Grand Island Fire Department pursues federal grant to update fitness equipment

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - Recognizing the pivotal role of fitness in the daily routines of firefighters, the Grand Island Fire Department (GIFD) is seeking a significant upgrade in their exercise equipment.

The initiative, discussed during the department’s annual strategic planning session, hinges on securing funds from the federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant, marking the first major overhaul of fitness gear since 2003.

Fire Captain Tony Nissen said that fitness is a very important part of a firefighter’s daily routine.

”Our daily tasks can involve anything from running on a medical call, to structure fires, to car accidents, to high angle rescue and they require a large amount of energy, muscular endurance, all of those things,” Nissen said.

Along with being able to help firefighters meet the physical demands of the job, Nissen also said that staying physically fit also helps prevent them from disease.

“Cancer is the leading cause of death for firefighters. In 2023, 72 percent of all line of duty deaths were cancer-related and then 18 percent was cardiac-related, so that’s 90 percent of line of duty deaths and exercise can help with both cancer prevention and heart disease,” Nissen said.

Nissen said that his fire station on Broadwell Avenue has had fitness equipment failures.

”Each station is different. We have a lot of the same type of equipment, but in particular here, our treadmill likes to stop in the middle of your run every once in a while, things like that, so yeah, everybody has some basic equipment and some of it’s outdated and needs some maintenance, replacement, things like that,” Nissen said.

When it comes to replacing the equipment, Nissen said he would like to see more equipment that simulates the demands of the job that they see every day.

“The last time we got some money for physical equipment was prior to my time and that’s been over 17 and a half years, so things have changed. A lot of people’s exercise routines are different, looking more for functional fitness, things we’re doing every single day. We’re lifting, carrying, dragging, pulling,” Nissen said.

The application for the grant was approved by the Grand Island City Council during the City Council meeting held on Feb. 27 and the grant would be used to replace treadmills, ellipticals, and other exercise equipment for each of the four fire stations.

The total cost of the exercise equipment would be approximately $105,000 with a local or City match of approximately $9,600 if the grant is awarded.

The Grand Island Fire Department recently submitted their applications for the Assistance to Firefighter’s Grant, so now they’re waiting to hear back on whether their application was approved and from there, they will take feedback from firefighters as to what kind of equipment they should purchase.

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