By Eva Ruth Moravec
The San Antonio Express-News
SAN ANTONIO — Without a mandatory annual Fire Department physical in Phoenix, where he worked before moving here, Fire Chief Charles Hood says he might have completely lost his hearing.
But a doctor caught the problem early, Hood said, and since then he’s taken better care of himself — he frequently wears earplugs, he said, and tries to avoid loud noises, like sirens.
“I would have never known without the physical,” he said in an interview at the recently opened San Antonio Fire Department wellness center downtown.
A policy implemented last year requires all the department’s 1,650 uniformed staff members to undergo physical examinations. A well-stocked gym opened at the renovated wellness center in October, and beginning next week, a full-time doctor will conduct the physicals there for free.
The wellness program, which includes a dietician, medical technician, manager and administrator, costs $600,000 a year, said Assistant Chief Noel Horan, who oversees the program.
“We’re almost sure that this program is going to save a lot of firefighters’ lives and, subsequently, taxpayer money,” said Chris Steele, president of the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association. “We’re very happy for the center; it’s a long time coming.”
Heart attacks are the No. 1 cause of on-duty firefighter deaths nationwide, according to the National Volunteer Fire Council’s Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program, accounting for 39 out of 90 firefighter deaths in 2009. Eleven deaths were caused by diseases or conditions exacerbated by stress or overexertion, council spokeswoman Kimberly Quiros said.
“The nature of the job is conducive to stress,” Quiros said. “If they’re sleeping and the alarm goes off, their adrenaline is going full-speed until the event is over. It’s definitely something the department should be responsible for.”
The physicals will include hearing and vision tests, cancer screenings and stress tests for employees over 40.
While wellness programs aren’t mandatory for fire departments, standards for programs have been created by the International Association of Firefighters and the International Association of Fire Chiefs. SAFD’s program will adhere to the standards, Horan said.
Hood brought up the idea for a wellness program shortly after arriving here in 2007, citing a similar program’s success in Phoenix. There, four firefighters suffered heart attacks while taking stress tests, he said — three of them were able to return to duty.
Similar programs are in place in Austin and Dallas, Horan said. Bexar County’s firefighters, who largely are volunteers, don’t have annual physical requirements or a fitness facility, county fire marshal spokeswoman Laura Jesse said.
Cooking classes taught by a dietician are another element of the program Hood hopes to soon roll out. Cooking and eating together is a big part of firefighter culture, Steele said, as a single work shift typically spans several meals.
Experts like Ken Willette of the National Fire Prevention Association say diet is a major part of firefighter health.
“Eating better, I believe, makes (firefighters) better employees,” Willette said. “If you eat a large submarine sandwich and then go out to a call, it could be a very uncomfortable experience.”
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