11.23.04
From Forbescom
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) announces that it has received a major donation from the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company in support of the NVFC’s Heart-Healthy Firefighter program. The $175,000 donation was formally presented at the NVFC’s recent board meeting held in Asheville, North Carolina on October 16, 2004.
Accepting the donation on behalf of the National Volunteer Fire Council was Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. “We’re delighted to receive such a significant contribution in support of our efforts to educate firefighters about the risks of heart disease,” Stittleburg said. “The size of the Fireman’s Fund donation reflects not only their own commitment to firefighter health, but also the faith they’ve placed in the importance and value of our program. The number of firefighters we lose to heart attacks each year in the line of duty is unacceptable. We’re confident our program is making a positive impact,” he added.
The $175,000 contribution from the Fireman’s Fund will be used to support various activities of the NVFC’s Heart-Healthy Firefighter program. The program has an aggressive goal of reducing heart-related on-duty firefighter deaths by 25% by the year 2005. Now in its second year, the program educates firefighters and the communities they serve about the risks of heart attacks and other heart-related dangers inherent in firefighting.
During the first year of the program, a Heart-Healthy Firefighter Kit was developed. This kit has provided thousands of firefighters across the United States with valuable information on fighting cholesterol and heart disease, as well as promoting better nutrition and overall physical fitness. The Heart-Healthy Firefighter Kit is available by visiting www.healthy-firefighter.org. The web site also offers other heart-healthy tools, including a medical history form that firefighters can print out and provide to their doctor.
Heather Schafer, the NVFC’s executive director, expressed satisfaction with the effectiveness of the Heart-Healthy Firefighter program to date. “We’ve been quite successful in educating firefighters about cardiac-related health issues. Not only have we put information into the hands of over 5,000 firefighters, we’ve also provided free cholesterol screenings for more than 4,000 people at several of the major fire service conferences this past year. But obviously, much work remains to be done, which makes us so grateful for the support of the Fireman’s Fund.”
The $175,000 donation from Fireman’s Fund Insurance was presented to NVFC by Gil Roeder, National Director of Communications. According to Roeder, the funds were contributed under the company’s Heritage Program. Founded in 1863, Fireman’s Fund Insurance has participated actively over the years in local, regional and national initiatives to improve the health of firefighters. The mission of the Heritage Program is to support local firefighters in building safer communities. Previous donations have gone toward the purchase of equipment and fire prevention tools, as well as training for local fire departments and community education.
The National Volunteer Fire Council is a not-for-profit membership organization representing the interests of volunteer fire, EMS and rescue services. Organized in 1976, its membership includes state-level organizations that represent volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel in 49 states, along with individual firefighters, fire departments and corporate members.
The NVFC is the volunteer fire service’s representative in the national policy arena, keeping its members informed of current and forthcoming legislation. The NVFC also serves on the Board of Visitors of the National Fire Academy, the Congressional Fire Services Institute’s National Advisory Committee, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, the Federal of World Volunteer Firefighters Association, as well as various sub-committees of the National Fire Protection Association.
For more information on the National Volunteer Fire Council and its activities, including the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program, contact Maggie Wilson, Director of Health & Safety, at 1-888-ASK-NVFC or 202-887-5700, or via e-mail at maggie@nvfc.org.
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) announces that it has received a major donation from the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company in support of the NVFC’s Heart-Healthy Firefighter program. The $175,000 donation was formally presented at the NVFC’s recent board meeting held in Asheville, North Carolina on October 16, 2004.
Accepting the donation on behalf of the National Volunteer Fire Council was Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. “We’re delighted to receive such a significant contribution in support of our efforts to educate firefighters about the risks of heart disease,” Stittleburg said. “The size of the Fireman’s Fund donation reflects not only their own commitment to firefighter health, but also the faith they’ve placed in the importance and value of our program. The number of firefighters we lose to heart attacks each year in the line of duty is unacceptable. We’re confident our program is making a positive impact,” he added.
The $175,000 contribution from the Fireman’s Fund will be used to support various activities of the NVFC’s Heart-Healthy Firefighter program. The program has an aggressive goal of reducing heart-related on-duty firefighter deaths by 25% by the year 2005. Now in its second year, the program educates firefighters and the communities they serve about the risks of heart attacks and other heart-related dangers inherent in firefighting.
During the first year of the program, a Heart-Healthy Firefighter Kit was developed. This kit has provided thousands of firefighters across the United States with valuable information on fighting cholesterol and heart disease, as well as promoting better nutrition and overall physical fitness. The Heart-Healthy Firefighter Kit is available by visiting www.healthy-firefighter.org. The web site also offers other heart-healthy tools, including a medical history form that firefighters can print out and provide to their doctor.
Heather Schafer, the NVFC’s executive director, expressed satisfaction with the effectiveness of the Heart-Healthy Firefighter program to date. “We’ve been quite successful in educating firefighters about cardiac-related health issues. Not only have we put information into the hands of over 5,000 firefighters, we’ve also provided free cholesterol screenings for more than 4,000 people at several of the major fire service conferences this past year. But obviously, much work remains to be done, which makes us so grateful for the support of the Fireman’s Fund.”
The $175,000 donation from Fireman’s Fund Insurance was presented to NVFC by Gil Roeder, National Director of Communications. According to Roeder, the funds were contributed under the company’s Heritage Program. Founded in 1863, Fireman’s Fund Insurance has participated actively over the years in local, regional and national initiatives to improve the health of firefighters. The mission of the Heritage Program is to support local firefighters in building safer communities. Previous donations have gone toward the purchase of equipment and fire prevention tools, as well as training for local fire departments and community education.
The National Volunteer Fire Council is a not-for-profit membership organization representing the interests of volunteer fire, EMS and rescue services. Organized in 1976, its membership includes state-level organizations that represent volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel in 49 states, along with individual firefighters, fire departments and corporate members.
The NVFC is the volunteer fire service’s representative in the national policy arena, keeping its members informed of current and forthcoming legislation. The NVFC also serves on the Board of Visitors of the National Fire Academy, the Congressional Fire Services Institute’s National Advisory Committee, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, the Federal of World Volunteer Firefighters Association, as well as various sub-committees of the National Fire Protection Association.
For more information on the National Volunteer Fire Council and its activities, including the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program, contact Maggie Wilson, Director of Health & Safety, at 1-888-ASK-NVFC or 202-887-5700, or via e-mail at maggie@nvfc.org.