FIREFIGHTERS KEEP FIT WHILE AWAITING CALLS

Cape Girardeau firefighters are a bit more noticeable than the average fitness enthusiasts.

They come to Universal Physique in a shiny red fire truck, donning navy blue T-shirts with their department's emblem in one corner. They carry scanners from machine to machine, ready to jump off the Stairmaster and into their gear on a moment's notice.

The firefighters' fitness program is the brainchild of a department task force, St. Francis Medical Center Wellness Coordinator Bill Logan and Universal Physique owner Doug Friese. Through it, firefighters get workout time while on their shifts and Cape Girardeau residents get more effective firefighting.

The idea began when Logan assessed various fire department employees' fitness and determined the men were prime candidates for a workout routine.

Unfit firefighters are a problem, said Fire Chief Robert Ridgeway. The National Fire Protection Association sets strength, flexibility and aerobic fitness standards for them. Better fitness means less injuries, fewer employees on disability retirement and more homes and businesses saved.

After all, firefighting is a tough business, Ridgeway said. Workers have to wear 50 pounds of protective clothing and equipment, unroll and carry heavy hoses, erect and climb ladders and even carry people who weight more than they do.

"This is one of the few jobs that exist where you can go from a sitting position to giving 110 percent in minutes," Ridgeway said. "We do that seven or eight times a day or more."

Cape Girardeau firefighters' average age is 43, and Ridgeway admits that at 50, he isn't at the same fitness level he once was.

So the chief and his employees work out three times a week at Universal Physique on a program determined by Logan and two exercise physiologists.

There are four fire stations in town, so firefighters on duty at two stations go in the early morning and ones at the other two stations go later. That way Cape Girardeau is protected constantly.

The fitness program began Jan. 15, but Logan said he can see results already.

"I stopped by Universal Wednesday," he said. "Every individual is making some real strides in aerobic conditioning and strength level."

The firefighters seem happy, too. Of the 58 people in the department, 39 responded to a survey the fitness task force designed. The vast majority said they felt the program contributed to their overall wellbeing. They also wanted the program to continue.

The main cost of the pilot program was the initial assessments performed by St. Francis Medical Center. The cost to the city for the coming fiscal year will be $600.

Ridgeway said other city employees may be incorporated in the future or the program may be moved to a city facility once constructed.