|
|
|
|
Chair: Jonathan Mittelman MD MPH
Medical Director, Dominion Nuclear of
Connecticut (Milstone Station) Occupational Medicine Physician, Middlesex Hospital Occupational Medicine Advanced Disaster Life Support Instructor. Firefighter since 1970 Safety Officer, Old Lyme Fire
Department.
Stefanos Kales MD MPH FACP FACOEM
Over the last 10 years, Dr. Kales and his team have been performing research on
cardiovascular issues in firefighters, including hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemias, disability retirement, and on-duty cardiovascular disease events. They have published landmark studies describing
the occupational and medical factors that contribute to on-duty coronary heart disease (CHD) events. During his talk, Dr. Kales will review the current state of the science with respect to the
progression of undetected
or inadequately managed CVD risk factors into sub-clinical and clinical disease; and 2) the contribution and interaction of occupational hazards and pre-existing pathology in
the development of on-duty heart disease events.
Speaker’s Objectives:
1) Understand the occupational and personal factors underlying heart disease in firefighters;
2) Learn key evidence-based ideas for preventing cardiovascular disease and on-duty events among
firefighters
Bruce A Jacobsen PT MEd
Bruce Jacobsen will discuss various strategies for implementing fitness programs into local fire
departments. NFPA fitness recommendations will be reviewed as the baseline to frame fitness program development and implementation. Discussion will include potential implementation obstacles, educational
opportunities that may enhance the fitness program, the ultimate benefits of fitness programs as related to the essential functions of the job and the importance of data collection, analysis and
communication of data with the fire departments.
Speaker’s Objectives:
1) Understand the basic four components of physical fitness and the assessment process of each.
2) Understand exercise prescription protocols that will enhance fitness deficits and help to maintain
fitness levels.
3) Understand potential obstacles to implementing fitness programs into local fire departments, and strategies to help overcome these obstacles during their planning process.
4)
Better understand the importance of data collection and interpretation that will help support the need for annual firefighter fitness assessment.
5) Understand associate educational opportunities that will enhance the fitness program.
Panel discussion:
Conference speakers will be joined
by Chief Ron Samul of the New London Fire Department to discuss best approaches to implementing programs for the Fire Department to reduce cardiovascular mortality. The discussion will cover screening
programs, fitness assessments and fitness programs as well as providing a forum for those attending to ask questions of the panelists.
Panel Objectives:
1) Appreciate the controversies involved with implementing programs to reduce cardiovascular mortality
2) Understand one approach involved in setting up a firefighter fitness program
Combat Challenge Course Demo:
The Challenge seeks to encourage firefighter fitness and demonstrate the profession's rigors to the public. Wearing "full
bunker gear" competitors race head-to-head as they simulate the physical demands of real-life firefighting. Bonnie Benson, is rated #3 in the nation, and is joined by her coach, Chuck Leblanc.
Combat Objectives:
1) understand firefighting equipment and gear
2) learn about the cardiovascular, flexibility and agility requirements for the work of firefighting.
Additional information about Speakers:
Dr. Stefanos Kales earned an MD from Harvard Medical School, and an MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health. He completed residencies in Internal Medicine at the Cambridge
Hospital/Harvard Medical School and in Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the Harvard School of Public Health. He is Board Certified in both specialties and practices Occupational and
Environmental Medicine at the Cambridge Hospital, where he is the Director of Employee Health & Industrial Medicine. Dr. Kales is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and of
Occupational Medicine at the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Kales has been the principal investigator on several grants related to hazardous materials teams and firefighters. His group has
published extensively on firefighters. Dr. Kales is also active in other occupational and environmental research and education, including metals and chemical terrorism. Dr. Kales is an Occupational &
Environmental medicine consultant to the Poison Control Center and has worked with Massachusetts' hazardous materials teams for the last 10 years. He was the principal author of a chemical recognition
guide for the American College of Physicians featured as part of the ACP bioterrorism website (http://www.acponline.org/ bioterro/), and was an invited speaker at ACP's National 2003 session regarding
Chemical Terrorism.
Bruce Jacobsen manages the Hospital of Saint Raphael's Occupational Health Plus™ program in Branford, Connecticut. He is a Connecticut licensed Physical Therapist. Bruce
has a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education ('83), and a Masters of Education in Sports Medicine ('84), both from Springfield College, MA. Bruce was also a Nationally Certified Athletic Trainer for
20-years. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Therapy ('89) from the University of Connecticut. He is certified to perform Functional Capacity Evaluations with WorkWell Systems, Inc. and
was trained in Functional Job Analysis, Functional Job Descriptions, Post-offer Pre-employment Screenings and Work Conditioning programs through Isernhagen Work Systems Inc. Bruce has focused his
Physical Therapy practices toward Industrial Medicine since 1992.
Chief Ron Samul, New London, CT Fire Department. Charles "Chuck" LeBlanc has been in the fire service 35 years and is
currently a Lieutenant on Engine 3 in the City of Leominster, MA. He has been the EMS Director for the Leominster Fire Department for 34 years. Chuck is an EMT-D and a Fire Instructor II for the
Department of Fire Services at the MA State Fire Academy. He has been a Firefighter Combat Challenge Competitor for 16 years and is currently ranked 5th in the over 55 category and 4th in the over 50
Tandem category in the world. Chuck has been the coach of the Providence Fire Department Combat Challenge Team for 6 years.
Bonnie Benson has been in the fire service for 8 years. Prior to
working in the fire service she was a trauma nurse at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, RI. Bonnie is currently an Acting Lieutenant on Rescue 2 with the Providence Fire Department. She is also the
Medical Team Manager for the Rhode Island Urban Search and Rescue Team, TF-1. Bonnie is a Fire Instructor I for the RI State Fire Academy and lectures at the Barnstable Fire Academy in Barnstable, MA as
well as the NH State Fire Academy in Concord, NH. She has been a Firefighter Combat Challenge Competitor for 8 years and is currently ranked 3rd in the United States and 9th in the world for female
firefighters.
|
|
