Emergencies follow no set schedule and can happen at a moment’s notice. So when firefighters with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department file into the Wellfit center in Chantilly, they often bring their equipment with them, leaving their gear near the entrance and trucks parked out front in case their shift is called into action.
The Wellfit center offers strength training and physical therapy for Fairfax County’s finest and is part of an all-encompassing strategy FCFRD has undertaken that is unique in the country. Alongside these services, the department provides dietary guidance and behavioral counseling for an all-encompassing approach to ensure firefighters are in the best shape possible to perform their arduous tasks.
It’s an approach that “breaks down the barriers to care,” said Battalion Chief Brian Edmonston.