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Westfield Fire Department recently sent three firefighters to a weeklong personal trainer certification workshop hosted by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Professional Firefighters Local 416.
This certification program called the "Peer Fitness Trainer" is just one part of a larger joint initiative cooperatively developed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF). The goal of this joint wellness/fitness initiative is to improve the health and safety of firefighters across North America.
The IAFC and IAFF partnered with the American Council on Exercise (ACE), which is the largest fitness certification organization in the world, to develop a certification program which is uniquely tailored to the physical rigors of firefighting and the larger goals of the IAFC/IAFF Wellness/Fitness Initiative.
A recent research study conducted by Indiana University revealed that firefighters often experience extreme levels of physiological stress while fighting structures fires. Every year roughly half of all line-of-duty firefighter deaths are the result of fatal cardiac events, all of which are directly attributed to over exertion and stress.
“Now that we have three certified Peer Fitness Trainers within WFD, we have the ability to develop focused and customized fitness regimens for each firefighter and paramedic,” says Chief Todd Burtron. Additionally Chief Burtron said, “The PFT program enhances our overall Wellness Fitness Initiative, having the overall goal of a healthier and safer fire department.”
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