Firehouse Gets New Gym Equipment

Using the Firefighter Investment Response Enhancement (FIRE) grant it was awarded earlier this year, the South Orange Fire Department has acquired equipment for a new gym in the firehouse and conducted medical screenings for firefighters this Monday and Wednesday.

A mobile health testing unit from Professional Health Services was stationed on Sloan Street opposite the firehouse for the two mornings, testing hearing, vision and lung capacity and conducting X-rays and EKGs. Ultimately, each participating firefighter will receive an individualized report with recommendations for how to live more healthfully, according to Chief Jeffrey Markey, who explained that the department is developing a wellness program in conjunction with New Jersey City University's fire safety program.

A key aspect of the wellness program is to develop workout regimens specifically for firefighters, and that's where the new gym—outfitted with free weights, an elliptical, treadmill and a stairmaster with the capacity for five or six firefighters to work out together comfortably—comes in.

"These jobs are rigorous," Markey said, noting that some of the firefighters had previously exercised in a small room the fire department maintains under the train station. "If you're not in good shape, you're going to get hurt doing what we do."

He also noted the high incidence of certain types of cancer—including bladder—among firefighters, which constitutes another reason to focus more on health issues.