Mercy Fitness Specialists Train Nimishillen Firefighters For Combat Challenge

Canton, Ohio: Climb stairs while carrying a fire hose up five stories. Use a sledge hammer to move a Keiser sled five feet. Drag a hose 75 feet, and then move a 190-pound dummy 100 feet. Now try all this while wearing a firefighter’s helmet and gloves, 20-pound ankle weights and 30-pound air pack. Forty-one firefighters from the Nimishillen Township Fire Department took part in the Combat Challenge Tuesday, June 24 at Stark State College fire training facility.

The challenge is part of the Nimishillen Township Fire Department’s wellness program. “The leading cause of death among firefighters in America is heart attacks, and sprains or muscle strains represent the largest number of debilitating injuries,� says Chief Richard J. Peterson, Nimishillen Township Fire Department.

Mercy Health & Fitness Center exercise physiologists Sue Madden, B.S., and Stephanie Wheeler, M.S., watch Nimishillen Township firefighter Scott Bauer take part in the Firefighters Combat Challenge Tuesday, June 24 . (Not pictured: Nicole Boylen, B.S., exercise physiologist at Mercy Health & Fitness Center, is also part of the fitness training team.)

“We began this program as a proactive initiative to help identify areas of improvement for our firefighter’s overall physical condition. The Firefighter Combat Challenge represents a realistic simulation of the physical demands a firefighter can experience while performing their duties,� Peterson says.

Certified health fitness trainers from Mercy Medical Center’s Health & Fitness Department have worked with Nimishillen Township firefighters since 2004 helping them improve their overall wellness and prepare for the challenge.

“We start by individually evaluating each firefighter,� says Sue Madden, B.S, exercise physiologist at Mercy Health & Fitness Center. “We test for cardiovascular endurance, strength, agility and flexibility.� Glucose and cholesterol screenings are also offered at Mercy Health Center of North Canton as a part of the overall wellness assessment. Based on the evaluation results, trainers make recommendations on how to improve physical performance and conditioning prior to taking the challenge.

“The team at Mercy Health & Fitness Center have been excellent to work with,� Peterson says. “They have been with us since the inception of the program and have worked diligently to evaluate our firefighters and custom tailor a workout program to our firefighters’ individual needs.

Chief Richard J. Peterson, Nimishillen Township Fire Department; exercise physiologists at Mercy Health & Fitness Center Sue Madden, B.S., and Stephanie Wheeler, M.S.; and firefighter Rich Hallas stand ready for the Firefighters Combat Challenge Tuesday, June 24.

Mercy Health & Fitness Center is located in Mercy Health Center of North Canton and is available to assist you in virtually every area of fitness. Our staff of experienced exercise physiologists offer their expertise in weight reduction, diabetes control, stress management, strength and conditioning, cardiac rehabilitation, post rehabilitation, cancer recovery, personal training, sport specific training and aquatics. The Center offers state-of-the-art equipment for cardiovascular and resistive strength training including treadmills, stairclimbers, stationary and recumbent bikes, rowing and upper body ergometers, Cybex selectorized machines and free weights. For more information about Mercy Health & Fitness Center, call 330-966-8997.

Nimishillen Township Fire Department protects approximately 10,000 people living in an area of 36 square miles. Operating out of two stations, the department’s members are a combination of paid and volunteer workers. Nimishillen Township has made a commitment to physical fitness for its firefighters by incorporating workouts as part of their daily regiment and by conducting an annual 12-week firefighter fitness challenge program.

Mercy Medical Center, a nonprofit corporation of the Sisters of Charity Health System and University Hospitals Health System, operates a 476-bed hospital serving Stark, Carroll, Wayne, Holmes and Tuscarawas Counties and parts of Southeastern Ohio. It has 550 physicians on its Medical Staff and employs 2,500 people. Mercy operates outpatient health centers in Carrollton, Jackson Township, Lake Township, Louisville and North Canton. A Catholic hospital, Mercy Medical Center upholds the mission and philosophy of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine and continues to be responsive to the needs of the community, including the provision of care to all, regardless of their ability to pay.