wellness.southmetro.orgSouth Metro Fire Rescue Wellness | Wellness Bureau

Home Our Story Our Focus Wellness Team Community Resources Retiree Resources Podcasts Contact Employee Login Menu Home Our Story Our Focus Wellness Team Community Resources Retiree Resources Podcasts Contact Employee Login South Metro Fire Rescue Wellness Program Keeping our crew well, every step of the way. Our Story Historically South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR) required an Incumbent Physical Ability Test (IPAT) for all line personnel. The IPAT is performed in full PPE and SCBA as a fit for duty test. On May 14, 2012 a 41-year old SMFR firefighter experienced cardiac arrest after returning to the station following the completion of the IPAT. The firefighter was defibrillated 18 times and had CPR performed for over an hour. The firefighter survived the event after treatment for a blood clot in his Left Anterior Coronary Artery. The physician diagnosis included suspected dehydration in combination of exertion and existing plaque. Shortly after this event, a 47-year old SMFR Captain experienced dizziness and complications related to his hypertension after completing the IPAT and was treated at an Emergency Room. A third SMFR employee, a 47- year old Lieutenant completed the IPAT and experienced chest pain on his way home from duty. He was diagnosed with a myocardial infarction and treated with angioplasty in a cardiac catheterization lab. Following these three incidents, SMFR Command Staff suspended the IPAT test until further notice. SMFR recognized the need for alternative fit for duty testing and health assessments for their line personnel. SMFR acknowledged these three near miss” incidents and the inherent health risks through previously documented research studies relating increased cardiovascular risk and structural firefighters. This also came during a time where there was a department dissatisfaction with the worker’s compensation process. Injured personnel were waiting weeks to months to get scheduled for injury imaging followed by delayed specialist assessment which stalled treatment plans and ultimately prolonged return to duty timelines. This not only created employee frustration, but extended lost time, generating increased back fill costs and increased worker’s compensation claim costs. Through the establishment of a wellness program, SMFR sought an opportunity to establish a means to assess firefighter fit for duty testing which includes understanding the demand on the cardiovascular system and the inability to dissipate heat while wearing structural firefighting PPE. The desire was to create a wellness program that would not only lead to a more comprehensive program to establish firefighter fitness for duty while reducing the risk of myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accidents during testing, but also streamline the worker’s compensation process and how the department cared for injured workers. SMFR expected this program would lead to more specific functional firefighting fitness, decrease injury timelines and lead to a reduced risk of injury, illness or death on the fire ground. Current Health & Wellness Officer, Chris Macklin was an Engineer and was serving as an Executive of IAFF Local 2164 in 2012. He participated in labor conversations with management to institute a Wellness Program in light of events that occurred during the IPAT. In the Fall of 2013, he was placed in an administrative assignment to hire SMFR’s first Wellness employee and create the foundation for our medical, physical and behavioral health programs. We began as a one employee shop and today are a staff of 12 taking care of 750 SMFR employees. Our Focus Our wellness program provides first-class health and wellness resources and services to all of our nearly 800 employees. We focus on the following wellness categories. Injury Rehabilitation Strength & Conditioning Behavioral Health Physicals Workers’ Compensation Wellness Discounts Wellness Team Administrative Christian Macklin Health & Wellness Officer Read bio Carla Ahrenholtz Wellness Program Manager Read bio Clinical Carrie Burns District Physician Read bio Becky Grantham Wellness Navigator Read bio Chris Sheckler Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach Read bio Tommy Ray Gayfield Jr. Strength & Conditioning Coach Read bio Eddie Yoon Strength & Conditioning Coach Read bio Kent Bultemeier Rehabilitation Lead Read bio Josie White Athletic Trainer Read bio Joy Anderson Physical Therapist, Athletic Trainer Read bio Shin Sakurai Muscle Activation Technique Specialist Read bio Meg Williams Physical Therapist, Athletic Trainer Read bio Jeremy Gage Physician Assistant Read bio Community Resources You May Find Useful SMFR Candidate Fitness Program Candidates applying for SMFR positions are welcome to utilize the following 8-week fitness program to help prepare them for the fitness assessment... read more SMFR Retirees Wellness Resources We are committed to providing SMFR retirees and older adults with wellness resources. Click on the button below to reach the retirees and older adults resources provided by SMFR Wellness. View Retiree Resources Podcasts Podcasts we think you will find interesting and helpful. Contact SMFR Wellness If you have questions about our wellness program, comments or simply need to speak with somebody in wellness, please use the form on this page. We will reach back out as soon as possible. If you are a SMFR employee, please log in here to contact Wellness. Full Name Email Address Reason for Contacting Reason for Contacting General Inquiries Reaching a specific person Media Inquiry Other Message 7 + 1 = Send Christian Macklin, Health & Wellness Officer Chris has been an emergency responder since 1991 when he became an EMT. He gained employment at REED Ambulance in Denver Colorado, a traditional mom and pop” private ambulance company. In 1992 he graduated from St. Anthony’s Hospital Paramedic Program. Chris was employed as a Denver Health Paramedic for 10 years and was promoted to Field Instructor and Senior Paramedic in 1998. He also held positions as a Bike Medic, Denver International Airport Medic and worked occasionally in the dispatch center while employed there. In 2002 Chris joined South Metro Fire Rescue as a Firefighter/Paramedic. He was promoted to Engineer in 2010, became the Training Engineer in 2016 and accepted a role in Wellness in the Fall of 2017 as the Wellness Manager. In 2012 as an Executive of IAFF Local 2164, Macklin participated in labor conversations with management to institute a Wellness Program in light of catastrophic events that occurred during our Incumbent Physical Ability Test. In the Fall of 2013, he was placed in an administrative assignment to hire our first Wellness employee and create the foundation for our medical, physical and behavioral health programs. What began as a one employee shop in 2013 is now a staff of 12 taking care of 750 SMFR employees. Chris’ core value in his work in Wellness is the tenant, everything we do is for the greater good. In 2012 Macklin joined and became the coordinator of our Peer Support Team. He had struggled with his recovery from responding to the Columbine High School shooting in 1999 as a Denver Paramedic. This experience with the contemporary lack of organizational sponsored Peer Support Teams, lack of culturally competent and trauma trained clinicians and lack of alternatives to talk therapy have guided me in this work. Chris has obtained a greater understanding of stress injuries and seeks opportunities to care for the men and women that respond to emergencies on a daily basis. He believes organizations have a responsibility to provide a safe and supportive workplace where members are free to express and normalize their reactions and experiences so they may seek help without fear. Leave it better than you found it, for the greater good. Close Meg Williams, Physical Therapist Meg joined the SMFR in 2023. She is a Colorado native that moved around quite a bit growing up, including living in Australia and then mostly...