By Alison Shea
Norwich Bulletin
LISBON, Conn. — Walking around the track in the center of Lisbon is great for casual exercise, but firefighters need more, Fire Chief Mark Robinson said in trying to drum up support for a new department fitness plan.
The proposal to subsidize firefighters’ gym memberships was scuttled after failing to receive support from a majority of the towns’ boards of Selectmen and Finance, but the issue of keeping first responders fit isn’t going away, Robinson said.
The National Fire Protection Association, the governing body for 1.1 million career and volunteer firefighters nationwide, recommends that all departments offer physical fitness opportunities for firefighters. For now, Lisbon’s fitness program is a walk around the Lisbon Central School track each Sunday morning. But it’s not enough to meet the town’s growing needs, Robinson said.
Full story: Firefighters’ fitness seen as mounting problem