IAFF-IAFC Fire Service joint labor management wellness-fitness initiative

Over the last 25 years, the IAFF has become the world’s leading authority on fire fighter health, wellness, and fitness. Through tireless efforts and a singular vision to improve the lives of fire fighters and their families, the IAFF has developed, implemented, supported, and advocated for numerous initiatives that directly target the most important issues affecting the health and well-being of members of the fire service. In this spirit, the IAFF continues to invest in strategic partnerships that will drive innovation in support of the physical, psychological and social well-being of every fire fighter.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) represents the leadership of fire fighters and emergency responders worldwide; its members are the world’s leading experts in firefighting, emergency medical services, terrorism response, hazardous materials spills, natural disasters, search and rescue, and public safety policy.

Performance Redefined (PR) is a company that creates short- and long-term education, coaching, and exercise solutions to address the health, fitness, and performance needs of fire fighters. As a technical advisor to the IAFF and IAFC for many years, PR has amassed extensive experience working directly with fire fighters and is committed to the mission of improving wellness and fitness in the fire service. PR is honored to support the IAFF and IAFC in the ongoing development and implementation of the WFI.

In 1997, the IAFF and IAFC launched the Wellness-Fitness Initiative (WFI) and committed to leading an innovative charge to improve the health and wellness of all uniformed fire department personnel. Since its inception, the WFI has become the principal most comprehensive resource in support of fire fighter wellness and fitness, largely because of the efforts made by the union leaders, fire chiefs, subject matter experts, and local champions from the 10 task force cities (FDNY, Fairfax County, Calgary, Seattle, Indianapolis, Phoenix, LA County, Austin, Miami-Dade, and Charlotte) who have worked collaboratively to identify best practices. But there is also recognition that updates are needed to address the evolving demands of the profession and emerging trends in health, wellness, and fitness research. 

In addition to highlighting what is important, we must prioritize the implementation process (i.e., how to make things work) so that departments are provided with the necessary support to improve the health and well-being of their members. Central to this mission are guidelines to define, pursue, support, restore, and promote wellness and strategies to target the specific behaviors (e.g., exercise, diet, sleep) known to influence fire fighter health, fitness, and overall well-being.

In support of future WFI initiatives, and to ensure the WFI Task Force reflects the composition of the fire service at large, the IAFF and IAFC made the decision to expand the WFI Task Force to include at least one department from IAFF Districts 1 through 15 and all 8 IAFC Divisions. The Task Force also includes representation from large (600+ members), medium (200+ members), and small (<200 members) departments to ensure diversity in perspectives. Each fire chief and Local president have certified their commitment by pledging to:

The IAFF was recently awarded a FEMA grant to restructure and refocus the WFI to better serve the unique wellness-fitness needs of the fire and EMS by placing a larger focus on best practice guidelines and program implementation. This new resource will be branded as, “The IAFF/IAFC Wellness-Fitness Initiative – Igniting Change,” to better reflect the aims and scope of the revision, and it will be structured in such a way that any department regardless of constraints or circumstances can use the WFI to outline a path for themselves to follow. The WFI will be organized as a repository of evidence, a collection of best practice guidelines, and an actionable implementation roadmap that compliments federal and local standards using the newly established wellness-fitness framework (see below).

The FEMA grant project includes six phases, each with specific objectives and desired outcomes, and will be overseen by the IAFF, IAFC, and PR. A group of uniformed and non-uniformed subject matter experts (SMEs) with relevant expertise and experience is currently supporting the project by reviewing and drafting materials.  A brief description of each phase of the project is outlined below.

Review the 4^th edition of the WFI to identify gaps and opportunities, and to “map” the aims, objectives, and content to the newly established wellness-fitness framework.

Assemble working groups comprising SMEs from Task Force city departments and the broader community to discuss priorities, review material, and develop content. Each working group meets independently and collectively with the entire Task Force every month.

Meet with stakeholders from each Task Force city department to discuss prior and current wellness-fitness activities, outcomes, obstacles, perspectives, lessons learned, etc. These meetings will be used to create implementation case examples for the revised WFI.

Consolidate information gathered from stakeholder meetings in Phase 3. Specifically, the tools, strategies, and tactics used to assess personal and organizational needs; change, reinforce, and restore target behaviors; and evaluate program processes and outcomes will be summarized and consolidated into “Best in practice” recommendations and “how-to” guidelines.

Produce a first draft of the resource, including all supplementary materials, case examples, and supporting evidence.

Fire chiefs, union executives, and subject matter experts from each Task Force city department, IAFF and IAFC staff, and a group of independent reviewers will be asked to provide feedback regarding the scope, accessibility, inclusivity, usability, and appeal of the WFI – Igniting Change resource.