REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
December 3, 2015
FROM: Kerri Donis, Fire Chief
Fire Department
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the Annual Wellness, Fitness and Physicals Program:
1. Authorize the Fire Chief or designee to execute a contract with Pinnacle Training Systems for annual fitness checks and wellness review for all sworn safety members of the Fire Department
2. ***RESOLUTION - 26th amendment to the Annual Appropriations Resolution (AAR) No. 2015-104 appropriating $135,000 for a contract with Pinnacle Training Systems for the annual wellness, fitness, and physicals program (Requires 5 affirmative votes)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Council authorize the Fire Chief or designee to execute a contract with Pinnacle Training Systems in the amount (not to exceed) $135,000 for an annual fitness check and wellness review, with individual follow-up, for each sworn safety member of the Fire Department. The individual members will be provided a personal improvement plan and an overall aggregate Department report provided to the Fire Chief. This overall Department report data will be used to give direction to the Departments Fitness and Wellness Committee and identify for future needs, supported through grant funds.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking qualified providers to conduct annual fitness checks and wellness review was issued on the City’s website on June 2, 2015, and advertised in the Fresno Business Journal on June 3, 2015. The RFP sought proposals for annual fitness check and wellness review to include:
• Resting BP - Resting heart rate is an important measure to assess cardiovascular disease risk and hypertension.
• Aerobic Capacity Test - This is a sub maximal test to measure aerobic fitness, which is highly associated with cardiovascular disease risk.
• Resting and Exercise Electrocardiogram - Administered prior to and during the aerobic capacity test to discover potential heart rhythm abnormalities.
• Exercise BP - To test blood pressure response to aerobic activity; a good indicator of cardiovascular condition.
• Body Composition - Important for year-to-year assessment of overall health; obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and overall health with a strong correlation to on-the-job injury risk.
• Flexibility - Assessment of physical fitness, which is strongly related to injury prevention.
• Bench Press - Test and track upper body strength, which is strongly related to firefighters’ duties.
• Leg Press - A highly predictive test of overall lower body strength.
• Vertical Jump - A good test of aerobic power and good for year-to-year comparisons.
• Timed Sit-Up Test - Test of muscular endurance for comparisons.
• Blood Tests
o Blood Lipids - Reveals hidden cardiovascular risk.
o Prostate Antigen - Screen for prostate cancer.
o HPV - Screen for cervical cancer.
o C-Reactive Protein - Test for body inflammation which can predict a higher risk of strain injuries.
o Fasting Glucose - Diabetes predictor.
These tests will be provided at up to six locations throughout the response area of the Fresno Fire Department. All exercise and testing equipment will be provided by supplier and moved to locations within the Fresno Fire response area by the supplier.
The full Fitness Check program will include:
• A one-on-one meeting with a wellness/fitness coach to review the information and develop a performance plan with each member to include nutrition, physical activity suggestions, and other pertinent health information.
• A follow-up with the employees by email or phone in 6-8 weeks.
• An overall Department health review will be provided to Fire Department administration which will include a comprehensive report on the overall health, wellness and fitness of the Department. The aggregate report will outline strengths and weaknesses and recommendations for improvement.
• Members are also able to access their health, wellness, and fitness information online.
BACKGROUND
The City of Fresno and the Fresno Fire Department administration currently do not fund annual physicals or any type of health or wellness testing program. Pre-employment physicals are completed meeting medical standards set by NFPA 1582 and NFPA 1583. Little or no follow-up is the norm once an employee passes the pre-employment physical exam. Although the Department had provided physicals in the past, there was no ongoing program that would advise the Department administration or City of Fresno Risk Management regarding health issues unless specifically noted by a physician. Hazardous Materials Response Team members are currently the only firefighters who receive biannual physicals with baseline blood tests. All sworn firefighting members currently engage in activities that require strength and endurance on a daily basis.
The project we are proposing is an annual fitness evaluation and wellness check with an individual follow-up for each firefighter. The comprehensive fitness screening protocol will evaluate each individual’s current level of fitness and assess risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This information will then be used to develop an individualized program to improve any identified areas of weakness. An aggregate report illustrating the current level of fitness and wellness of the Department will be provided to the Fire Chief and administration. This report will then be used to determine Department needs for future program development and grants.
The current “physical fitness program” consists of mandating one (1) hour during a 24-hour shift in which members are required to exercise. Firefighters choose how the hour is spent and no guidelines or monitoring are currently in place. Since there is currently no physical fitness testing or health screening program implemented, members have no benchmarks for what their strengths and weaknesses are and, therefore, no direction in their training. The proposed physical fitness screening and evaluation would use national standards upon which the firefighters are compared. This information would be used to create a personalized fitness program for each individual, maximizing the mandated one (1) hour of physical activity required by the Department.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a “project” for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines § 15378.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented because Pinnacle was the only bidder and is a local business.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost for the program will be covered through recuperated funds from statewide mutual aid out of county responses.
Attachments:
Proposal from Pinnacle Training Systems
Amendment to Annual Appropriations Resolution (AAR)