Heather Gomez
San Antonio Fire DepartmentResearch & Development
"Our family serving your family"
The San Antonio
fire department provides
a vital service to the citizens of San Antonio,TX. The fire department
is responsible for the prevention and suppression of fires, emergency
medical services, handling of hazardous materials, and rescue. The fire
department
also responds
to man-made and natural disasters.To help insure the safety and
well-being of the firefighters that serve the city of
San Antonio, the fire department is in the process of creating, and
implementing, a fitness and wellness program.
The decision to do my internship in the research and development
division of the fire department was not
only based on the type of work I would be doing, but also because I
have close ties with firefighters. My
father has served in the department for 30 years. The fitness and
wellness program addresses the many physical and mental strains
that plauge firefighters. My duty, as an intern, has been
to research statistical facts related to
firefighter death, injury, and illness. Through the review of
documents and statistical data, and working closely with my internship
supervisor and the safety officer, I have learned a great deal about
the latent hazards of the job and policies that have been put forth to
aid in their prevention. I have also researched health and
wellness programs in other fire departments in the United States in
order to gain an understanding of how these programs are
implemented, how they are received by the firefighters, and how well
they have worked.
The
information that I have
found will be used to write a grant proposal in order for San Antonio
to receive the financial assistance that is necessary to start a
fitness and wellness program.
My internship has allowed me to
learn very useful skills; but more importantly I have been able to work
closely with some of the
firefighters the program will benefit. I have had the opportunity
to
talk with firefighters not only in San Antonio, but also in other
cities and states. I was able to hear personal testamonies about
the
physical and mental distress firefighters incur due to the job, and how
the fitness and wellness program has
brought better health and healing. This brought a whole new dimension
to my internship experience. I now could see how my internship was
going to play a role in saving the lives of heroes!
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