Texas Firefighter's Death Spurs Physical Fitness and Wellness Program - Firehouse.com In The Line Of Duty
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NACOGDOCHES, Texas-- The death of 51-year-old Nacogdoches Fire Department Captain Ed Ivy in April saddened the family of local firefighters, but it also amplified the importance of physical fitness in their strenuous line of work.
Heart attack deaths such as Ivy's receive less attention than line-of-duty deaths that occur inside burning buildings, but, according to a 2006 International Association of Fire Fighters study, almost 45 percent of firefighter deaths stem from health-related issues.
To improve the health of its firefighters, NFD will soon begin a physical fitness and wellness program that will educate its employees while also requiring them to work out.
"I think they all realized it was important, but I think (Ivy's death) made it all more personal," said NFD Chief Keith Kiplinger. "You can read the numbers in a paper all you want, but now we've seen it."
In 2006, the Texas Commission on Fire Protection issued a mandate that all professional fire departments shall assess the health of personnel and address their needs. The department began working on a fitness plan before Kiplinger became chief in November, and the plan will begin taking shape in the next two months, the deadline for each firefighter to take a physical.
Instead of just meeting the minimum requirements laid out by the commission, Kiplinger said the department plans to improve every employee, from the most out-of-shape to the healthiest.
"Getting a call and jumping on the truck and racing down North Street can be stressful, and it gets your adrenaline pumping, but there is nothing more physically demanding than fighting a fire," Kiplinger said.
..."You can be the strongest guy in the world, but if you don't have the cardio, it's null and void," he said.
