Fire Company Awarded Assistance to Fireifghter's Grant for Health and Wellness Safety Program
Friday, August 19, 2022
The Cranston Heights Fire Company is proud to announce the awarding of an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency received in the second round of awards this year. The grant was developed to help the Fire Company to meet the goals of national recommendations based upon standards written for the fire service. The awarded amount was $96,000 towards an all-inclusive health and wellness program and is the first award to a Delaware Fire Company for the 2021 period.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic, both physical and mental health have been pushed to the forefront with the exposure and stress that it has caused to first responders. While the pandemic has slowed, and as other diseases become of concern, the ongoing stress from increased call volume and needed training and preparedness have continued. Working with the available grant resources like the AFG, it has helped make this important topic a focus for the company and to be able to provide care for wellness of the members who respond to your emergencies daily.
The program is believed to be the first of its kind in the State of Delaware to be implemented with such a broad scope to address the current and ongoing overall wellness for firefighters. The program will include purchase of new exercise equipment for members to use on station and will allow for staff to be trained and certified to provide in-house health and nutrition training for members. Additionally, funding for initial mandatory physicals is included and will allow for annual physical and cancer health screening, including making initial and ongoing mental health care resources available which are currently often difficult to prepare for and regularly fund. These assets will work hand-in-hand with the development and implementation of a program following the current and next edition of the NFPA 1500 Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellness Program. This standard outlines many of the recommended and required areas to assure that the health of first responders is tracked. The program will also include guidance for our responses and safety equipment to be used now and into the future.
Programs like these are essential to help assure that our members are remaining healthy to continue staffing our units and responding to calls for help in our community. For more information, contact Chief Jon Sokira ([email protected]) or Public Information Officer Vincent Miller ([email protected]) by email or at the station.
