REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
July 16, 2020
FROM: KERRI L. DONIS, Fire Chief
Fire Department
SUBJECT
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Approve a services agreement with Pinnacle Training Systems for the Annual Wellness, Fitness and Physicals Program in an amount not to exceed $140,000.
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Council authorize the Fire Chief or designee to execute a contract with Pinnacle Training Systems in the amount (not to exceed) $140,000 to provide comprehensive annual fitness testing and wellness reviews for all sworn safety members of the Fire Department.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
It is recommended that Council authorize the Fire Chief or designee to execute a contract with Pinnacle Training Systems in the amount (not to exceed) $140,000 to provide comprehensive annual fitness checks and wellness reviews for all sworn safety members of the Fire Department. The program will provide for individual follow-ups for each sworn safety member of the Fire Department. Each employee with be provided a personal improvement plan and an overall aggregate Department report will be provided to the Fire Chief. The report will be used by the Department’s Fitness and Wellness Committee to and identify preventive measures need to improve the overall health of employees and to reduce the number of on the job injuries and associated costs. This program has been successful the past few years in areas of health, injury prevention, and cost savings from injury related claims.
BACKGROUND
The City of Fresno’s Health and Welfare Trust does not currently provide for comprehensive annual physicals that include a health and wellness testing program. While pre-employment physicals are completed in accordance with standards set by NFPA 1582 and NFPA 1583, little to no follow-up is the conducted 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 regarding health issues unless specifically noted by a physician, with the exception of Hazardous Materials Response Team members who receive biannual physicals with baseline blood tests due to the nature of their work.
In June, 2015, the Department prepared an RFP seeking qualified providers to conduct annual fitness checks and wellness review. The RFP 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 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.
Upon completion of the RFP process in Fiscal Year 2016, Pinnacle Training Systems contracted with the City to perform the proposed training and health related functions.
A three-year analysis was performed during the initial three years of the program between 2016 and 2018 and the results of Pinnacle’s program were significant - both in injury prevention and cost savings due to a significant decrease in injury-related claims. The following table illustrates the improvements:
2016 2017 2018
Category:
Reported Injuries 25 23 8
Medical Only 5 10 3
OSHA Reported Injuries 20 13 5
Injury Pay Hours 5,172 4,014 1,727
In addition to these statistics, the Pinnacle checkup program helped detect early stages of cancer for several individuals and early cardiovascular risks in several more members after checking LDL and PSA levels. Members were able to communicate this vital information to their respective physicians for early treatment.
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 implemented because the Pinnacle is a local business.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost for the program is $140,000 and is included in the FY 2021 budget
Attachment:
Pinnacle Training Systems Wellness Service Agreement