Yorktown Cops, Mohegan Firefighters Win Chief's Challenge

The Lake Mohegan Fire Department and the Yorktown Police Department were each recently awarded $1,000 as the winners of the 2015 Chief’s Challenge.

Designed by cardiologists at Phelps Hospital, the program seeks to improve the health and fitness of active police and fire personnel by encouraging them to adopt an active and healthy lifestyle, hospital officials said in their announcement.

Working in collaboration with Club Fit in Briarcliff Manor and Jefferson Valley, the Chief’s Challenge was established and is funded by the Heart and Health Education Foundation, directed by Franklin Zimmerman, MD, Arthur Fass, MD, and Dina Katz, MD, all members of the Phelps Medical Associates cardiology practice in Briarcliff.

In all, there were 240 participants from 20 police departments and 24 fire departments throughout Westchester, Putnam and New York City for the 2015 challenge.

The two winning departments tallied up the highest levels of participation by their members.

The program was inspired by research conducted by Dr. Zimmerman, senior attending cardiologist at Phelps. Dr. Zimmerman is a nationally recognized researcher in the field of the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease in public safety personnel. His findings were included in the book "Dying For The Job," edited by former New York State Trooper John Violante, Ph.D.

“My research shows that law enforcement personnel have a high risk of heart disease and cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, obesity and metabolic syndrome,” said Dr. Zimmerman. “In addition, there are occupation-specific risk factors unique to first responders, including shift work and psychological stress. Police officers, firefighters, and other public safety personnel need to be particularly vigilant in controlling cardiovascular risk factors, beginning with a regular exercise program such as the one offered at Club Fit.”

The 2016 Chief’s Challenge is under way, with high hopes for an even bigger turnout of public safety personnel this year.

For more information about the 2016 Chiefs’ Challenge, call Jodi Costino at Club Fit Jefferson Valley at 914-250-2721 or Joe DaRonco at Club Fit Briarcliff Manor at 914-250-2783.

PHOTO: Dr. Franklin Zimmerman, center, presented checks to Patrolman Lawrence Paniccia and Chief Daniel McMahon of the Yorktown PoliceDepartment (to his left) and Chief Chris Beyrer and firefighters Michael Bergamini and Tyler Chodkowski of Lake Mohegan Fire Department (to his right), the winners of the 2015 Chiefs’ Challenge. Far left are Club Fit general managers Lynne Welling (Jefferson Valley) and Mark Cuatt (Briarcliff Manor); far right is Club Fit President Bill Beck./contributed