Fire departments and their firefighters all over the globe are facing many problems such as high rates of cancer, injuries, hypertension, cardiac disease, chronic stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep apnea, and even suicide. Over the past year, the Boston (MA) Fire Department (BFD), under the leadership of Commissioner Joseph Finn, implemented a new program for his personnel to take these issues head on: the O2X Human Performance (HP) program.
O2X offers unique, innovative programs to mitigate these issues and teaches firefighters the importance of overall mental and physical wellness. O2X consists of a team of United States/United Kingdom Special Operations veterans (with more than 50-plus years of collective experience), collegiate athletes, and 25-plus world-class HP specialists with experience training everyone from Olympic athletes to teams of special operations forces. The O2X mission is to be the world’s leader in maximizing HP.
In June 2016, O2X conducted a four-day HP workshop for 50 BFD firefighters. On the first day, a diverse group filled the classroom. The attendees were both new and experienced and ranged from 25 to 60 years old. They held varied jobs within the BFD and represented all ranks. They hailed from houses all over the city, from Dorchester to Engine 33 and Ladder 15 on Boylston Street. They sat in the classroom at the Boston Fire Academy on Moon Island, the same place where it all began for them as recruits.
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