What We're Accomplishing

Since the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program began in 2003, over 16,000 firefighters, emergency services personnel, and their family members have been screened for heart disease risk factors through the NVFC’s interactive trade show booth. Many more have utilized the numerous resources and tools the program provides to help firefighters, their families, and their departments become and stay heart-healthy. Some highlights of the Program’s many accomplishments include:

2004 - In the first year of the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program, the NVFC screened over 4,000 individuals nationwide for cholesterol and distributed 5,000 copies of the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Kit, which provided valuable information on achieving heart-health.

2005 – Thanks to funding from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Fireman's Fund Insurance, the NVFC brought the Heart-Healthy Firefighter booth to four national fire service trade shows and conducted free screenings for cholesterol, blood pressure, and body composition. The Program also launched the Fired Up For Fitness Challenge, which asked firefighters to log their daily physical activity to receive incentive rewards as they reached certain benchmark levels. In addition, the NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter Resource Guide was released, providing a comprehensive resource targeted at the three cornerstones of a heart-healthy lifestyle: health, physical fitness, and nutrition.

2006 - The NVFC presented the first Fired Up For Fitness Award to Mike Bitney from Spooner, WI. DHS awarded the NVFC a $1 million Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) to implement phase four of the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program. Additionally, Erron Kinney, professional football player with the Tennessee Titans and volunteer firefighter, became the spokesperson for the Program. The NVFC continued to screen first responders and their families at trade shows across the country.

2007 - The Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program released new resources and implemented innovative methods to alert firefighters to the importance of heart-health. DHS awarded the NVFC a grant of nearly $1 million to continue the Program’s important work. In addition to health screenings, the NVFC also provided heart-healthy cooking demonstrations and health and wellness workshops at trade shows across the country. The Program released the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Cookbook as well as an updated Heart-Healthy Firefighter Resource Guide and launched the inaugural National Firefighter Health Week.

2008 – The Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program continued to offer free health screenings, cooking demonstrations, and workshops at trade shows across the country. A Health and Fitness Advocate workshop was piloted in Greenbelt, MD to teach emergency personnel how to implement and maintain a successful health and wellness program within their department.

 

2009 - The Adopt the Program initiative launched in January, allowing department members to take a pledge to get heart-healthy and providing them with the tools and resources to succeed. As part of this initiative, the Fired Up For Fitness Challenge was re-launched with a new design, target goals, and incentive rewards. The program also released a guide to help departments secure sponsors for health and wellness programs. The Health and Fitness Advocate program will continue to expand in 2009, with training workshops to be held across the country.

 

The Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program would like to thank the Work Group, who has played an integral role in the program’s success.