Madison, Wis. Firefighters Play Dirty in Fitness Competition

April 19--Madison firefighters competing in a weight-loss challenge play a little dirty -- like delivering a dozen doughnuts to a rival fire station dirty.

But in many station kitchens across the city, cookies, chips and other deep-fried and salty snacks largely have been replaced with fresh fruits and vegetables as part of a department-wide fitness challenge.

The goal is to encourage firefighters and emergency medical workers to evaluate how the stresses of their jobs: long shifts, poor sleep habits and the emotional toll can result in bad food and health choices.

"The demands of our job and the occupational stresses of our job are not conducive to being healthy," said Aaron Zamzow, a firefighter with the Madison Fire Department who organized the challenge that's sponsored by Firefighters Local 311.

Almost a third of Madison Fire Department employees are participating in the challenge that started in January. For 12 weeks, teams and individuals have worked on a variety of fitness regimens in an effort to be the group or person who lost the largest percentage of body weight. The final weigh-ins happened last week and results will be available later this month.

Zamzow, who's been a trainer for more than 20 years, said it's easy for firefighters to get caught up in their job and forget about exercising.

"Part of this whole challenge ... was to change the culture a little bit to get us to think more about health and fitness as part of your everyday routine and diet," Zamzow said.

For the past few months, Zamzow has led boot camps, sent e-mails with workout suggestions and shared healthy recipes.

"Traditionally firehouses are butter and fats and sweets," said Zamzow, who's often the cook on his crew. "Now we're trying to at least not have as many sweets around. Because if you have them, of course you're going to eat them."

Officials stress that overall, the employees in the Madison Fire Department are a fit group. But there's always room for improvement and ways to lead a healthier lifestyle. Organizers hope the fitness challenge is one they can eventually bring to the larger Madison community.

Lance Langer, division chief of training for the Madison Fire Department, ranks as one of the biggest losers so far at 34 pounds.

Langer said he put on extra weight when he switched from a field position to an administrative one within the department. This resulted in a "less than favorable result ... when it comes to fitness," he said.

Now he keeps a stash of protein bars and granola in his car, something "I would have never dreamed of" 10 years ago, he said.

Langer said fitness in fire stations now focuses on endurance, cardiovascular training and interval training rather than weightlifting and muscle mass.

"The muscle beach look has kind of changed in the fire service," Langer said. Now people realize the hundreds of little stresses -- responding to calls, listening to fire tones all day, exposure to smoke and smoke byproducts -- all take their toll, he said. "We used to think (firefighting) was just a big macho hero kind of profession and you could always pull it off."

Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin and lieutenant with the Madison Fire Department, said he's received requests from departments across the state wanting to implement a program like Madison's fitness challenge.

It's important to shed light on firefighter fitness and ensure firefighters are eating right and finding time to exercise on and off duty, Mitchell said. "Eating fast does not always lead to eating healthy," he said. And "in between training (and) going on calls, you don't always have a chance to work out."

But Mitchell said firefighters and emergency responders must remember in order to save someone else's life "you have to make sure you're in decent health."

"We can always work harder at being in better shape," he said.

Fire officials also are working toward making the fitness training applicable to firefighting.

During a recent boot camp, firefighters pounded a huge tire with a sledge hammer, whipped fire hoses and carried a 50-pound vest.

Lt. Jennifer Roman has led a team of eight female firefighters in the challenge. She said all their goals were different, from straight-up weight loss to maintaining healthier eating habits.

For Roman, making smart food choices has been the biggest struggle, and her team has focused on sharing healthy recipes and encouraging each other via e-mail.

"You walk through a building and you're less likely to find an apple than Doritos," Roman said.

And having a good cook on your crew can be a blessing and a curse.

"It's delicious food, but it also can be very challenging to not overeat when you're at a fire station," Roman said.

That problem is exacerbated during the holidays when stations are inundated with sugar-laden treats from grateful community members.

Roman said her group has done well, although they learned to set achievable, short-term goals during the three-month challenge.

"We're all relatively fit people anyway because of the job," Roman said "The challenge is what you can do every day to make your life healthier."

Chick Lillis, who's been a Madison firefighter for more than 30 years, said she joined the challenge because she wanted to lose weight, improve her cardiovascular strength and overall strength.

Lillis said being part of a team has motivated her to work out even when she didn't feel like it.

"I needed to get myself back into more tip-top shape," she said during a recent boot camp at

Station No. 2.