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Wichita to launch firefighter wellness pilot with $150,000 from Kansas Health Foundation
Summary
Council Member Tuttle said the city and partners will launch a firefighter wellness initiative at Fire Station 1; the Kansas Health Foundation will provide $150,000 to hire a consultant and develop a pilot addressing cancer screening, hypertension, sleep hygiene, mental health and substance abuse issues for firefighters.
Council Member Tuttle announced at the Feb. 14 Wichita City Council workshop that the city, Wichita Fire Department and partners will launch a firefighter wellness initiative aimed at addressing cancer screening, hypertension, sleep hygiene, mental health and substance abuse.
"We brought on the Kansas Health Foundation as a partner who will be providing a hundred and $50,000 to this project for the goal of health," Tuttle said, describing the plan to hire a consultant to develop a sustainable pilot program at the Wichita Fire Department. Tuttle noted the effort is a partnership among the city, the Wichita Fire Department, the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 135 and the Kansas Health Foundation.
Tuttle said the initiative is intended to be more than cancer screenings and added the pilot could be designed so it might be replicated by other fire departments across the state. She praised department leadership and city communications and human resources staff for supporting the announcement at Fire Station 1.
No council action was required at the workshop; Tuttle presented the announcement as an informational recognition of the partnership and the private foundation funding. The city did not provide a detailed implementation timeline, consultant procurement method, or a budget breakdown beyond the $150,000 commitment from the Kansas Health Foundation during the workshop.
