Fiorentini,
Firefighters Union kick off city's health
and wellness initiative Mayor James J.
Fiorentini today announced that he would
be kicking off a City wide wellness
initiative for city employees starting on
April 30th. The Mayor said he
was doing so at the request and urging of
City Firefighters Union 1011.
The Mayor said that the new initiative
would start on April 30th with
free blood pressure checks for all city
employees and would kick off “Talk a
Walk During Lunch” starting on that
date. The health initiative will also
include periodic education programs for
employees on changing lifestyle, cancer
screenings, and other means of promoting
wellness.
Mayor Fiorentini said that he initiated
the program at the request of the
Haverhill Firefighters Union:
“I’m
delighted to work with the Firefighters
Union in a joint venture to keep our
employees healthy and lower healthcare
costs. Having well-educated, fit
employees is the most important thing we
can do in the long-term to lower
healthcare costs for all.
“No group is more aware of the
importance of keeping physically fit than
firefighters.
“Those programs will include
exercise and diet programs, programs to
educate employees about benefits we
already have for physical fitness.
“We will to start the program on
April 30th with a noon-time
walking program. Numerous studies have
shown that the most important thing that
anyone can do to improve their health is
moderate exercise. A daily walking
program helps to lower the risk of heart
attacks, strokes, diabetes and even the
risk of certain cancers.”
