By Kyle Lawson
The Pittsburgh Tribune Review
WEXFORD, Pa. — Firefighters more often are killed by heart attacks than backdrafts, so the Wexford Volunteer Fire Company has implemented a program that encourages healthy living.
Individualized training programs are based on each member’s weight, blood pressure and strength, which will be recorded every 60 to 90 days, Chief Ken Young said.
The program isn’t required by the state or township, but is recommended for personal health and insurance purposes, he said.
Medical expenses are covered by the township’s insurance, so injuries caused by poor health could raise premiums, said Scott Anderson, assistant township manager.
There’s concern within the fire department that insurance companies could someday refuse coverage to volunteers who don’t meet certain health requirements.
“We want to be proactive about this,” said Dave Buttermore, president of the Wexford VFD executive board, “and we don’t want guys keeling over at training.”
All 30 active members of the fire department have begun mapping a weekly workout schedule at home and at the station with the help of Shawn Cernicky, a chiropractor and personal trainer.
The insurance provider requests that each firefighter lift 150 pounds, a far stretch for some volunteers, but the township is most concerned with general wellness, said Mike Dennehy, chairman of Pine. If an accident is unavoidable, a healthier body can more easily recover, but some injuries can be prevented — such as a heart attack that killed a Wexford Fire chief in 1970.
“Our main goal is preventing long-term problems,” Buttermore said.
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