Injury-prevention based Functional Fitness programs     

Body Mechanics and other group training workshops

Fire Station Design ergonomics for new and remodel

           construction.   

Prevention-based and injury-based Ergonomic Risk 

           Assessment,  modification, accommodation, & training

Detailed functional Job Task Analysis

Apparatus ergonomic risk assessment and manufacturer

           recommendations

". . . . Over (a) ten year period studied (by) the NFPA . . . , 440 firefighters - 43.7 percent of those who died on the job - experienced sudden cardiac death (heart attacks and other heart related sudden death), typically triggered by stress or exertion . . . . (The) NFPA has developed standards that, if adopted, could prevent many on-duty deaths. One requires health and fitness program for firefighters. Another requires firefighters to meet health standards before joining the fire service, and to be carefully evaluated annually . . . " (Fire & Emergency Response, emphasis added).

History of our involvement

Deborah first became involved in the fire service because a smaller male friend’s dream was to be a firefighter and he asked her to help him prepare for the physical ability test. It was a functional and progressive program….and it worked! He passed the test and is now a very happy firefighter. He suggested Deborah find a way to help other firefighters and made the first connection for her with the Seattle Fire Dept. The rest is….. history!

Deborah and her staff have completed the following firefighter drills in full turn-out gear, including BA: pick up hose from ground, hose carry up and down 5 flights, ladder retrieval and carry, ladder extension and climb to roof, chainsaw roof breach simulation on 2 pitches, hose pull through maze crawl, “Fred” rescue through maze, 100-foot ladder climb.

Presentations

Redmond Firefighter Occupational Health Symposium & Safety Hazards – Instructor of Functional Circuit Classes. October, 2007.

Peer Fitness Trainer Continuing Education Workshops for Grants Pass, Clackamas County and Portland, Oregon. Portland Fire & Rescue, May, 2006.

ErgoFit Consulting was asked to participate in a national injury prevention grant from the International Association of Fire Fighters. Spring, 2005.

Redmond Firefighter Occupational Health Symposium & Safety Hazards – Injury Prevention Grant Panel Member and Instructor of Functional Circuit Classes. October, 2005.

Phoenix Health, Fitness & Wellness Symposium - Lecturer and workshop presenter on functional fitness at the national firefighter's. June, 2004.

Redmond Firefighter Occupational Health Symposium & Safety Hazards– Tubing workshop presenter. Fall, 2003.

 
Fit to Survive, Functional Training for Fire Fighters, Portland Fire and Rescue, September, 2003.

Fire Chief Magazine: “Fitting Tasks: Ergonomic design can make living and working in your fire station less painful”, November 2003. Read it at http://firechief.com/ar/firefighting_fitting_tasks/index.html

Firefighter & Paramedic Functional Fitness Training Workshops

We now offer 3.6 ACE-approved continuing education credits (36 hours)! Peer Fitness Trainers need 1.2 credits every 2 years for re-certification.

Schedule your training!

Build Your Own Functional Circuits (0.4 CECs) Beginner – Advanced.
Learn lots of Deborah’s secrets from the past 20 years for building fun and motivating functional circuits, using a few of the exercises in our Tubing and Stability Ball and Cable Machine courses but also containing many, many more exercises using other functional and stabilization equipment as well as your own body weight. This is mostly a hands-on course. Includes 5 sample workouts and a copy of a video of the exercises we do in class.  

Exercise Design & Modification for Postural Deficits & Imbalances (0.6 CECs)  Intermediate – Advanced.
This course lays the critical foundation for all the other courses ErgoFit Consulting, Inc. offers your PFT’s. Your PFT’s will learn the principles of functional fitness, postural screening principles and techniques, and corrective exercise design and modification for postural deficits. It is essential that your PFT’s do not design exercise programs that further exacerbate existing dysfunctions or prior injuries, and this class will help them do just that. This is about half lecture and half hands-on.  This is strongly recommended before taking the Functional Movement Screen course. 

Functional Movement Screen: How to Use & Interpret It (0.8 CECs)  Advanced.

Learn how to administer and interpret the Functional Movement Screen, and do the tests yourself. This is an excellent tool to identify movement dysfunctions and to design exercise programs that correct for those dysfunctions, and goes a long way toward injury prevention.  In fact, the Functional Movement Screen has been found to be predictive of injuries for the fire service. This is about half lecture and half hands-on. 

 
Complete Cardio Training (0.2 CECs)  Intermediate.
This course reviews the various types of cardiovascular training, how they are related, why they are all important for the fire & emergency service, and how to design workouts accordingly to improve VO2 and performance capabilities. There is a focus on interval training in this course and it is about 2/3 lecture and 1/3 hands-on.

Tubing (0.3 CECs)  Beginner - Intermediate.
This course reviews the theories, benefits, and safety issues with Tubing training. Tubing is a phenomenal tool for motor learning and programming, which are the building blocks to performing functional job tasks safely and efficiently. Based on the physical demand requirements of firefighting and paramedic work, as is the Cable Machine course. The majority of the course is hands-on, learning cueing techniques, contraindications, and the exercises themselves. 
 
Stability Ball (0.4 CECs)  Beginner – Intermediate.
This course reviews the theories, benefits, and safety issues with Stability Ball training. The Stability Ball is a fabulous tool for developing core and joint strength and stability which leads to reduced risk of injury as well as enhanced functional performance. The majority of the course is hands-on, learning cueing techniques, contraindications, and the exercises themselves.                                                                                                            
Stretching (0.1 CEC)  Beginner.
This course reviews the various methods and corresponding purposes for stretching. The stretching exercises instructed in this course are geared toward achieving normal range of motion in joints and spinal mobility to enhance muscle recruitment during functional tasks and to reduce the risk of injury. The majority of the course is hands-on, learning cueing techniques, contraindications, and the exercises themselves. 
        

Cable Machine (0.3 CECs)  Beginner – Intermediate.
This course is divided into a series of three whole body workouts of progressive difficulty.  Based on the physical demand requirements and movement patterns of firefighting and paramedic work, as is the Tubing course.  The majority of the course is hands-on, learning cueing techniques, contraindications, and the exercises themselves. Pending accreditation.

Basics of Heart Health & Performance Nutrition (0.4 CECs)  Beginner – Intermediate.
You'll get the basics plus a little extra regarding athletic performance, as well as tools, ideas, and resources to help get your crews eating for health and performance.  

Evaluation Refresher (0.3 CECs)  Beginner.
This course refreshes your PFT’s in the nuts and bolts of the IAFF/IAFC Fitness Evaluation protocol (Jackson Protocol), using ErgoFit Consulting, Inc.’s own user friendly worksheet format. This is primarily a hands-on workshop.

Back Health Series – coming soon!

West Valley City, UT

The following data totals were hand-counted from 20 course evaluation forms. Out of a total of 200 possible answers, 95.5% were rated as Excellent, 4% were rated as Very Good, 0.5% were rated as Good, 0% were rated as Fair, and 0% were rated as Unsatisfactory.

Woodinville, WA

The following data totals were hand-counted from 6 course evaluation forms. Out of a total of 60 possible answers, 70% were rated as Excellent, 27% were rated as Very Good, 3% were rated as Good, 0% were rated as Fair, and 0% were rated as Unsatisfactory.

Marietta, GA
The following data totals were hand-counted from 16 course evaluation forms. Out of a total of 160 answers, 64% were rated as Excellent, 29% were rated as Very Good, 0.06% were rated as Good, and 0 answers were rated as Fair or Unsatisfactory.

Assessment & Intervention

Individual Ergonomic Evaluation
This is typically an injury-based or early intervention evaluation of an individual in your department who has symptoms. The time it takes will depend on the complexity of the situation and tasks. Engineering, Administrative, and Work Practice Controls are all considered.

The focus is on mitigating major symptoms and preventing re-injury while using existing equipment and instructing the employee in new techniques. New equipment or modification of equipment is only recommended when clinically necessary.

A thorough report is provided for your personnel files outlining risk factors observed, interventions taken, and additional recommendations. We are available to assist with implementation of recommendations as needed, and will follow up until there is resolution or reasonable improvement for the employee.

Department-Wide Ergonomic Evaluation
This evaluation is typically conducted when a company has concerns about comfort, productivity, absenteeism, turnover, or injuries. Employees may or may not have symptoms.

The focus is on identifying ergonomic risk factors and poor productivity, prioritizing those, and making solutions recommendations to mitigate those risk factors and to improve productivity. Engineering, Administrative, and Work Practice Controls are all addressed.

The process begins with a review of your available data. Then we conduct a walk-through of your facility to observe and ask questions of supervisors and employees and to begin to understand the issues involved. Then, more focused data collection begins and often includes questionnaires, photos, video, weights, dimensions, push/pull forces, and more formalized assessment protocols if necessary. There can be a lot of overlap of data with the Functional Job Task Analysis.

A thorough written report is provided that we will review with you to ensure your understanding and to help you devise a strategic action plan. We are available to assist with implementation and with testing the implementation.
  

Job Modification & Accommodation

This evaluation is geared to assist previously injured employees or employees with disabilities meet the essential physical demands of a job by modifying equipment, environment, and methods. There is often state funding available for modifications of equipment and environment. A comprehensive report is provided.

Functional Job Task Analysis

This assessment document is the backbone of your Return to Work, Ergonomic, and Injury Prevention efforts. It eliminates the need for the medical provider to rely solely on the injured worker’s verbal descriptions of the physical demands of the job.

A Functional Job Task Analysis is a written detailed measurement of the physical demands of a job position. A validated Functional Job Task Analysis can then be used for

Hiring and Firing

Workers compensation claims medical review

Earlier and more appropriate return to work

Creation of light duty / modified duty / transitional Return to Work programs

Creation of a physical ability PreWork Screen

and Compliance with the American's with Disability Act and EEOC.

There can be a lot of overlap of data with the Department Wide Ergonomic Evaluation. For more information, see Functional Job Task Analysis.

Training Workshops

Protect Your Body
This workshop focuses on safe mechanics of the whole body - including the back, neck, shoulder, arms, and legs to prevent cumulative trauma and strains/sprains. Lifting techniques will be demonstrated and practiced. ** Also available as a Train the Trainer Course

This training is most effective if it is preceded by 1-2 hours of on-site observation of work being performed. During this observation, photos will be taken and then incorporated into the training. However, a general class may also be of value.

Stretch Break!
This workshop teaches you about different reasons and ways to stretch. Front Line employees can benefit from performing a few stretches every day to keep blood circulating, decrease effects of static and repetitive movement, and improve postural imbalances. Includes full color photographs and written descriptions of each stretch, and DVD video can be produced. **Also available as a Train the Trainer Course.

Shift Prep!
This workshop is for employees engaged in field work or heavier physical demands. The focus of this training is arming one's body with stability in order to reduce injury incidence and severity, to enhance efficiency and performance, and to reduce perceived effort during work tasks. It is a rehabilitation based and fitness based set of movements that are performed prior to every shift. Includes full color photographs and written descriptions of each activity. DVD video can be produced. **Also available as a Train the Trainer Course.

Slow Down Your Aging
This workshop describes what happens physiologically in the body as we age as well as measures to counteract them.

Nutrition Basics
This workshop teaches athletes and non-athletes how to eat healthy. Learn tricks for healthier eating with a busy lifestyle and get started with easy recipes.

Back Health Series – coming soon!

Customized Training

Program Development

Customized Functional Fitness Programs

Return to Work Protocol Development

Injury Prevention Program Development

Facility Design Consultation for Remodel and New Construction

Don't purchase the work equipment and waste money retrofitting later! Whether a remodel or a new construction, let us help you make design decisions that will be safe for those working in your space.

Ergonomics is important during all stages of designing and constructing a facility, because it considers the users of the building and it’s contents. Also, it is a specialty skill architects do not possess.

From the construction crew who builds the facility, to the interior designers who decorate it, and to the folks who need to maintain it, proper ergonomics will get the job done faster, safer and better:

Improve Efficiences

Improve Productivity

Reduce Waste

Reduce Errors

Improve Quality

Improve Usability

Improve Maintainability

Increase Profitability

Reduce Risk of Injury

     

Fire & EMS Clients

West Valley City Fire Department (West Valley City, UT)
Portland Fire & Rescue (Portland, OR)

Boring Fire Department (Boring, OR)
Eastside Fire & Rescue (Issaquah, WA)
Clackamas County Fire District #1 (Clackamas County, OR)
Grants Pass Fire and Rescue (Grants Pass, OR)
Snohomish County Fire District 1 (Everett, WA)
Shoreline Fire Department (Shoreline, WA)
Pierce County Fire District #2 (Lakewood, WA)
Woodinville Fire & Life Safety District (Woodinville, WA)
Seattle Fire Department (Seattle, WA)
Marietta Fire & Emergency Services (Marietta, GA)
       

Fire & EMS Testimonials

“Over the past year I have worked on several projects with Deborah involving functional training, injury prevention, ergonomics, and group exercise for firefighters. Her expertise, enthusiasm and presentation skills have made her classes a favorite among firefighters and helped reduce injuries in the fire service.

As an adjunct professor for Glendale Community College and as a Division Chief for the Phoenix Fire Department I evaluate many instructors for their ability to induce learning and change behaviors. In my opinion, Deborah is an excellent instructor with impeccable qualifications (i.e. education, application, and organization).” -- Scott Peltin, Division Chief of the Phoenix Fire Department, and original member of the IAFF/IAFC Wellness Fitness Initiative Committee

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“Deborah has worked with our fire department over the past two years in teaching group fitness classes and also advising in fitness program design and implementation.

Deborah has also been involved in ergonomics and overall safety and wellness. In my 14 years of firefighter wellness experience, I have not seen the level of commitment and the competency in being able to motivate and teach a wide variety of personalities that I see in Deborah. This is proven time and again, not alone in my own observations, but in the session evaluations that I review after Deborah’s classes.

I believe that Deborah would be an excellent provider for your organization, especially as part of the IAFF/IAFC/ACE Peer Fitness Trainer program. If you have the opportunity to meet Deborah it will be obvious that her commitment to fitness and wellness is her passion and not just a career.” -- Wellness Coordinator and Peer Fitness Trainer, Kevin Fetter, from Washington State’s Snohomish County Fire District 1

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“Nice to see someone energetic and strong enough to do the most advanced level. Hope to have you back for further classes.” -- From Shoreline (WA) Fire Department participants about the Tubing Program Training

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“Excellent knowledge of functional requirements of the fire service. Nicely done!” -- From Shoreline (WA) Fire Department participants about the Tubing Program Training

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