WALB.com News, Weather and Sports for Albany, Valdosta and Thomasville. Leading the way for South Georgia. | Fired up for fitness
Member Center:
By Karen Cohilas - bio | email
ALBANY, GA (WALB) - In an emergency, most of us run away from the danger, but firefighters run right to it. Albany firefighters are working to make sure they're in the best shape to handle those life or death situations.
The adrenaline rush from emergency calls can take a toll on them. That's why Phoebe Putney partnered with the Albany Fire Department to help improve firefighters' overall health.
They are establishing a wellness program, with classes on healthy eating, proper prescription use and exercise. Assistant Chief Ron Rowe said, "Historically, 45-50% of all firemen die because of heart related illnesses and we're 400 times more likely to die while we're performing on job than any other job in the nation so instead of being reactive, we're trying to change to be proactive about our health."
Darrell Sabbs said, "They literally go from 0 to 80 every time that bell goes off and you know if you were to gun your engine from 0 to 80 everyday it would harm your engine, so needless to say, it can be very harmful and stressful to their bodies."
Firefighters who participate in the program will have health screenings and their progress will be tracked throughout the next year.
©2009 WALB News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Feedback
Comments Terms of Use: We welcome your participation in our community. Please keep your comments civil and on point. Notify us of any inappropriate comments by clicking the “Mark as Offensive” link. You must be at least 13 years of age to post comments. By submitting a comment, you agree to these
Terms of Service
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login or register See all comments |
gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at home.
Check out a business or charity, or file a complaint.
operates the world's largest product testing and research lab.
works to prevent fraud, deception, and unfair business practices in the marketplace.
