Local Doctor Partners with SLPD to Keep City Safe
Last Updated: June 13, 2008
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SUGAR LAND: A local doctor’s efforts to keep the Sugar Land Police Department fit and trim is one of the many ways community partnerships contribute to a safe community.
Dr. Kota Reddy, a cardiovascular physician, provided free heart exams to Sugar Land’s police officers and firefighters. The initial exams were followed up with specific plans for heart-healthy lifestyles intended to ensure that Sugar Land’s public safety responders are ready to take on all challenges.
Police Chief Steve Griffith and Lt. Justin Joyce recently presented Dr. Reddy with a custom made belt and SLPD buckle as a token of the entire department’s appreciation for the doctor’s volunteer effort.
“Most of our employees have taken advantage of Dr. Reddy’s gracious offer,” Griffith said. ”While health and fitness is important to every organization, it’s especially important for first-responders, as our jobs often involve rigorous situations in challenging, stressful environments. Our personal safety and the well-being of those we serve on a regular basis depend on our ability to respond effectively.”
The health and wellness of Sugar Land’s public safety professionals has been an area of emphasis during recent years.
Following recommendations of employee committees and an outside consultant, new fitness requirements were implemented to better reflect the challenges of the public safety profession. A number of resources have been provided to employees, including on-duty workout time and professional trainers to assist in the design and implementation of physical fitness programs.
Griffith adds the importance of fitness cannot be overstated for police officers. They must remain physically capable to perform their duties, but fitness also helps control stress associated with the emotional pressure of the law enforcement profession.
“As an occupation, law enforcement holds the distinction of having the highest rate of heart disease, diabetes and suicide out of 149 professions,” according to Ronald J. Getz’s You Can’t Afford Not to Have a Fitness Program, Law and Order, June 1990.
The Law Enforcement Wellness Association compares police work to military experience; hours of mind numbing boredom punctuated by brief periods of intense, unpredictable, life-threatening action. Both the military and law enforcement are come as you are professions. Physical fitness is not required very often, but when it is needed, the absence of fitness can have dire consequences for the individual officer, his or her partner, and the public officers are sworn to protect.
“Health and fitness is incredibly important to our jobs,” Griffith said. “We’re grateful to Dr. Reddy for his contribution to our efforts in this area.”
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