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Fire district hears presentation on in‑house physical‑therapy program aimed at reducing injuries and workers’‑comp costs
Summary
Dr. Ryan Fisher told the board the in‑house health and wellness program treated 77 firefighters in the last year, delivering 132 visits across 84 cases; he gave conservative estimates of potential cost avoidance and said he plans to expand mobile access and telehealth services.
Dr. Ryan Fisher, a licensed physical therapist and strength‑conditioning coach, told the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District Board on July 7 that an in‑house health and wellness program is aimed at preventing and treating musculoskeletal injuries among first responders.
"I treated 84 different injuries," Fisher said, describing a program that provides direct‑access physical therapy at fire stations, weekly station visits, strength‑conditioning plans, telehealth follow‑ups and massage therapy when needed. He said Nevada’s direct‑access rules let firefighters see a physical therapist without a physician referral, which the program uses to shorten the care timeline.
The program’s reported use last year included 77 distinct firefighters, 132 visits and 84 treated cases, Fisher said. He presented conservative estimates of cost avoidance: using an example calculation (15% of 84 cases at an illustrative $15,000 per claim) he estimated about $189,000 in possible savings, and in a separate summary review he cited a possible savings figure of roughly $250,000. Fisher described both as estimates based on national workers’‑comp averages and local utilization patterns.
Board members and staff asked about station utilization, privacy and plans to scale. Fisher said two stations (36 and 45) historically had the highest utilization because of room privacy and convenience, and he said his schedule was about 92–93% full. On scaling, Fisher referenced larger programs in other cities and said his plan is to be mobile and visit on‑duty crews more frequently, increasing dispersed data collection and station coverage.
"I hope at the end of the day, every first responder in this whole city, police, fire, everybody will get the care that they need," Fisher said, adding that expanding the model would likely require broader agency or municipal backing.
Deputy Chief Edwards and several commissioners expressed appreciation for the program and asked staff to return with updates as appropriate. No formal action was taken; the presentation was received for information.
