LAKE TWP. – The Uniontown Fire Department will soon have new training equipment, free health and cancer screenings for firefighters and visits from wellness experts thanks to a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The grant of just over $110,000 will be used for various health and wellness programs.
Fire Chief Derek Shaffer said Friday he hopes the effort will help support the mental and physical health of firefighters. It’s important to “recognize the stresses first responders face and try to make life more enjoyable on the job and at home,” he said.
Shaffer said the department will bring in a nutritionist to teach healthy eating and lifestyle habits and a fitness expert to teach proper exercise techniques. He said the training will help firefighters develop healthy habits and reduce stress.
“We cover everything that everyone needs,” Shaffer said.
Firefighters are often in the department all day. Shaffer said the nutritionist can work with staff to prepare proper meals during those long shifts. The fitness expert will help firefighters learn safe exercise by reducing the risk of injury, he said.
The department will also use grant funds to purchase new exercise equipment for firefighters to use during and after their shifts, and will also offer physical health and cancer screenings.
The grant is intended to cover the programs for about a year. After that, the department will consider whether to continue the programs depending on costs, Shaffer said.
The fire department’s board is expected to approve the grant funds at a meeting next month. Shaffer said he wants to order the equipment and plan the programs before the end of the year.
Shaffer said he is grateful to be able to invest in the health of his employees.
“Hopefully, this grant will help firefighters have a better life, not only on the job but in their free time,” he said. “I believe this equipment and the help of these professionals can extend people’s lives, reduce their stress and help them cope with the things we do and see on the job.”
Reach Grace at 330-580-8364 or [email protected]. Follow her on X @GraceSpringer16.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Uniontown Fire Department invests in first responder health
