercise (ACE) specific to health and fitness concerns of fire fighters

Peer Fitness Advisors/Trainers

CPAT proctoring and mentoring Recruit physical training program Market and promote W/F program

Battalion drills - presentation Site visits to stations to instruct on effective and

safe exercise practices

Individualized training programs

Recruit Physical Training

Focus on functional training to improve FF task performance and reduce injury risk

Circuit resistance training- 3 times/weekCadence running- 2 times/ week Benchmark testing-weeks 1, 9, 16

4 month and 10 month follow-up Trends- with training, at follow-ups

Candidate Physical Abilities Test (CPAT)

LACoFD implemented 3.5 yrs ago8 continuous events- pass/fail under 10:20Events are job tasks requiring no FF experienceApprox. 1000 candidates tested on 4 datesApprox. 90% to 95% passOrientation 8 weeks priorPFT mentoring program

Data Collection and Analysis

- Local and North American database- HIPA Act

- Financial savings of Wellness Program- Recruit Benchmark testing

- 1.5 mile run

- Push-ups, pull-ups, curl-ups

- Weight, body fat