BY SHAWN PERRY
Health, fitness, and wellness receive a lot of attention in the fire service these days. These terms are used somewhat interchangeably, but most people think of fitness as physical fitness (exercise), whereas health and wellness are perceived as more comprehensive terms encompassing medical, emotional, mental, and even spiritual components that make up a person. A dictionary defines fitness as health; health as the general condition of body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor; and wellness as the quality or state of being healthy especially as a result of deliberate effort; health. I will use these terms interchangeably to describe a program designed to meet the comprehensive needs of firefighters. My focus, however, is not to design and build an effective program but to determine who is qualified to assume the responsibility of a heath/fitness/wellness director.
The Fire Service Joint Labor Management Wellness-Fitness Initi-ative, designed by representatives of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and 10 major fire departments, provides a model that could be successful if administered effectively. Who are you going to choose to take on such a responsibility? More importantly, what type of person(s) would most effectively motivate and educate your department members to improve their wellness?
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