REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
November 19, 2015
FROM: Kerri Donis, Fire Chief
Fire Department
SUBJECT
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Authorize the Fire Chief or designee to execute a contract with Pinnacle Training Systems for the Annual Wellness, Fitness and Physicals Program.
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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) $135,000 to provide comprehensive annual fitness checks 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) $135,000 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 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.
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.
Currently, the Department’s “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.
In order to address this concern the Department developed a program that would provide employees with an annual fitness evaluation and wellness assessment that would include a comprehensive fitness screening protocol that would be used to evaluate an 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 also be provided to the Fire Chief and administration. This report will then be used to determine Department needs for future program development and possibly grants.
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 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.
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 selected bidder is a local business.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost for the program is $135,000 and will be covered through recuperated funds from statewide mutual aid out of county responses.
Attachment:
Proposal from Pinnacle Training Systems