Fire Service Joint Labor Management

Wellness-Fitness Task Force

The IAFF, IAFC and 10 pairs of local unions and their municipalities joined together to form the Fire Service Joint Labor Management Wellness-Fitness Task Force. The Task Force has dedicated itself to developing a holistic, positive rehabilitating and educational approach to wellness and fitness programs in the fire service. The Task Force has developed the following three programs.

The Fire Service Joint Labor Management Wellness/Fitness Initiative
This program is designed for incumbent fire service personnel. It requires a commitment by labor and management to a positive, individualized wellness-fitness program. The manual includes information on these topics:

• Medical evaluation
• Fitness evaluation
• Injury and Medical Rehabilitation
• Behavioral health
• Cost Justification
• Data collection
• Implementation

The Candidate Physical Ability Test The Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) was developed as a fair and valid evaluation tool to assist in the selection of fire fighters, and to ensure that all fire fighter candidates possess the physical ability to complete critical tasks effectively and safely. The CPAT Program covers every aspect of administering the CPAT, including recruiting and mentoring programs, providing recruits with fitness guidance to help prepare them for the CPAT and setting up and administering the test. The entire validation process is discussed in detail, as well as the legal issues that departments might face when implementing the actual program.

New CPAT License
In our ongoing effort to ensure that the CPAT is being used properly and only as intended, we have recently enacted a new licensing policy that will affect the way in which this program can legally be used. This procedure was instituted by the Task Force to protect the integrity of the CPAT Program and the interests of the members of the IAFF and IAFC by ensuring that the program is implemented properly and as intended.  Read More

The Fire Service Peer Fitness Trainer Certification The IAFF/IAFC Task Force has determined that successful implementation of the Wellness/Fitness Initiative and the CPAT requires a fire fighter in each department who can take the lead. This individual must have the ability to design and implement fitness programs, to improve the wellness and fitness of his or her department and to assist with the physical training of recruits. This need for a department-level leader led to the development of the Fire Service Peer Fitness Trainer certification program. The program was developed in conjunction with the American Council on Exercise.
The WFI Resource A number of fire departments throughout the United States and Canada have developed model wellness-fitness programs based on the IAFF/IAFC Joint Labor Management Wellness-Fitness Initiative (WFI). This WFI Resource is an opportunity for your local and fire department to learn from these successful programs to develop or enhance your own wellness-fitness program. This centralized resource provides information about successful programs so that new program managers can benefit from the experience of others. This online resource guide will also be updated and expanded to include additional online resources for fire fighters to gather information on successful programs, contact those who are managing these programs and benefit from the experiences of others. WFI Videos       View the Protocols Video here

Go to the Online Library under Health and Safety for the following documents:
You must be logged in with your membership username and password to access these documents

• CPAT Manual 2nd Edition
• WFI Manual 3rd Edition

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