St. Wendel fire department launches Fit4Fire” health initiative!

St. Wendel fire department launches Fit4Fire” health initiative!

With the pilot project “Fit4Fire powered by IKK Südwest”, the district town of St. Wendel has launched a groundbreaking health initiative that is intended to sustainably strengthen the fitness and health of the members of the volunteer fire departments. Mayor Peter klar highlights the high physical demands in the fire service and emphasizes the importance of maintaining the health of volunteers. This is particularly relevant since around 400 active fire brigade members serve in 13 firefighting districts in St. Wendel.

The official kick-off event took place on June 3, 2025 in the Urweiler Fitness Park, which marked the starting signal for the program. The first joint sporting event was characterized by high motivation and team spirit, which encouraged the emergency services to work together more closely. The program aims to optimize operational performance through improved fitness and health of participants.

Structure of the project

The “Fit4Fire” project is based on two central pillars. On the one hand, it includes joint sporting events for the entire armed forces, which are intended to provide inspiration and motivation. On the other hand, individually tailored training courses are offered in the individual firefighting districts, which are supported by the IKK Südwest team. These tailor-made offers are the result of an early online survey among firefighters and their families, which identified specific needs in the areas of exercise, back fitness and ergonomics.

The initiative is part of the city administration's occupational health management (BGM) and is based on a cooperation between the district town of St. Wendel and the IKK Südwest, which was launched in 2018. In 2023, this collaboration was expanded to include the volunteer fire department, which underlines the importance of health promotion for this special group of people.

Outlook for further activities

The participants in the first sports campaign were enthusiastic about the program's approaches and have already expressed their desire for further campaigns and training. Thanks were expressed to all participants and the IKK Südwest for the partnership-based cooperation. The project not only promises to improve fitness, but also to strengthen the sense of community within the fire department.

“Fit4Fire powered by IKK Südwest” represents a future-oriented health initiative that actively supports the volunteers of the fire department in St. Wendel and maximizes their ability to work during operations. The goal is clear: to establish health and fitness as the cornerstone of a successful fire service and thus enrich the entire volunteer experience.

For more information about this pilot, please visit the detailed reports from sankt-wendel.de and fw-wnd.de.