A new program to prevent soft tissue injuries in firefighters and EMTs
We all know that firefighters and paramedics have high-risk jobs. This includes some pretty obvious hazards like fire or traffic accidents. It also includes injuries from overexertion, and within that, injuries to soft tissue. These injuries are hard to diagnose, difficult to treat, and can take a firefighter out of service early
To help respond to those hazards, we have partnered with Fit Responder, a targeted soft tissue injury prevention program administered by a team of former firefighters and public safety professionals.
Fit Responder has developed a train-the-trainer program called Injury Free to target and prevent these injuries from occurring. In their own language it’s “a hire to retire system designed to improve first responder fitness and wellness while drastically reducing the risk of injury from patient and equipment handling.”
Fit Responder also promises that the system will reduce pain, improve mobility, and encourage firefighters and EMTs to eat better, feel better, and be more ergonomically aware.
Injury Free involves hands-on training ranging from 1 to 3 days based on your department’s needs, backed up by online training.
Since its creation in 2015, the Injury Free system has helped participating departments achieve real world results, with up to an estimated 50% reduction in workers’ compensation injuries and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cost savings due to fewer claims and less severe incidents. This reduction in claims and injuries also improves employee morale.
How It Works
Your department sends several individuals to master the material and deliver the Injury Free content to the rest of your team. While that is happening, you will have access to the online training and Fit Responder staff.
According to Fit Responder, Injury Free is a mix of safety training, risk management, insurance, wellness, pre-hospital patient handling, injury prevention and fitness training rolled into one. They have been helping fire departments streamline their patient handling risks for more than a decade.
In 2018, the CSD Pool has committed to subsidizing 50% of the up-front cost for three courses around the state. The remaining cost will be eligible for Safety Grant reimbursement, leaving only 25% of the original cost for your department.
The cost for a 2-day train-the-trainer course is $400 for CSD Pool members and $800 for non Pool members. If your district would like to participate or host one of the three courses the Pool will be offering in 2018, please contact Adam Johnsen at ajohnsen@mcgriff.com.
