The Health and Safety Division is responsible for the health, wellness, and safety of department personnel. The division ensure that all field personnel receive an NFPA 1582 compliant physical annually. All field personnel must complete the ‘Combat Challenge’ annually to measure their fitness level performing job related tasks. Peer fitness trainers are available for personnel in need of additional training to improve their overall fitness level.
The division is also responsible to managing all workplace injuries to include reporting, coordination with the city’s workers compensation vendor, light duty work assignments, and return to work testing. Workplace injuries are evaluated quarterly to identify trends and implement control measures to ensure personnel safety.
The department has a chaplaincy program available to personnel in need of spiritual and emotional counseling. Chaplains are available 24/7 for any member needing their services.
The division’s cancer initiative consists of extractors and drying cabinets at stations for turnout gear cleaning to reduce personnel exposure to the dangerous products of combustion. The initiation of annual low dose scanning for personnel 40+ that tests for cancer and cardiac issues inherent to firefighters. The OneTest blood test that measures protein in the blood associated with certain types of cancer.