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National Firefighter Health Week is August 17-21, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) encourages all first responders to take this opportunity to focus on your health and wellness. This year’s theme, “It takes a healthy heart, mind, and body to do what you do – Keep It Strong,” asks firefighters and emergency personnel to make permanent positive changes for their total health – heart, mind, and body. Through its Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program, the NVFC has released resources and tools to help you and your department achieve your National Firefighter Health Week goals.

 

Sponsored by the National Volunteer Fire Council and supported by national and local fire service and health organizations across the country, including the U.S. Fire Administration, National Firefighter Health Week is a time to take stock of your current health and wellness status and take the steps to begin or maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout the year. Each day during National Firefighter Health Week is dedicated to a different part of an overall healthy lifestyle, tailored specifically for fire and emergency service personnel. The topics for the 2009 National Firefighter Health Week are:

 

 

The National Firefighter Health Week Resource Center on the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program web site features resources, daily activity suggestions, and other tools for each of the focus topics. Get the most out of National Firefighter Health Week by encouraging your whole department to visit www.healthy-firefighter.org and learn more about health topics affecting the fire and emergency services. Print out the Health Week poster and hang it up in your station to motivate you and the other members of your department. Listen to daily podcasts to learn more about each of the focus topics. Forward the daily Heart-Healthy Firefighter e-blasts to your department members, family, and friends. The Resource Center also features tools you can use to promote your Health Week initiatives within the community.

 

Make this the week that you begin a permanent department health and wellness program, using the resources at www.healthy-firefighter.org/atp to help you get your program off the ground and secure funding. When you adopt the program, you’ll get your own page to allow your personnel to participate in the Fired Up For Fitness Challenge, post success stories and photos, access advice and guidance, find tools to make healthy living even easier, and connect with first responders from around the country.

 

Find these and more resources, activity ideas, and information to help you adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle during National Firefighter Health Week at www.healthy-firefighter.org. You need a strong heart, mind, and body to ensure you are there for those who count on you – your family, department, and community. Keep it strong during National Firefighter Health Week and throughout the year.