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Addressing the loss of life among volunteer firefighters, the U.S. Fire administration (USFA) and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) initiated a partnership and established the Volunteer Fire Service Fitness and Wellness Project. The goal is to reduce loss of life from heart attack and stress.
The partnership effort will involve researching and developing effective examples of health and wellness programs aimed at the needs of the volunteer firefighter. These programs will address fitness and exercise (aerobic, flexibility,
strength training, etc.); diet; smoking cessation; and other areas that will have a positive impact on the volunteer fire service community. This project also will develop information on how volunteer fire departments can enhance compliance with appropriate National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Firefighter Health and Safety Standards such as NFPA Standard 1583, Health Related Fitness Programs For Fire Fighters. This project complements existing USFA firefighter wellness and fitness partnerships with the
International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) to support the expansion of the IAFF and IAFC Fire Service Joint Labor Management Wellness-Fitness Initiative to additional fire departments.
Further
information about the Volunteer Fire Service Fitness and Wellness Program
as well as other USFA fire service fitness and wellness partnerships may
be found on the USFA web site at:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/
dhtml/inside-usfa/fitness.cfm.
Volunteer Firefighter, Damascus Volunteer Fire Department, Maryland.
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s Wildland/Urban Interface Working Team, a consortium of wildland fire organizations and federal agencies that are responsible for wildland fire management in the United States, has developed a new program to inform the public about how fire-prone communities can raise their resistance to wildfire threats. Firewise Communities/USA is a nationwide initiative that will recognize individual communities for implementing
strategies to protect people and properties from the dangers of wildfire. A videotape is available that explains the process by which small geographically defined organizations of homeowners can come together to take actions and be recognized for their efforts in wildfire safety. Currently there are 12 communities recognized as part of the Firewise Communities/USA program.
The videotape explains the standards for recognition that
must be met by participants and describes the efforts of several communities that have been successful in gaining and maintaining this recognition.
An introduction to the wildfire problem in the U.S. is contained in the videotape; it may be downloaded and then viewed by clicking on the link under the cover photo at the right.
For additional information, check the website http://www.firewise.org/usa or contact Michele Steinberg at
(1)+ 617-984-7487, e-mail: msteinberg@nfpa.org.
To obtain copies of the videotape, contact: Cheryl Blake, telephone: (1) + 617-984-7444, e-mail: cblake@nfpa.org.
VHS video, Click to view Introduction to FIREWISE.
