This funny little thing that makes people do the strangest things. In one day I experienced three completely different applications of the word. When I walked into my office for the day at work, there was a Himalayan Salt Lamp plugged in and glowing in the corner. These little pink hunks of salt are supposed to purify the air, and positively impact the mood in their area. I was in and out of that office all day and honestly, I have no clue if it was working. I’ll tell you one thing though, each time I left the office to go on a call, I tapped the thing like the ‘Play Like a Champion’ sign at Notre Dame. By the end of the day, I wanted a salt lamp because while I don’t know if it did anything good, it sure isn’t hurting anything and a little more positive belief wouldn’t hurt anyone. When I left the office, the guys were watching Oak Island on TV. This is the show that rivals Finding Bigfoot in its drawn out and fruitless story line. It follows of a pair of super wealthy brothers and their team, as they spend crazy money and resources drilling and searching an island in Canada for hidden treasure. Besides the folk stories and a few coins, they have zero proof that there is treasure anywhere on the island. However, their unwavering belief in something they may never even find has them millions of dollars in at this point.
The third was actually something that left us in disbelief, more than the whole salt lamp and buried treasure thing. I pulled up some numbers from studies for the website and shared them with the guys. The percentages and dollar amounts were hard to stomach at first, but then as we mulled them over, made more sense.
-"Medical costs for those suffering from obesity were $1429 higher than for those normal weight."
-"Health care expenditures are as much as five times higher for individuals with diabetes compared to individuals without diabetes."
-"The average total direct and indirect cost of a severe heart attack is about 1 million."
The belief that the fireservice is immune to these issues has been officially dashed. We are like any other group of humans, but our potential physical demands are highly unique. Physical fitness is a perishable asset and has to be treated as one. Getting companies like 4th Shift involved is just one of many ways to begin and reform the attitude towards physical fitness in fire departments. Be prepared for your shift, with 4th shift.