CLEVELAND — A grant of more than $800,000 will go towards creating a holistic health and wellness program for Cleveland firefighters. The $812,404.47 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant, plus $81,240.45 from the city of Cleveland, will bolster mental health supports and cancer screenings.
“By putting up $80,000 plus of city money, we’re able to leverage 10 times that amount, get over $800,000 from the federal government that we can use to support the needs of our men and women in the division of fire,” said Ward 17 councilman Charles Slife.
Slife, whose brother is a firefighter, said the money will address both the physical and mental stressors of the job.
“The dollars include mental health screenings, behavioral healthcare, which is something that fortunately society is taking a lot more seriously these days,” Slife said. “Let’s not forget that when the men and women are fighting fires, they’re exposing themselves to various carcinogens, and our firefighters do have much higher rates of cancer than the average person. These dollars also allow for more proactive cancer screenings so we can make sure that they’re getting the healthcare that we all want them to get.”
According to the CDC, cancer is a “leading cause of death” among firefighters.
Chief Anthony Luke of the Cleveland Division of Fire said he hears about cancer diagnoses in firefighters, though he couldn’t provide a specific number of those impacted in Cleveland due to HIPAA, and added that firefighters aren’t required to report their diagnoses.
“They say ‘this causes cancer, that causes cancer, this causes cancer,’” the chief said. “At some point, I have to do my job, so you’ve got to tune it out. They would just like some guidance, ‘what do I need to do, where can I get help, who can I go talk to?’”
Luke said they are actively working on a request for proposals for a medical provider, likely a local hospital, to participate in the program. He said those he’s spoken to within the department are “excited” about the money and the program.
“The idea is to put together a wellness program for firefighters,” Luke said. “Not only to get them wellness exams – so body scans, blood tests – but to get a holistic, 360-degree wellness proposal for an employee so that they can see first if they have any issues currently, and then going forward, here is what we see, here’s where you can make improvements.”
Luke said that oftentimes firefighters bring aspects of the job back home with them. This program looks to address that.
“They take care of citizens and visitors to the city, but after all that’s taken care of, they then go home to their families, and a lot of times they’re bringing that stress, what they’ve seen, what they’re so exposed to, and even the carcinogens they’re exposed to, they’re bringing it home to their families,” he said. “So we want to try to change that dynamic.”
The chief said the hope is to have the program, or at least the vendor who will implement the program, in place by fall of this year.