Florence council approves recharge room at fire station to support first‑responder health

Battalion Chief Corey Pine and Jared Thaylor asked the council to approve a project to build a "recharge room" at Fire Station No. 2, a multimodal wellness space intended to support firefighters’ physical and mental recovery.

Chief Pine described three core modalities: short‑duration red light therapy paired with vagus nerve stimulation to reduce stress responses; an infrared sauna intended to aid detoxification after smoke exposures; and a 45‑degree cold plunge for a rapid autonomic reset. He cited preliminary data from other departments and academic partners that participants report reduced chronic pain, better sleep and lower stress. "The goal of this project is to provide a multimodality approach that addresses total physical and mental well‑being in a structured 35‑minute cycle," Pine said.

Council members pressed on evidence and implementation but broadly supported the spending as an investment in employee health and retention. Participants argued the program supports recruitment, reduces sick time and could strengthen grant applications by contributing Florence‑specific data to university partners. After discussion the council voted to approve entering into a contract with FCI Constructors for the recharge room project for an amount not to exceed $141,842.

Staff said the program will include scheduling software and anonymized data collection for research collaborations and potential grant funding. Council asked staff to continue providing cost‑benefit information and to track usage and outcomes.