By George Barnes
Telegram & Gazette
WORCESTER, Mass. — Hoping that it will better allow them to take care of others, Worcester firefighters are doing more to take care of themselves. A training program that focuses on a healthy lifestyle is being offered to city firefighters.
The training includes everything from physical fitness to motion fitness -- such as how to land when jumping off trucks. Firefighters are also learning how to sleep better, how to manage stress and proper eating habits, according to Fire Chief Michael J. Lavoie.
About 60 firefighters are taking part in an initial session.
“They say, “Eat, sweat and thrive,’” the chief said. “They teach us nutrition, how to sleep, they teach us fitness, they teach us about PTS (post-traumatic stress). The biggest thing is how to deal with the stress.”
The program, by Quincy-based O2X, has a cost of $60,000 for the department; it is being covered by AT&T ($40,000) and the Leary Foundation ($20,000).
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