Welcome to the NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter E-News. The NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program was designed to help firefighters and EMS personnel become more heart-healthy and lower the incidence of heart attack-related deaths in the fire and emergency services. We hope that you enjoy this newsletter and that it benefits not only you, but others in your department, family, and community.

1. February is American Heart Month
2. Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program featured in Newsweek Special Health Section
3. Provisional Report Shows Heart Attack Remains Leading Cause of On-Duty Firefighter Deaths
4. 10 Tips for a Heart-Healthy Refrigerator
5. Recipe: Apple Coffee Cake
6. Calendar of Events

February is American Heart Month

Cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, is the number one cause of death in America. In fact, heart disease causes about 29% of all U.S. deaths. The emergency services are not immune to this tragic statistic. Heart disease remains the number one cause of on-duty firefighter fatalities, with about half of all line-of-duty deaths each year attributed to heart attacks.

In recognition of the nation’s ongoing fight against heart disease, Congress issued a joint resolution in 1963 requesting that the President issue a proclamation each year designating February as American Heart Month. The purpose of this annual proclamation is to renew the nation’s commitment to fighting this deadly disease and increase public awareness of how to prevent cardiovascular illnesses.

American Heart Month is a great time to reenergize your commitment to keeping your heart strong. The NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program has created an American Heart Month Resource Center you can use to learn more about heart-health as well as connect you to the resources and tools that will help you on the path to getting and keeping your heart strong. Learn more at www.healthy-firefighter.org.

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Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program featured in Newsweek Special Health Section

Newsweek is featuring the NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program in its special section on Heart-Health. The special Heart-Health section appears in the February 11 issue of Newsweek, and is available on newsstands as of February 4.

The article examines some of the core elements of the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program, including health awareness, nutrition, and fitness. It also looks at a success story from the program – a firefighter who took the Fired Up For Fitness Challenge as one of the steps toward getting heart-healthy.

Pick up a copy of Newsweek today and check out the special Heart-Health section to read the full article on the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program. To learn more about the Program, visit www.healthy-firefighter.org.

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The United States Fire Administration (USFA) announced today there were 115 on-duty firefighter fatalities in the United States in 2007. In 2007, there were firefighters lost in 33 states and Washington, DC. South Carolina experienced the highest number of fatalities (11) while Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, and California each suffered more than 5 on-duty losses.

"This past year will be remembered by the entire fire service as one of the most tragic years for firefighters in recent memory," United States Fire Administrator Greg Cade said. "We are committed to continuing our dedicated efforts with the International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Volunteer Fire Council, International Association of Firefighters, and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to make sure 2008 is not a repeat of 2007 and a year in which Everyone Goes Home at the end of their emergency response assignments."

Heart attacks and strokes were responsible for the deaths of 54 firefighters (47%) in 2007. Percentage-wise, this is down from 54 of the 106 (51%) firefighters in 2006. However, heart disease remains the leading cause of on-duty firefighter deaths. In 2007, 10 on-duty firefighters died in wildland fires.

On June 18th, Charleston, SC, lost 9 firefighters while working to control a fire in a large sofa warehouse facility. Each year, firefighters becoming trapped and disoriented represent the largest portion of structural fire ground fatalities. For 2007, 64% of all firefighter fatalities occurred while performing emergency duties. Almost 42% were at structure fires with 19 caught or trapped (16.5%).

Speed and a lack of seat belts contributed to many deaths as well. More than 2 of every 10 firefighter fatalities in 2007 occurred when responding to or returning from an incident. While seat belts and speed were not necessarily factors in all of these fatalities, they were contributing factors for most of them.

These fatality statistics for 2007 are provisional and very much subject to change as the USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify the names of firefighters reported to have died on-duty during 2007. The final, annual firefighter fatality report for 2007 is expected to be available by early June.

For additional information on firefighter fatalities, including the annual fatality reports from 1986 through 2006 and the Firefighter Fatality Retrospective Study 1990–2000, please visit the USFA Web site.

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10 Tips for a Heart-Healthy Refrigerator

• Take stock of what's inside. Once a month, pull everything out and separate the better-for-you foods from the rest. Make sure you have more low-fat, high-fiber, and low-sugar foods than other types, and, if not, consider gradually reducing the number. Choose more low-fat and fat-free dressings, condiments, sauces, and table spreads instead of full-fat ones.
• Hide desserts. Stow away desserts and other indulgent foods in the crisper, so they're “out of sight, out of mind.” Most of the time, healthier foods like fruits and vegetables are the ones that perish the quickest and, therefore, should be kept on the refrigerator shelf where you can see and eat them. (Americans on average waste about $10 a week on produce that spoils.)
• Organize by “more” and “less.” Divide your refrigerator into different sections of “choose more often” and “choose less often.” This could be by shelf or within the shelf, always keeping healthier foods up front and less-healthy foods toward the back. Click here for chart .
• Substitute lower-fat foods for higher-fat ones. Some examples include skim or 1% milk for whole milk; soft margarine for butter; and lean meats, chicken, and fish for ribs, ground meat, and other fattier meats. A simple substitution like soft margarine for butter over a week's time can save you an entire day's worth of saturated fat.
• Make healthy eating fun for the family by color-coding foods with stars or heart stickers – use green for heart-healthy, and red for less healthy.
• Make healthy food appealing. Keep an indulgent topping or accompaniment next to a healthy food to make it more appetizing. Next time you want a snack, you'll be more likely to eat something healthy if the mixed nuts are next to the low-fat yogurt, or the chocolate syrup is beside the skim milk, ready to be mixed together.
• Prepare leftovers as a meal for the next day. Put the entree with the vegetables and other side items on a plate and cover for the next day's lunch or dinner to create a do-it-yourself balanced “TV” dinner.
• Prepare foods as “ready to eat” meals when you come home from grocery shopping. Cut up vegetables and fruits and store them in containers, so they'll be ready for the next meal or when you come looking for a ready-to-eat snack.
• Freeze foods in portion sizes to make healthy eating easier. Did you know the recommended serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces, similar in size to a deck of playing cards? The standard serving size for pasta is one cup (or the size of a Walkman) and half a cup for vegetables (about the size of a tennis ball).
• Freeze fruit for fun. Freeze fruits such as bananas, grapes, and orange slices to make them more fun to eat for children. Next time they want a sweet snack offer them frozen fruit rather than ice cream.

Courtesy of “Open the Door to Healthy Heart” campaign, www.healthyfridge.org

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INGREDIENTS:

5 cups tart apples, cored, peeled, chopped
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark raisins
½ cup pecans, chopped
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg, beaten
2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. Lightly oil 13x9x2-inch pan.
3. In large mixing bowl, combine apples with sugar, raisins, and pecans. Mix well and let stand for 30 minutes.
4. Stir in oil, vanilla, and egg. Sift together flour, baking soda, and cinnamon, and stir into apple mixture about a third at a time – just enough to moisten dry ingredients.
5. Turn batter into pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool cake slightly before serving.

Yield: 20 servings (serving size: 1, 3 ½ –inch by 2 ½ -inch piece)

Each Serving Provides:
Calories: 196
Total Fat: 8g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 11mg
Sodium: 67mg
Total Fiber: 2g
Protein: 3g
Carbohydrates: 31g
Potassium: 136g

Courtesy of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

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Visit the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program at the NVFC booth at these upcoming events:

Fire Department Instructors Conference
Indianapolis, IN
April 7-12, 2008

Fire Expo
Harrisburg, PA
May 16-18, 2008

Firehouse Expo
Baltimore, MD
July 22-27, 2008

Fire-Rescue International
Denver, CO
August 14-16, 2008

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*The content of this E-news is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for advice from your physician. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues; only your healthcare provider should diagnose a medical condition and prescribe treatment. You may also wish to consult with your health care professional or nutritionist before starting a new diet or fitness regimen.