Ind. dept. receives $72K grant

The funds will be used to create multi-station exercise equipment at every station to supplement the treadmills and exercise bikes currently available

By Ken de la Bastide
The Herald Bulletin

ANDERSON, Ind. — The city of Anderson has received a $72,000 federal grant to implement a health and wellness program for firefighters.

Anderson received the grant through the Assistance of Firefighters program from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The city was seeking $112,000 from the grant, but the amount was reduced to $72,000 with the city providing $7,200.

The announcement of the federal grant was made Friday by U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., and Rep. Susan Brooks, R-5th District.

“It’s the goal of the fire department to create a health and wellness initiative to help the fire department reduce sick days, sick leave and on-the-job injuries along with the saving of overtime,” Anderson Fire Department Chief Dave Cravens said. “In April the department was in the forefront by starting a registry to track all firefighter exposure to various substances and chemicals in the line of duty.”

Cravens said it’s the department’s intention to place multi-station exercise equipment at every station to supplement the treadmills and exercise bikes currently available to firefighters.

“A healthy firefighter makes for a healthy community,” Cravens said.

The department plans to host peer fitness classes at the training ground on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the future.

“First response preparedness is critical to meet the needs of Hoosier communities,” Donnelly said in a press release. “A critical component of readiness is the health and wellness of the first responders, whom we rely on to protect our families, homes, and businesses.”

Effective wellness and fitness programs contribute to safer, more efficient, and more effective responses to local emergencies, while protecting the well-being of firefighters, he said.

Anderson Mayor Thomas Broderick Jr. said the city partnered with Donnelly and Brooks to bring the grant funds to Anderson.

“Our efforts, along with those of Fire Chief David Cravens, his team at the Anderson Fire Department, and the International Association of Firefighters, will create a positive impact on our first responders and also in our community,” he said.