Colorado employees, no matter where they happen to work, are at risk of suffering some kind of injury on the job. However, just like in our daily lives outside of work, the more physically fit one happens to be, the less likely he or she is to fall victim to a random injury. AT&T of Colorado seems to be aware of this fact and it has recently given $10,000 in grant money to help fund a Colorado law enforcement training foundation, which is striving to improve the physical fitness of police officers throughout the state. Since the foundation began, participating police officers have had fewer injuries and made less workers’ compensation claims.
The program has been in existence since 1989. It was created by a professor at George Mason University who realized the importance of keeping law enforcement officers in good physical condition. A large amount of the foundation’s resources go to pay for the Law Fit Program, which offers vocational training to instructors representing the 64 government agencies that are involved in the foundation.
According to the program’s website, law enforcement agencies pay higher workers’ compensation and disability claims when they do not put emphasis on the physical fitness of the officers they employ. Not only does physical fitness help officers perform better under high-stress situations, it also reduces the chance of random injuries occurring in the field. In addition to courses called Law Fit, money will be utilized to purchase new workout equipment and improve the organization’s obstacle course.
While the efforts to improve Colorado police officers’ physical fitness levels are commendable, they will not prevent all injuries from occurring in the field. In the event that any Colorado resident is injured while performing his or her job duties, he or she may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Such benefits can help an injured worker pay for living expenses (and familial expenses) while injures prevent him or her from going to work. Even in the tragic case of someone dying while on the job, family members can seek financial relief through a workers’ compensation death benefits claim to keep them financially afloat following the loss of a loved one.
Source: Our Colorado News, Grant supports fitness for law enforcement, Ryan Boldrey, Oct. 27, 2013