Responders Nationwide Stepped Up their Fitness in June with the NVFC Step Strong Challenge

August 25, 2026

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) held its second annual Step Strong Challenge in June, and firefighters and EMS providers from across the country stepped up to the challenge. Over 1,000 participants took part, logging more than 234.1 million steps – that’s enough to walk around the equator over four and a quarter times.

Teams were a new feature in 2026, and 69 teams participated to enhance the friendly competition. Abbeville County (SC) Fire Service had the highest team participation with 42 members, and Kittitas (WA) Fire Protect District 6 finished first for teams with an average of 930,973 steps per participant.

Additional new features this year included the ability to log up to an hour of non-stepping fitness each day as well as a chat function that enabled participants to connect and motivate each other.

The majority of steppers met challenge goals, with 483 achieving over 200,000 steps, and an additional 302 reaching over 300,000 steps.

The challenge provided a fun way for responders to get in more steps and focus on fitness during June.  As Daniel Grünberg (CO) noted, “I love challenges, and this challenge motivated me to move.” As for what kept him going during the month, he said, “Seeing the scoreboard and trying to improve my ranking.”

For Anthony Correia (NJ), the challenge supported the ongoing health journey he started last year at age 70. He has progressed from walking to jogging, and he is always looking for new ways to challenge himself, including completing his first 5k in May. “When I saw the step challenge, I did it for two reasons – to motivate myself to keep moving, and to be an example to others. If I can do it, so can they,” he said.

While he realized early on that he wasn’t going to finish at the top of the leaderboard, he didn’t let that deter him and he ended up close to finishing in the top third. His advice to others looking to improve their fitness? “Don’t talk the talk, walk the walk. Just get up and take one step, and then realize you can go further. You have more fuel in your tank than you think, keep pushing past your self-imposed boundaries. Celebrate every little success. And don’t get defeated if you have a bad day or three. The journey, not the end goal, is important to keep momentum on a regular basis.”

The Windham (CT) Center Fire Department embraced the new team option for the challenge, and its 14-member team finished in second place, earning them recognition in their local news outlet. In addition to using the challenge to motivate their responders to step more, they also used it as an opportunity to connect with their community and raise awareness for the fire department through a community walk to promote health and wellness.

As the team that averaged the most steps per member, Kittitas Fire Protect District 6 found that the Step Strong Challenge was a great way to reinforce healthy habits and strengthen core departmental priorities including health and resilience.

“Our crew jumped into the Step Strong Challenge because it lined up perfectly with the culture we’ve been building at Kittitas County Fire District 6 – accountability, wellness, and doing hard things together,” said Fire Chief Troy Jackson. The team aspect also added an extra element of motivation. “There’s something about seeing your coworkers rack up steps that makes you lace up your shoes even when you’re tired. Friendly competition, shared goals, and group activities kept everyone moving. The team dynamic pushed all of us to go farther than we would have on our own.”

The firefighters were able to see many benefits from competing in the challenge together. “The team format created a level of accountability and camaraderie that made the challenge fun instead of feeling like another task,” explained Jackson. “Every member saw improvements, weight loss, better nutrition, and healthier habits that spread to family members as well.”

While the team itself was comprised only of department members, Jackson emphasized that the responders had their families right there supporting them. “Spouses, kids, and relatives joined us on walks, bike rides, and mid-day activities like a frisbee golf outing, turning the challenge into something bigger than just a department effort. We’re proud of the culture this challenge helped strengthen, one where firefighters and their families support each other, stay active, and build healthy routines together.”

Quentin Cash (NC), who serves as vice chair of the NVFC Safety, Health, and Training Committee, took family participation one step further. After telling his wife, Erin, who is also an NVFC member, about the challenge and the team of directors who were participating, she decided to join the team as well. They found that there were many benefits of participating in the challenge together.

“For us, it was just more time together walking and talking,” Cash said. “Instead of watching TV or playing on our phones after supper, we would go on a 30-minute walk. We also had a walking pad we used while watching movies – we would hop on for 10 or 15 minutes apiece at a time to get some steps in. Plus, we always discussed our step numbers throughout the day, so it provided a little bit more motivation when we had been slacking through the day.”

Cash said he is very proud of the 13 other board members that participated in the team. He was especially inspired by one director who, at 71, had high goals for the challenge – lose 10 pounds and finish in the top 10. “He crushed it. He finished 7^th overall and lost his 10 pounds.”

Cash also had a goal to finish in the top 10, and he was able to do so for the second year in a row. His advice to others? Make sure your fitness is intentional. “You have to have a plan of some sort in place, you have to make the time to work out, and you have to be willing to commit to it. If you are not intentional in your efforts and mindset to take more steps, eat a little better, or exercise more often, then you are more likely to skip a day. Skipping a day turns into two, then five, and then you are out of the habit. You have to make fitness a priority.”

For Cash, the rewards of prioritizing fitness far outweigh the challenges. “I notice as I age it gets harder on the body, but if it keeps my heart in better shape, allows me to perform as a firefighter longer, and spend future years with my wife in retirement down the road, it is all worth it.”

The NVFC congratulates everyone who participated in the Step Strong Challenge for making the commitment to focus on fitness. We also send a huge thank you to all of the Step Strong Challenge prize sponsors. Wendell’s Mint graciously provided a special challenge coin to the top 100 individual steppers and the top 10 teams. Those who met certain challenge goals were entered into raffles for prizes that were provided by California Casualty, David Clark, DripDrop, ESIP by McNeil & Co., Provident, and Rosenbauer Coffee.