Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Getting fired up over fitness and nutrition

WEEKEND EDITION: Oct. 12, 2002

On an outdoor patio behind a North Las Vegas fire station, a petite blond woman stood over a group of firefighters with a stopwatch and notepad as they performed a series of sit-ups.

Dressed in a UNLV T-shirt and biker shorts, Jean Henry, professor of exercise physiology and science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, surveyed the group of eight men and 10 women, reminding them of the proper technique and telling them how to get the most out of their workouts.

"Be careful not to use your hip flexors instead of your abdominal muscles," Henry said. "Good adjustment. Keep those feet down. Forty seconds left."

A few weeks from now, the firefighters will teach the techniques Henry has taught them to their colleagues in fire stations throughout North Las Vegas.

The training, which took place at Fire Station 52 on Losee Road near Craig Road, is part of a larger initiative by the International Association of Fire Fighters to keep firefighters healthy.

The North Las Vegas firefighter's health and wellness program comes in the wake of studies that show the long hours and high stress the position commands put firefighters at a greater risk for developing cancer, heart disease and gastrointestinal diseases than other professions.

As peer trainers, the firefighters Henry teaches will act as resources, sharing their new knowledge in areas such as fitness, health and nutrition with their co-workers upon request.

The peer trainers, who are all volunteers, had to pass a fitness screening process that included an assessment of leadership skills. The training will take place both on and off duty.

Ray Kessler, captain at Station 51, is learning how to be a peer trainer.

"Part of the reason I became a firefighter was because of the physical aspects of the job," he said. "I feel it's important to myself and my fellow firefighters, as well as the public we serve to be the most prepared for duty that we can be."

Becky Jones, a North Las Vegas firefighter since 1994, is also volunteering her time.

"I volunteered because I'd like to see that the program works," Jones said. "There's no better way to do that than to participate first-hand. The education you walk away with is so valuable. You're constantly learning different techniques to teach to others."

The program was created in August 2001 when the North Las Vegas Fire Department received a $158,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which manages emergency services during natural disasters.

Assistant Chief Terri Tarbett selected UNLV's Center for Health Promotion over several private fitness companies to develop a comprehensive health and wellness program for department personnel.

The three-year program, which encourages a combination of strength, fitness and maneuverability among firefighters, mandates all personnel undergo individual assessments.

Firefighters are tested on their strength, flexibility and stress levels.

Personalized fitness reports will detail individual strengths and weaknesses. The scores from North Las Vegas fire stations will be compared with firefighters nationwide. Results will remain confidential.

A nutrition analysis, in which participants enter their daily diet into a computerized program, will also be required, Tarbett said.

While most fire stations have workout rooms and administrators encourage personnel to exercise regularly, participation is usually voluntary, Tarbett said.

She said the North Las Vegas Fire Department is the only local department that has created a fitness program in cooperation with outside health experts.

"This is mandatory," Tarbett said of the new program. "Everyone participates. From the firefighter to the chief."

Just as important as the physical assessment and exercise, firefighters said, is the wellness portion of the program, which teaches them to lower their stress levels and eat right.

"There are a lot of aspects, such as death, accidents and having to wake from a dead sleep and be ready to work, that we are expected to deal with that affect personnel adversely," Kessler said. "The wellness portion will help firefighters live a more well-rounded lifestyle."

Charles Regin, chairman of UNLV's health and physical education program, who helped develop the program, said wellness is often overlooked in high-stress occupations.

"Wellness is the whole person," he said. "Fitness is a part of wellness. It's the emotional, social and physical approaches to making firefighters healthy. If they are too stressed or distracted, they can't perform to their best ability."

Coordinators said they hope the program will become a model for similar health and wellness programs in fire stations valleywide.

Coordinators hope to expand the program within the next year, Tarbett said, allowing family members to participate.

"We're in this for the long road," Regin said. "Nothing would please us more than to have our cadets retire healthier than ever before."

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