“The Health and Safety of Houston Firefighters is of utmost importance and has been a strategic focus of our administration for the last five years.  Significant investments have been made to provide our personnel with safety training, and cancer prevention equipment. With the purchase of this exercise equipment, firefighters will have the tools they need at their fire station to assist them in maintaining a level of physical fitness needed for safety on the emergency scene” said Fire Chief Sam Peña.

This purchase of $200,000 was made possible by a generous donation from The Firefighter Foundation of Houston (FFFH) and is part of the more than $2 million worth of donations the Foundation over the last several years.

“We are so pleased to continue to provide this equipment for the Houston Fire Department through the generous donations by the public and our corporate partners. The health and well-being of the more than 4,000 brave men and women of the Houston Fire Department is key to our mission,” said Lee Vela, chairman of the Foundation.

HFD’s Health and Safety Office strategically selected the following equipment to be distributed to each fire station: Echo Bike, Bumper Plates, Slam Ball, Kettlebells, and Sandbags.

To ensure firefighter wellness is at the forefront of the organization, the department established the peer-driven Health and Safety Committee.  The mission of this committee will be to promote health and fitness across the organization. The Committee will serve as a liaison between the personnel in the field and the administration identifying and addressing health and wellness concerns.