Healthy, balanced meals were harder to come by for firefighters in the D.C. region until Food on the Stove came along. But starting next month, the nonprofit will beta test a new app that will pave the way for a healthier lifestyle among firehouses in Prince George’s County and beyond. Jonathan Tate founded the organization in July 2017 to help firefighters live healthier lives through nutrition and exercise.
In 2019, the National Fire Protection Association reported that 48 deaths occurred among line-of-duty career and volunteer firefighters nationwide. Almost half of all fatalities were sudden cardiac deaths; and a 2015 study conducted by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation tracked 485 sudden cardiac deaths among line-of-duty firefighters from 2005 to 2014.
Even Tate has experienced loss within his own family. His father, James Tate Sr., a former D.C. deputy fire chief died from heart disease and cancer just nine years after retiring from a 32-year career in the fire service.